KELLY BENSIMON JOINS SEASON 2 OF BRAVO'S "THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK CITY"

ALEX, BETHENNY, JILL, LUANN AND RAMONA ARE BACK AND JOINED BY KELLY BENSIMON ON THE SECOND SEASON OF "THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK CITY"

NEW YORK � July 24, 2008 � Bravo's watercooler sensation "The Real Housewives of New York City" returns for season two with all five original ladies and a new housewife � designer, model, author and fashion editor Kelly Bensimon. Production for season two has officially begun and will follow the busy lives of everyone's favorite Manhattan women as they juggle their careers, children, summer in the Hamptons and their jam-packed social calendars.

Designer, model, author and fashion editor Kelly Bensimon is a staple on the Manhattan social scene. A columnist for Hamptons Magazine, she is also editor at large for Hamptons, Gotham, and LA Confidential magazines. In addition to her magazine work, Bensimon has written three books on fashion, and also created her own jewelry line that is currently sold in top Manhattan boutiques. She splits her time with her two daughters between New York City and East Hampton.

"I am flattered by the opportunity to be on 'The Real Housewives of New York City.' I feel it's a great way to showcase my personal and professional life," said Bensimon.

The returning "Real Housewives of New York City" are:

� Alex McCord is a busy career woman juggling two children, a husband, and a thriving social calendar. Her children take music, art, swimming and French classes. In addition to her busy career and social life, McCord is a former actress and model, and currently a graphic designer at a major retail label.

� Bethenny Frankel, a single Manhattan woman in her 30's with a burgeoning career as a natural foods chef and active in the New York social scene. Frankel is a celebrity chef who owns her own company, Bethenny Bakes, has a health column in Hamptons Magazine, is a TV spokesperson for Health Magazine and for Pepperidge Farms new line of healthy foods, and was a runner-up on "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart."

� Jill Zarin is the quintessential New York woman. A regular on the Manhattan social circuit, she is married to Bobby Zarin, a successful entrepreneur, and together they operate Zarin Fabrics and Home Furnishings. Zarin is also involved in numerous charities and counts many celebrities among her friends. A permanent fixture in the Hamptons as well as Manhattan, she juggles her career with being a wife and a mother to her daughter Allyson and her stepchildren David (and wife Jill), Jennifer and Jonathan.

� LuAnn de Lesseps is a real-life Countess. Her husband, Alexandre Count de Lesseps, is a French aristocrat (of the Suez Canal dynasty). With her Countess title comes a great sense of pride as the de Lesseps presented New York City with the Statue of Liberty. de Lesseps uses her title to help with various charities while juggling a tight social calendar with being a busy mom of two. She also teaches etiquette on morning television shows.

� Ramona Singer is a busy entrepreneur. She owns her own business, R.M.S. Fashions, a jewelry line, truefaithjewelry.com, a clothing line "True Faith," and is developing a skin care line. She and her husband Mario, a third generation jeweler, and their 13-year-old daughter Avery, live in a striking four-bedroom condo in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. They also have a beautiful second home in Southampton directly on the water. Singer is an avid tennis player and loves to entertain, constantly organizing dinner parties and social events.

"The Real Housewives of New York City" is produced by Ricochet Television Inc. Jennifer O'Connell, Nick Emmerson and Matthew Anderson serve as executive producers.

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