Tamra Judge Is Happy About 'RHOC' Return, Still Doesn't Know Why She Was Fired

Tamra Judge has opened up about the moment she got the call to return to "The Real Housewives of Orange County."

Two years after exiting the Bravo reality show after Season 14, Judge, 55, came back to "RHOC" for its upcoming 17th season.

She revealed during a panel discussion at BravoCon 2022 Saturday that she was surprised she received the offer to return, People reported.

"I was like, 'Oh s---.' Like, really? This is happening?" she said, while on the "Bravo, Bravo, F---ing Bravo" panel.

Judge admitted that she was "very sad" for months after she was fired from the show in January 2020, ahead of Season 15. She was a mainstay on "RHOC" for 12 seasons, so it was difficult for her to accept that her co-stars were filming without her.

"I got to a state where, the first year, I was in a fetal position crying," the reality star recalled. "I was very sad about not being on the scene, everybody filming and all that stuff."

But Judge said she got over her sadness when the pandemic hit and "RHOC" had to film during the height of COVID-19, which she dubbed "the Tandemic for Orange County."

The launch of her "Two T's in a Pod" podcast helped take her mind off the show, and when "Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Ex-Wives Club" came her way, she completely got over her "RHOC" axing.

Judge was on "RHUGT's" press tour when she received the call to return to "RHOC."

"[They said], 'Hey, we want to meet with you.' And I was like, 'What the f---? Really? This is happening?'" she replied.

Despite her shock, the fitness instructor said she was happy to return. She admitted that she had always wanted to remain in the series.

"Of course I wanted it!" she said, adding, "I still don't know why I was fired!"

Judge and her co-stars, who include returning favorites Shannon Storms Beador, Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson, are currently filming "RHOC" Season 17.

According to Judge, everything happened so quickly, and her return "still hasn't sunk in" three months into filming the new season.

When asked how her "RHOC" co-stars reacted to her return, Judge teased, "Not well, b--ch!"

"Nobody really gave me a hard time when I came back. I gave everybody a f---ing hard time, but everybody was super nice to me and then it made it weird for me because I was like, 'Why? You danced on my grave when I was gone. And now you're being nice to me? Why?'" she wondered, according to People.

Fans have been calling for Judge's return to the series since her 2020 departure, and her name constantly came up in conversations on social media and in the press.

Judge confirmed her return to the show during an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" in July.

She suddenly appeared on the talk show and took an orange off the show's set before spilling the line, "The judge is back and drama is in session."

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's true Tamra Judge is returning to 'The Real Housewives of Orange County'!" host Andy Cohen said, adding, "Welcome back, Tamra!"