Melissa Gorga Reveals How Husband Joe Changed After Wife Swap (Excl)

Melissa Gorga noticed a shift in her marriage to Joe Gorga following their experience on Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition.

Melissa, 46, exclusively opened up to Us Weekly about filming the new Bravo reality series before the premiere of her episode on Tuesday, October 28. The Real Housewives of New Jersey star is no stranger to putting her life on camera, but she admitted “there was a lot of hesitation” about the new project.

“I was just like, ‘What, you want me to move in and sleep in another person’s house? And there’s another man and their children and, like, whatever animals they have?’” Melissa recalled. “I was like, ‘Absolutely not.’ I instantly said no.”

Eventually, however, Melissa came around. “And then I thought about it, and I was like, ‘It’s kind of like one of those once in a lifetime experiences.’ … You have to do it. You have to say you did this, you know? And it was amazing. It was so emotional. I’m so happy I did it. It was really an incredible experience.”

While Melissa needed some convincing, her husband was “more accepting” about the offer. “In my defense, I have to leave my house and go sleep in a strange house … I couldn’t prepare for this. I couldn’t pack for this. I couldn’t do anything,” Melissa told Us, noting she found out “on camera” where she would be going. “So of course, he was down for it, because he’s at home with his own kids. … It’s a lot easier for the guys than it is for the girls.”

Melissa and Joe’s three kids — Antonia, 20, Gino, 18, and Joey, 15 — had their own doubts. “They were just like me,” she teased. “They were like, ‘What? Absolutely not.’ … [But] they thought it was fantastic.”

Bravo put a fresh spin on the original Wife Swap series, giving women from the Real Housewives franchise the chance to step into the lives of real-life homemakers. Along with the Gorgas, season 1 features RHOSLC‘s Angie Katsanevas, RHOC‘s Emily Simpson and RHOP‘s Wendy Osefo. (Wendy’s episode was postponed after she and husband Eddie Osefo were arrested earlier this month.)

Despite her initial hesitations, Melissa is glad she had the chance to see how her family functions when she’s not around. She’s also seen a change in Joe, 51, to whom she’s been married for more than 20 years.

“I’m happy to report that he does now do the dishes at night, which is, I told him, it’s hot,” Melissa told Us. “I’m like, ‘I am turned on by this. This is amazing. This is so manly,’ like, it really is. He’d be shocked to think that, like, a guy doing the dishes is such a manly thing, but I love it.”

Melissa took away some valuable lessons of her own from the experience as well. “Joe and I, we move quick. Our family moves quick. So I feel like it taught me to, like, sit down [and] every situation can be [handled] as a conversation, right?” she explained.

Melissa traded lives with fellow mom Michelle Clark — who “fits in perfectly with Joe and my kids,” according to the Bravo star — and the women formed a special bond. The two families have even made plans to keep in touch after filming.

“They’re going to come over. We’re going to cook for them,” Melissa told Us. “We’re definitely going to meet up with them and see them soon, so I’m excited.”

Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET. Episodes will be available to stream next day on Peacock.