Gretchen Rossi's season 19 return to The Real Housewives of Orange County was the talk of the town - but it almost didn't happen. "There's always been rumblings and talks," Gretchen, 46, said of her comeback during the Sunday, July 27, episode of iHeartRadio's "I Do, Part 2" podcast. Gretchen, who exited the series in 2013 after four seasons, explained that "for a long time, it was an absolute no." She said that both she and fiancé Slade Smiley had "no interest" in returning to the franchise because of the hate they received as a couple.