Ramona Singer on Housewives Fame: 'It Frightened Me'

Ramona Singer was not always comfortable with the attention that came with being a reality TV star.

The Original RHONY cast member, now 69, told Us Weekly she was initially frightened by the fame.

"I used to really not embrace it. It kind of frightened me and scared me. But now I can embrace it," she told the outlet.

Ramona credits the genuine friendships she's built within the Bravoverse for helping her get past that fear. Those bonds carry over to her new E! series The Golden Life, which also stars Luann de Lesseps, Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan and Kelly Bensimon.

"We are real friends. We fight sometimes really badly. But we do make up. We have resolution, but we're real," Ramona said.

"There's nothing fake about us, you know? And we're inspirational to [fans]. I mean, look at us all."

She describes the new show as more lighthearted than her RHONY days, calling it genuine and unscripted. While the "Singer Stinger" is still there, Ramona says she is now calmer and has more patience.

"I'm just living my best life. And I never felt better," she said, though costar Luann de Lesseps joked that "you cannot change the leopard's spots."

Ramona, who spent 13 seasons on RHONY before Bravo rebooted the franchise in 2023, says her life is just beginning.

"I never thought when I was younger [I'd] ever looked like this at this age," she told Us Weekly. "And let me tell you out there, life just gets better. My life is just beginning."

The Golden Life premieres on E! Tuesday, October 20, at 10 p.m. ET with a special 90-minute episode.