If you’re not watching The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 18 for the drama, at least watch for Emily Simpson‘s hilarious confessionals. Now in her sixth year in the long-running Bravo series, Simpson has cemented herself as the show’s comedic relief in what is an otherwise chaotic environment. It’s been a long time coming, but she’s also found her footing with longtime star Tamra Judge, who hasn’t always had the kindest things to say about her. Despite the rocky start to their friendship, Simpson could honestly tell DECIDER that she “enjoys” Judge and the “mutual respect” they have for one another these days.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with Tamra outside of Real Housewives and she’s just normal. She’s fun. She’s easy to get along with,” Simpson told us when she stopped by our offices. “So I’m very happy where we’re at.”

Not only was their new alliance in full force when they peed in a bush together during a girl’s night out, but they also found themselves in trouble when they poked fun at the allegations that Heather Dubrow staged her paparazzi photos in a recent episode. While Judge immediately apologized to Dubrow after the episode aired, Simpson didn’t know she was “mad” until she heard from Gina Kirschenheiter.

“I didn’t think it was warranted that I had to reach out immediately and apologize. That was my position,” Simpson said of what she felt was a rather “light-hearted” scene. “But we’re good now. We had some texting back and forth. I feel like we’ve worked through it and we’re okay.”

While Judge and Simpson are finally on the same page, the former’s once-close relationship with Shannon Beador has been deteriorating in front of our eyes. In a preview for tonight’s new episode, Judge calls out Beador for continuing to drink alcohol following her DUI arrest.

“I think from our outside perspective, we don’t understand how deep this relationship goes between the two of them. They were friends for 10 years. There’s a lot of layers, a lot of complexities. They’ve had a lot of issues,” Simpson said, noting that, at the same time, she has advised Judge to “show a little more compassion” towards Beador.

When Simpson came into our offices, we talked all about that sexy photoshoot she did for her husband’s anniversary gift, what made her look at Alexis Bellino “differently,” and what’s to come on The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 18. Check out the interview below.

DECIDER: I thought the photoshoot you did for Shane was so much fun. Was that the most risqué gift you’ve ever given him? And if not, what was?

EMILY SIMPSON: That would probably have to be it. It’s not like I’m out taking naked photos of myself often and giving them to him. So yeah, I was trying to think if there’s anything else risqué. I mean, he probably wishes I would, I’m sure he would love to have [them]. I mean, he’s Shane.

You look amazing! You said that going to the gym has been a bit “obsessive” for you and Shane seemed a little worried that you were going too hard. Have you been able to find more of a balance between your home life and your fitness goals?

I was just thinking about that the other day because I don’t weigh myself but I can tell I’m probably about 10 pounds heavier than I was at this exact time last year. And I was thinking back to that time period, and I was so restrictive on myself. I was just not eating a lot, not eating carbs, not drinking any alcohol, not sharing a dessert with Shane when we go to dinner. And so recently, I’ve loosened up on that.

I still go to the gym seven days a week, but I’ve loosened up a little bit and I feel like maybe I found a balance. And I think that’s important, is to not be ridiculous, really restrictive, but to find where it’s a lifestyle that you can maintain, and I think that’s where I’m at right now. Hence the extra 10 pounds.

Well, you look great. And you should be able to have a little fun!

Right. Do I just spend the rest of my life not having dessert? Or do I just have an extra 10 pounds and I enjoy dessert with my husband when I go to dinner? I’ll take the happiness.

There were a lot of mixed reactions over you peeing in the bush at Katie’s house. But after you drank out of a dog bowl and brought a turkey sub into a sauna, I personally thought that was just classic Emily! What is your response to the haters? 

First of all, Shane always watches the episodes first. I get it and I send it to him and he watches it, and I will tell you the first thing he did. He watched the episode and he came into the bedroom and he goes, “I can’t believe you peed in a bush.” He was like, “That is disgusting.” And I was really taken aback because honestly, I didn’t even remember that I had done it.

But I feel like that is just the quintessential difference between my husband and me. He’s very Orange County. I’m from Ohio. I grew up on 12 acres. My sister and I have peed behind every bush on our property. We’ve peed by the pond, we’ve peed in the woods. I just feel like I grew up like that. It wasn’t something weird. And also, those people being judgmental have never been stuck in a sprinter van with a whole bar of alcohol for hours. I was to the point where I couldn’t hold it any longer. 

I love to see how close you and Tamra have gotten. What do you cherish most about your friendship? 

I have gotten to a place with Tamra where I really enjoy her and I feel like we really get each other and there’s a mutual respect there, which never was there before. The first two years on the show with her, we clearly did not like each other. And then when she was off the show, she spent a lot of time bashing me every time she did press or a podcast or whatever. But now, I feel like we’ve come to this really good place and I get her, I enjoy her.

I know people watch her on the screen and they’re like, “She’s so this” or “She’s so that” or “She’s so aggressive.” I’ve spent a lot of time with Tamra outside of Real Housewives and she’s just normal. She’s fun. She’s easy to get along with. I’ve traveled with her, and I feel like that’s a testament to really being able to decipher if you can be friends with someone, if you travel with them. Totally easy to travel with. So I’m very happy where we’re at. 

