Former Real Housewives of New York star Alex McCord has resurfaced again, almost ten years after exiting the hit Bravo series.
The 47-year-old, who is now based in Byron Bay, appeared on Australia’s Studio 10 this week from the aged care home where she now works as a mental health and wellbeing clinician.
The mother-of-two was promoting a ‘laughing yoga’ program that she recently implemented in the facility.
She’s back! Former RHONY star Alex McCord appeared on Australia’s Studio 10 this week from the aged care home where she now works as a mental health and wellbeing clinician
‘We hold laughter yoga classes weekly in the village and they’re focused on intentional laughter for laughter’s sake,’ she explained.
‘We’re intentionally stimulating laughter combined with modified yoga poses and breath work,’ she continued.
‘As a psychologist, I’m into the neuroscience behind it, and the act of laughter stimulates those positive neurotransmitters, like dopamine and seretonin.
‘And it helps you release happy hormones, like oxytocin and endorphins.’
Giving back: The mother-of-two was promoting a ‘laughing yoga’ program that she recently implemented in the facility
The former reality star made no mention of her time on reality TV, and instead spent the discussing the laughter yoga program before giving a live demonstration for the Studio 10 hosts.
Alex and her husband Simon Van Kempen were fan favourites during RHONY’s first four seasons.
But then the couple traded their bustling lifestyle in the big apple for a slower paced life in Byron Bay, Australia.
All smiles: Alex poses with two of the residents from the aged care facility that she works in
And it appears the couple’s idyllic new lifestyle clearly agrees with them, as they look happier than ever almost seven years after the move.
Stunning Alex took to Instagram alongside Simon on New Year’s Day, with the pair enjoying the great outdoors on the idyllic NSW north coast.
‘Happy New Year!’ Alex wrote, posing alongside Simon in a kayak. She then added the hashtags ‘staycation’, ‘ourbackyard’ and ‘2021’.
Radiant: More than six years after Alex and husband Simon van Kempen swapped Brooklyn for Byron Bay, the couple are happier than ever
She then let fans know they were kayaking twice a day during the holiday break with Simon and their teenage boys Johan and Francois.
The popular couple were original stars of the Real Housewives of New York City before being cut after the forth season.
They moved from their Brooklyn townhouse in New York to Ballina to be closer to Simon’s mother and siblings.
Lovable: Alex and Simon were fan favourites during the show’s first four seasons
The pair have gone from strength-to-strength since the move with Alex going on to gain her masters in professional psychology from the University of New England.
Proving she’s got both beauty and brains, Alex gained the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar certificate for ‘excellence in academic performance’ last year.
Meanwhile, Simon has been no slouch when it comes to academia with the former reality star graduating with a law degree last year from Southern Cross University.
Stylish: The couple were regulars on New York’s social scene with the glam pair gracing some of New York’s hottest parties. Here: In New York, 2008
In May last year, Alex and Simon celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.
Alex hasn’t graced the small screen since her 2017 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, alongside former co-star Ramona Singer.
She worked as a visual merchandiser for Victoria’s Secret while in the Big Apple, attending lavish parties and going on luxe shopping sprees.
‘We are so proud!’ Alex’s Australian husband Simon van Kempen and two sons – Johan, 14; and Francois, 16, have all been thriving since the move. Simon becoming a lawyer. Alex gaining her masters in psychology
Back in 2018, McCord’s co-star Bethenny Frankel revealed to InStyle that Bravo only paid her $7,250 to star in the first season, which originally had the working title ‘Manhattan Moms.’
While on Watch What Happens Live in 2017, Alex dished on her time on the popular series.
She revealed she doesn’t watch The Real Housewives franchise at all these days but said she still keeps friendly with former co-star Jill Zarin.
‘It’s Jill [who I speak with most]. She’s such a great pen pal,’ Alex said.
All smiles! Alex hasn’t graced the small screen since her 2017 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
She said it was Brooklyn’s smorgasbord of activities that she missed the most after her sea change Down Under.
‘[I miss] the ability to just walk outside your door and find stuff. Now we have to drive,’ she said of living in Australia.
But she didn’t have any regrets of her new lifestyle: ‘Its basically like living in the Hamptons year round.’
Flashback: Alex is pictured with her former RHONY co-stars back in 2008