Bethenny Frankel: Skinnygirl Extraordinaire

Devotees of Bravo TV's hit show, The Real Housewives of New York City, (Bravo, Tuesday's, check local listings) might have a hard time imagining the show without 38-year old Bethenny Frankel's patented one-liners and witticisms. Frankel actually turned down the show multiple times. Fellow Housewife, Jill Zarin, already cast in what was then being called Manhattan Moms, urged her to sign on, even though Frankel wasn't married or a mom. Obviously, Frankel had a change of heart and the rest as they say is history. After the show's 2008 debut, Frankel quickly became a fan favorite, with online disciples dubbing themselves members of "Team Bethenny." (Of course if recent online chatter is to be believed, "Team Bethenny" might have to do its cheering elsewhere. Though Bravo just greenlit a third season of the show, according to the New York Post, Bethenny will leave the Housewives behind for her own reality series on Bravo.)

While the Real Housewives of New York City has put Frankel into the stratosphere, she is no stranger to the spotlight. Frankel's first foray into the reality television fray was as a contestant on Martha Stewart: The Apprentice, vying for a position within Stewart's multimedia empire. Frankel made it to the final round, but lost to fellow contestant, Dawna Stone.

Long before she became a media darling, Frankel had to overcome a difficult childhood. Born on November 4, 1970, Frankel is the daughter of Hall of Fame thoroughbred race horse trainer, Robert Frankel. Her father left the family by the time Frankel was four and her mother married another horse trainer, John Parisella. In a 2009 interview with Horse Society Magazine, Frankel described growing up in a "toxic" household where "eating disorders and alcoholism," were a way of life. At the age of 14, Frankel left home for the Pine Crest School, an elite boarding school in Florida and was later admitted to New York University.

Frankel dabbled in acting, appearing in the films, "Hollywood Hills 90028" and "Wish Me Luck," as well as working as an assistant for movie premieres and award shows. Eventually, Frankel found her way to The Natural Gourmet Institute for Health & Culinary Arts, where she discovered her passion for healthy eating and cooking. After graduation, she launched BethennyBakes, which specialized in low fat, wheat, egg and dairy-free treats. She eventually parlayed her culinary skills into a personal chef service, catering to such Hollywood A-listers as Mariska Hargitay and Denis Leary.

When the Real Housewives of New York City bowed in 2008, lone single girl Frankel resonated with viewers. Fans delighted in her relationship with Zarin, uncanny impressions and amusing observations of her fellow Housewives -- and their husbands (who can forget Frankel calling out Alex McCord's husband, Simon on his "deep homosexual panic?) Frankel's romantic travails were also compelling television, as America wondered if Frankel and then-boyfriend Jason Colodne would make it down the aisle (the two later split). The Real Housewives of New York City was a hit out of the gate, drawing one million viewers. Bravo quickly ordered a second season, which promised even more drama.

Season Two brought a new Housewife and nemesis for Frankel. Kelly Bensimon, a model and fixture on New York's social scene joined the cast and there was immediate friction between her and Frankel. After a few tense encounters early in the season, the two met for the notorious "sit down" where Bensimon famously told Frankel "this is you, this is me," with accompanying low-high hand gestures. The episode became one of the most talked-about of the season and Frankel later told the New York Times about her run-in with Bensimon, "Have you ever seen a building implode?...you don't say anything, you just watch it quietly crumble."

Frankel gracefully rebounded from the fracas with Bensimon and on March 12, 2009 released her book, Naturally Thin: Unleash Your Skinnygirl and Free Yourself From a Lifetime of Dieting. The book became an instant New York Times Bestseller, eventually reaching No. 2 on the list. Frankel plans to expand the Skinnygirl brand: she shared with Horse Society Magazine that a line of Skinnygirl Cocktails is poised to hit stores in summer of 2009 and more Skinnygirl books are in the pipeline including Skinnygirl Guide to Entertaining, Skinnygirl Guide to Dining Out and Skinnygirl Guide to Cocktails.

And it appears Frankel may just become an official Housewife after all. Though unconfirmed by Bravo, the New York Post recently reported that Frankel's new show, "Skinny & The City" would follow her planning her wedding to [fiancé] Jason Hoppy (the pair met at New York hotspot, Tenjune.) Though the Housewives wouldn't be the same without Frankel, no doubt her fans will follow her wherever she goes.

http://twitter.com/Bethenny

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethenny_Frankel

Tanner Stransky, Sugar and Spice and Every Last Vice, Entertainment Weekly

Mandy Bierly, Real Housewives of NYC Gets Third Season, Entertainment Weekly

Liza Ghorbani, Giving it a Whirl, New York Times

Tracey Lemie, The Chefess, Horse Society Magazine

Richard Johnson, Real Housewife Frankel Gets Own Reality Show, New York Post

Phoebe Eaton, Desperate Housewives, Harper's Bazaar