Who Is RHONY Newcomer Ubah Hassan?
Bravo is seriously mixing things up for Season 14 of "Real Housewives of New York City." The show has been dwindling in popularity, with viewers becoming sick of the same faces and plotlines. Fans were really over one "RHONY" housewife in particular. In a Nicki Swift survey, 142 of 574 respondents said Ramona Singer, a New York City OG, was their least favorite of the franchise. Little surprise, given Singer's outspoken stance against COVID vax mandates and alleged racist remarks about the show's first Black cast member, Eboni K. Williams.
The Daily Mail reported that the recording of the Season 13 reunion show and Season 14 had been put on ice because of "plummeting ratings and cast chaos." They noted that the show had reached its lowest number of viewers, with just 164,000 people tuning in. "All hell is breaking loose behind the scenes," a source claimed. It was clear that something had to change, and ASAP before the apple rotted to the core.
When Bravo announced its radical new plans for the show, it put more than a few (surgically tweaked) noses out of joint — and a whole load of reality stars out of work. Andy Cohen confirmed the news that "RHONY" fans were hoping for: They'd replaced the entire cast. Bravo introduced newbies Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Lichy, Lizzy Savetsky, Jessel Taank, Brynn Whitfield, and Jenna Lyons on their Instagram. So, among the seven preparing to get real, who is "RHONY" newcomer Ubah Hassan?
Ubah Hassan is a hot and saucy model
Fans were left hanging as to what was really going on with "The Real Housewives of New York" cast shakeup until October 16. Per Bravo, the question was finally answered during a "Watch What Happens Live" special taping at BravoCon 2022. Production starts in the fall, and the show will air in 2023. Andy Cohen announced the replacement cast as the newbies strutted onto the stage, surprising the screaming audience. "This is a group of friends," Cohen said, sharing they lived all over NYC. "I said to you earlier your lives are going to change," he continued.
Well, that's an understatement. A Google frenzy was sparked as fans scrabbled to find info on everyone. Nicki Swift can save them the hassle regarding Ubah Hassan. We've got the 411 on the latest "Real Housewife," and she'll have no trouble filling any of the old cast's Louboutins.
Hassan is a model with a unique global background. According to The Fashion Spot, she was born in Somalia before fleeing to Kenya to escape the war. Her mom and siblings moved to Ethiopia, but they were reunited seven years later in Calgary in Canada. Per Page Six, Hassan moved to the Big Apple after being signed by Click Model agency. She's more than a pretty face, though. Hassan's also a successful entrepreneur. She created and owns Ubah Hot, a sauce that Oprah has even endorsed.
Ubah Hassan has a heart as big as her smile
"Real Housewives of New York City" newcomer Ubah Hassan is passionate about several things in life. Aside from modeling, one of her driving forces is her activism and philanthropic work. According to The Fashion Spot, Hassan strives to introduce more diversity in the fashion world and devotes much of her spare time to working with TOMS global charity. The NGO is dedicated to raising funds to help provide access to mental health treatment to those in need.
Hassan is also into healthy living and eating clean without losing flavor or joy. "Although I've found myself in a modeling career where I've had to watch what I eat to stay fit, I wanted to find a way to honor my palate and passion for food," she told Page Six. "And a way to enjoy the taste of food without compromising being healthy and radiant." Hassan is clearly a whiz in the kitchen. In addition to creating her own line of hot sauce, she also loves to cook up a storm. In fact, Hassan admitted to The Fashion Spot that she would be a chef if she hadn't become a model.
As if she isn't multi-faceted enough already, Hassan also doles out dating advice — which will likely stand her well in her new reality TV career. In a segment for Fox News Magazine, Hassan advised guys to always be gentlemen and to pay attention to a girls' friends if they're interested in her.