I do want to ask about that scene when you and Tamra were talking about catching Heather in a lie with the paparazzi pics. When we talked to her, she said the conversation was “disturbing” and she later revealed on Watch What Happens Live that Tamra texted her and apologized for it. Have you talked to her since that scene aired?

I have, and first of all, I don’t watch the episodes and Heather knows this. So I didn’t even know that she would be upset about something. So that’s my first point. And that’s why I didn’t reach out, because I didn’t even know what I did or said. I heard through the grapevine, which is Gina, that Heather was mad at me.

My second point is to me, it wasn’t anything that was so egregious that it warranted an apology. I mean, it’s four months. We’re spending all this time together. Everybody has different things they’re talking about and having opinions about. I’ve always been very opinionated. And I felt like that was just me having an opinion about something. I didn’t think it was warranted that I had to reach out immediately and apologize. That was my position. But we’re good now. We had some texting back and forth. I feel like we’ve worked through it and we’re okay.

Well, the scene seemed like it was all in good fun.

In my mind, the way I interpreted it, was just a silly accusation, whether it was true or not. It was just very superficial and light-hearted. And honestly, I didn’t care one way or the other, if she did or if she didn’t. It didn’t change my opinion of Heather. So for me, it was so light-hearted that I thought it was okay to laugh, to kind of make a little fun, to take some digs, but apparently it wasn’t reciprocated that way.

It’s no secret that you and Heather hit a rough patch. In the trailer, you say that she still looks at you like the “big girl.” What can you tell us about that disagreement? 

Well first, I do want to say that when that comes up, it isn’t because Heather did anything or said anything to me. She’s never been malicious. She’s never put me down. She doesn’t make me feel badly about myself. It was just circumstances at her fashion show in Sonoma. It was more because of things that I’ve dealt with personally. It was the way I felt about things when we were in Sonoma, and I thought that I could share that with her in a way where she would be receptive and maybe see things from my viewpoint, but I don’t think it’s received that way initially. And so there is definitely a bit of a misfire there.

In general, what are your thoughts on Alexis Bellino returning? Were you surprised by how much she was flaunting her relationship in front of Shannon?

I was surprised by that. I did know that Alexis and John were together. I knew for months before we even started filming. She had told me right when it was a new relationship, and I never had a problem with Alexis and John together. I felt like if those two are happy together, great for them.

I think where things took a turn, where I looked at Alexis differently, was instead of coming into the situation, and really taking the time and effort to try to be friends, to try to develop more of a friendship with me, or for Gina to get to know her, I felt like she just came in and it was all about John, and about how great he is and how wrong Shannon is. And in my mind, I’m thinking, “It’s not about wrong or right or apportioning blame to people.” [Shannon and John] clearly didn’t have a great relationship, they’ve both moved on, and I feel like that should be the end of it.

Million dollar question – do you think Alexis and John will go the distance?

I really think that they probably will. They seem very happy together, they seem very committed. I don’t see a reason why they wouldn’t get married eventually, which I think is great. I don’t have a problem with them being together. My problem was always how every situation we were in was about John, and John being right, and Shannon being a liar. At some point, it’s like, can we move on from this?

Tamra seems to really lay into Shannon in this week’s episode. Do you think she’s being too hard on her?

I think from our outside perspective, we don’t understand how deep this relationship goes between the two of them. They were friends for 10 years. There’s a lot of layers, a lot of complexities. They’ve had a lot of issues. And so I think Tamra, when she goes to her heart and her feelings, it’s a lot deeper than we actually know. Does it look like she’s too hard on Shannon? Absolutely. And I’ve told her and I’ve had conversations where I’m like, “I feel like you need to show a little more compassion.” But, you know, they just have such a history. I think it’s hard for her. 

The one thing all the RHOC women have in common is that they are great mothers. We heard your daughter Annabelle is branching out from modeling and into acting. What can you tell us about that transition? 

She’s in a really cool situation. She has an agent in L.A., and actually the agent found me because she had seen Annabelle on the show. So she’s been auditioning for things. It’s slow right now because of the strike, that’s what I’ve been told, is that there’s just not a lot coming up right now. But she’s had several auditions and she does well. She has a very natural, I don’t know what that is, the X factor, or whatever. She just has a personality. She’s very comfortable in front of the camera. So I feel like there’s big things ahead for her.

Now that Annabelle’s a pre-teen, you’re entering a new phase in parenthood. Out of all the RHOC ladies, who would you go to for advice and why? 

I know she’s a pre-teen because she’s 11. It’s been very difficult already, and Shane tells me all the time, “What are you going to do when she’s 13 and 14 and 15 and 16?” I’m like, “I don’t know. I have no idea.” But I do. I ask Heather a lot. I do feel like because her children are older and she has boys and girls that she’s just a source of information, and I ask her lots of questions about parenting. 

What else can you tease about the rest of the season?

What we were saying before is, you were talking about what a good season it was. And I was like, “And we haven’t even left Orange County yet.” So I love that everybody’s so invested in the season. I’ve heard nothing but positive things about it. Even if you don’t like someone, it’s okay, because everybody’s talking about it. It’s just so rich with so many things and layers and dynamics and friendships and craziness and fun. And it just gets better.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Real Housewives of Orange County airs every Thursday at 9/8c on Bravo. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.