The start of series 18 of The Real Housewives of Cheshire – the hotly-anticipated ten-year anniversary series – is fast approaching and according to our calculations, production is about halfway through filming.
We always get a bit overly excited in the lead-up to a new series of Housewives, but this one just hits a bit different. That's partly due to the fact that the cast have been teasing series 18 'surprises', 'celebrations' and 'new and old faces' for months now.
We have to say, the cast are doing a relatively good job at keeping the series secrets under wraps this year – well, apart from Lauren Simon, who accidentally let slip that Leanne Brown was returning to the series when she posted (and swiftly deleted) a behind-the-scenes snap – but we've spotted some fresh breadcrumbs.
According to several Instagram stories, it looks as if a Married at First Sight UK legend might have joined the cast on a series filming day. We don't want to jump straight to conclusions by assuming this means she's joining the cast, but she's certainly connected to the show and its stars in some way if these Instagram snaps are anything to go by.
We're trying not to get carried away with this, but we are Closer, and there are very few things we love more than a reality telly crossover.
Remember Bianca Petronzi from Married at First Sight UK 2023? She was the bride who originally matched up with JJ Slater (who is now famously dating none other than Katie Price) and lost him to Ella Morgan in some of the wildest scenes to ever grace the show.
WELL, she was spotted at guest Housewife Hanna Kinsella's Icy Dental event earlier this week, along with a load of RHOCheshire cast members and what certainly looks like an ITVBe filming crew.
To be fair, a hella load of icons and influencers were invited to Hanna's event and Bianca does work in the beauty industry, so it's quite possible they're industry friends rather than co-stars, but still, we can dream.
The cast of The Real Housewives of Cheshire series 18 began filming in December 2024 with a lavish trip to Thailand. The ladies then took a a break over the Christmas period and returned to filming in January 2025. While we're a little in the dark about the main storylines for the milestone series, we know that it will follow Lystra Adams' split from girlfriend Ashley and the return of series one icon, Leanne Brown.
WATCH: It looks like we can expect some new cast members on The Real Housewives of Cheshire just in time for the 10th anniversary
Ben Pulsford is a digital writer for Bauer Media, writing for both Closer online and heatworld. When he's not getting paid to gossip about TOWIE, Love Island and The Real Housewives of Cheshire, he's storming the London LGBTQ+ scene as drag queen, Beary Poppins. Both Ben and Beary are awaiting an invite to join The Real Housewives of Cheshire for series 18. The budget's not there, but the drama is 💅.