And so it's back to Phoenix's FAVE REGION for this BRASSY BLONDE that falls JUST SHORT of the top 10
11: Gamble Breaux-Wolf - Real Housewives of Melbourne
Is Gamble the most SELF AWARE Housewife of all time? I certainly think she's UP THERE!
Out of ALL Housewives OF ALL, I can't think of ANY that understands their job as clearly as Gamble.
Gamble KNOWS Housewives is a load of camp old toot, Gamble KNOWS to shit-stir and make mountains out of molehills is the ONLY WAY to make great TV, and Gamble is FULLY prepared to say whatever is needed, and switch alliances at the DROP of a hat, to make good TV
Gamble is basically a TV producers gift - so much so she was ACTIVELY involved in the casting for the Real Housewives of Sydney as a SENIOR ADVISOR - and long-term readers of this thread KNOW how THAT turned out!
Gamble joined at the start of season 2 in Melbourne, and was INITIALLY pitched as a superfan/minion of Gina
but with a DARK, SALACIOUS, MYSTERIOUS (and potential SEX WORKER*) past.
The Janet (and Chyka) drama around Gamble's past DOMINATED most of season 2, in a way that probably SHOULD have been tiring, but due to Gamble's natural SHIT-STIRRING urges and Janet's ludicrous persona it didn't
quite tire you out in the way it
should.
Indeed it basically all got put to bed, before Gamble's RIDICULOUS HARRIDAN sister TEMPEST decided to BUT IN with her iconic "OH CRAP!" to Janet, and blew it all up ALL OVER AGAIN!
Tempest of course made a FURTHER APPEARANCE in season 2 with her very own literal EXTREME MAKE OVER surgery reveal at Gamble's hen night

/

Really a scene of Housewives utter ridiculousness.
Fellow S2 NEW HIRE Pettifleur seem to have some sort of unspoken RIVALRY between her and Gamble, that simmers throughout season 2 and 3. It mainly seems to be based upon nothing more than them both being cast on the show at the same time
Gamble calling out Pettifleur's (SELF PUBLISHED) Switch The Bitch book with the immortal and utterly HEARTLESS guttural cry of "WHO IS THE PUBLISHAAAAAAA" when asked "any questions?" at Pettifleur's own BOOK LAUNCH remains both savage and hilarious.
Season 3 saw Gamble get married to her - actually quite lovely - husband Dr Wolf. Sadly it wasn't ALL plain sailing with resident princess PETTIFLEUR once again putting a spanner in the works at the wedding invite party.
Gamble is responsible for possibly one of the FUNNIEST Housewives comebacks of all time when Pettifleur refused her invitation:
Later former BFF Gina acts as her wedding cerement, only to COMPLETELY DITCH Gamble for somewhat unclear reasons post, leaving Gamble to forge a VERY short lived alliance with Lydia, and then later move towards former ENEMY Janet's camp.
The breakdown of the relationship with Gina is so weird - one minute she's blessing their union, the next minute they aren't even speaking to each other
Season 4 saw Gamble obviously COMPLETELY OUT OF TOUCH with all other Housewives, with Gamble living CONSIDERABLY DOWN THE COAST out of Melbourne, but was drafted BACK INTO THE FRAY for drama purposes.
Season 4 is a bit of an odd one for Gamble. She settles into Janet's group for EASINESS sake, but most of her schtick for the season is pulling stunts against Venus and Gina, and CHIPPING HER TOOTH in the first episode
In many ways, she gives less of a shit than EVER and is completely determined to stir the pot however she wants - and no longer has the WASPY ANNOYANCE of Pettifleur lingering around her trying to score points
Pettifleur's (RUBBISH) replacement shit-in-the-lunchbox Venus is a PARTICULAR trigger for Gamble:
Gamble is just a grade A Housewife. She even admitted it herself ON CAMERA during season 2 during a fight with Janet's best friend and apparent Gamble NEMESIS Manuela.
Manuela:
"What do you do for money"
Gamble:
"REALITY TV YOU IDIOT"
The feud with Manuela wasn't explored ENOUGH in my opinion, and I'm surprised Manuela wasn't brought back for season 3 for FURTHER DRAGGINGS.
This Gamble read from the series 2 reunion is LEGENDARY, so much so it seemed to take SEVERAL YEARS until most people understood it:
You can also read an interview with Manuela here where she claims she is TOO BUSY to be a Housewife, despite her OBVIOUS THIRST to be one
https://observer.com/2014/10/melbourne-housewife-has-real-psychic-powers-insider-alleges/
Gamble gives amazing, self-deprecating talking head and is generally a bit of a JOY of a Housewife. Never quite going TOO FAR, but messy enough to give you EVERYTHING you need

(I can't find that many GAMBLE GIFs online, so the below is a bit of a placeholder

)
Finally, Gamble has an ADORABLE relationship with her gay stepson Luke, who really does seem to love her back - some of the scenes at her wedding are honestly somewhat emotional. Also: who wouldn’t want GAMBLE as their evil stepmum
She's ALSO an occasional popstar! Most of her stuff is TOTAL GUFF, but Classy is SOMETHING ELSE, with an amazing occasional nipple-flashing video and a chorus melody that in different hands could be genuinely QUITE SOMETHING
Enjoy her best bits here, they are a RIDE
and a CLOSER LOOK at Gamble VS Pettifleur (AKA the divine fight for screen time

)
and one of her BEST BITS EVER that didn't even occur on the SHOW!
Gamble WILL OF COURSE be back for season 5 of Melbourne, with or WITHOUT any friends in the cast. And long may she do what she's best at: STIR SHIT! NEXT!
*Sex work is of course REAL WORK, and no judgement AT ALL here from me