Lydia McLaughlin Exits 'Real Housewives of Orange County' After One Season

The granddaughter of Canadian media mogul Geoff Stirling likens her 'bittersweet' departure from the show to a breakup with a boyfriend.

Lydia McLaughlin is leaving "The Real Housewives of Orange County" after joining the Bravo show for one season only. The granddaughter of Canadian media mogul Geoff Stirling confirms that she will not return for the upcoming ninth cycle.

The married mother of two tells Us Weekly, "It's bittersweet." The 32-year-old magazine entrepreneur adds, "I compare it to breaking up with a boyfriend you know you're not going to end up with - it's hard, but overall you know you're doing the right thing."

The "Orange County" is left with the remaining members Vicki Gunvalson, Tamra Barney, and Heather Dubrow, after fellow stars Alexis Bellino and Gretchen Rossi were reported being fired from the reality series earlier this September.

McLaughlin says there was "no epic story" or dispute behind her exit from the show. Despite being "flattered" that producers asked her to come back, she claims it's "never really been a dream of mine." She adds, "I never wanted to make a career out of being a housewife."

The wife of Doug McLaughlin continues, "I want to build my brand outside of the Housewives - I've always been really honest with the producers about that. I knew that while I was filming it that I probably wasn't going to be doing it again."

"I want to develop our own reality show about our magazine and all the glitz and glamour involved with publishing it," she elaborates further.

Although her short tenure on the show, she doesn't "have any regrets." She says, "I got to be kind of a different voice - I think that my fans love the love and positivity that I brought." She also stays in touch with her former co-stars, "I still see Alexis and Gretchen. Ironically they're not on the show anymore!"