Okay, we'll be honest, when news broke that Real Housewives of Cheshire icon – as in she was in the original line-up in 2015 ICON – Tanya Bardsley was leaving the show after six years in 2021, we were concerned for the show's future.
In our minds, Tanya carried that show for years and we just hope she had a good chiropractor on call, to be honest. Okay, her and Dawn, and given that Dawn left the year before, well, picture us concerned back then.
But it was the right call, as Tanya has spoken out about leaving the series for her own health and wellbeing and we have the utmost respect for anyone who makes such a decision (wellbeing queen 👑). So, as much we LOVED her on the ITVBe series, we waved goodbye with love four years ago.
We were then obviously thrilled when Tanya decided to return a year later as a guest Housewife (which basically just means you only show up for the holidays and the swanky parties and generally steer clear of the drama) and all was right with the world. And with Tanya taking part in ten-year anniversary series (which launched on Monday 3 March 2025 and wrapped filming earlier this week), all just feels right in the world.
But, wait, no – something's missing.
The absolute cherry on the cake in all of this would be if we got even more Tanya on our screens and in our lives in 2025; perhaps some sort of spin-off show all about her and her fam? Oh, ITV, you're too good to us.
Yep, in March 2025, ITV bigwigs confirmed that the OG Cheshire Housewife was getting her own series called The Bardsley Bunch, all about her family, and earlier this week we learned that the six-part ITVBe series will launch on Wednesday 16 April at 9pm and, hold the phone, that's in less than two weeks.
Sadly, we only know three things about the spin-off at this stage; one, it will be produced by Monkey, the team behind The Real Housewives of Cheshire, two, Tanya is dead excited for the new series (we had a cheeky DM chat with her to say 'congrats') and three, well, it's the two sentences ITV have teased us with...
ITV said, 'One of Cheshire’s best-loved and longest-standing Housewives, Tanya Bardsley lifts the lid on the chaos of her home life in the hilarious new reality format.
'The series follows the life, laughter and love of the multi-generational household of Tanya, husband Phil, their four kids Gabriella, Rocco, Renz and Ralphi, grandparents Julie and Steve, and Great Nana Irene.'
It's giving The Real Housewives of Cheshire meets The Osbournes meets The Kardashians and we couldn't be more here for it.
While we haven't got long to wait, in the meantime, you can, of course, tune in to series 18 – the milestone ten-year anniversary series – of The Real Housewives of Cheshire and stream every season before that on ITVX.
That's A LOT of Real Housewives of Cheshire, we know, but honestly, we ask you, is there really such a thing?
WATCH: Tanya Bardsley and Lauren Simon have spilled the tea on series 18
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 💅.