With Danny and Evan Awards exclusive ‘The Golden Life’ cast honored with Golden Kettle lifetime achievement award at 2026 VRT Awards By Samantha Nungesser Published Oct. 7, 2026, 10:48 a.m. ET “The Golden Life,” meet The Golden Kettle.
The stars of E!’s upcoming “Real Housewives of New York City” spinoff, “The Golden Life,” accepted the coveted Golden Kettle lifetime achievement award, presented by Tri-State Cadillac, at Page Six’s second-annual “Virtual Reali-Tea” Awards on Tuesday night.
Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan, Dorinda Medley and Kelly Bensimon were given the “most prestigious award of the night” by “Golden Bachelorette” star Joan Vassos.
“I have to say, as the first-ever Golden Bachelorette, I feel very qualified to talk about all things Golden,” Vassos told the crowd. “Because ‘Golden’ isn’t just about age; it’s about experience, it’s about longevity, it’s about knowing exactly who you are — and never being afraid to let the world see it.”
“And when it comes to reality television, there are five women who have been doing exactly that for more than a decade.”
The reality TV icons, whose Palm Beach-based spinoff will premiere later this month, made their way up to the stage, where they delivered an iconic acceptance speech.
Want to watch from home? Philo is the exclusive streaming partner for the 2026 VRT Awards, and the only place you’ll find the full show this year. The best part? It’s free to watch on Philo’s ad-supported platform starting Oct. 9. Plus, you can catch up on last year’s awards now on Philo.com/VRTs.
“I want to thank E!, first of all, for believing in us and bringing the OGs back together, the cast back together,” de Lesseps said. “It’s been an amazing ride.”
Bensimon, who fittingly worked for the Page Six column back in 2007, addressed the full-circle moment.
“I used to whisper about all of you guys, and now you guys are whispering about us,” she said. “It’s unbelievable.“
Singer, meanwhile, thanked fans for pushing for their return to the small screen.
“All the fans are constantly on social media saying, ‘We want you girls back, [we want] you OGs back on TV,’ so we owe a big one to you,” she said.
Morgan ended the wildly entertaining speech with a bit of shade toward her castmates.
“I also want to thank the New York Post for always being there for us, and for fact-checking — unlike some of my co-stars,” she said. “Hey! If we check the facts, we wouldn’t have a show, would we? And I’m lucky to still be with you all.”
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The Golden Kettle is Virtual Reali-Tea’s prized lifetime achievement award, hand-selected by “VRT” hosts Evan Real and Danny Murphy, that celebrates the most legendary faces in reality television.
De Lesseps — who also took home the award for “Musician of the Year” — previously told Page Six she was “honored” to be recognized for her contributions to the world of unscripted television.
“[It’s] a testament to the entertainment I’ve brought to viewers over the past nearly two decades on television,” she said in a written statement. “I’d also love to thank my fellow OGs, the ladies who always keep it ‘cool’ — it’s been so fun to reunite with them for ‘The Golden Life.’”
Hosted Murphy and Real, the VRT Awards welcomed a slew of reality stars from hit shows across Bravo, Netflix, Peacock, Hulu, and more.
Winners of the fan-voted categories included Ciara Miller for “Best Reunion Performance,” Kyle Cooke for “Hot-Tea of the Year,” the cast of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” for “Best Cast,” Meredith Marks for “Style Icon of the Year,” Lindsay Hubbard and her daughter, Gemma, for “Best Dynamic Duo,” Melissa Gorga, Teresa Giudice and Dolores Catania for “Best Return to Screen” and Rosie DiMare for “Quote of the Year.”
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