Shannon Beador Confirms New Boyfriend, Says Vicki Gunvalson Is 'Integral Part' of 'RHOC' Season 14 Despite Demotion (Exclusive)

Shannon Beador is going public with her first relationship post-divorce, revealing the secret behind her 40-lb weight loss, and assuring fans that Vicki Gunvalson is still very much present in the upcoming season of "The Real Housewives of Orange County."

During a recent interview with TooFab, Shannon confirmed that she's dating the very handsome John Janssen, who recently made his debut on the 55-year-old reality star's Instagram page.

See everything Shannon said about her new relationship, her weight loss journey and the new season of "RHOC" below!

"I kind of made a commitment to myself that I wasn't gonna get involved with anyone because I know that with my age..." Shannon trailed off. "I want to eventually have a partner, but I'm older. I kind of have one shot left, so I wasn't gonna just jump into a relationship. That being said, I did meet John, and it was a surprise, and I had a connection and a comfort with him that I haven't experienced with anyone before, so I'm really grateful that he's in my life."

Shannon told TooFab it was a "new relationship" and that the two have been dating for "a couple months." They met through "mutual friends" despite the fact that they "both went to USC." Because he was a couple years older than her, they never crossed paths on campus. Shannon said her daughters, Sofie, 18, and twins Stella and Adeline, 14, "have met John, and they like him a lot. They see that I'm happy, and they want me to be happy."

"Over time, I've realized that I'm capable of taking care of myself and my family," Shannon explained. "I started a business that continues to grow, I got out there and I started to date, and I've been having a lot of fun. I wake up in the morning, and I'm so grateful and blessed for everything that's happening in my life. I wake up with a smile on my face, and that's something that didn't happen for a lot of years."

"I feel great. I feel really good," she said of losing 40 lbs since last season, which she attributes mostly to establishing healthy eating habits.

"I try and eat as clean as possible," she explained. "That being said, on the weekends, maybe not so clean. But the diet was the most key point for me because I actually broke two ribs, and I wasn't able to exercise for three weeks, and that's when a lot of the weight came off. It really is about what you're putting into your body. And I do do the exercise. I hate it, but I do it. It's my goal to some day put a bathing suit on."

Before committing to her lifestyle change, Shannon said she would find herself hitting a wall after losing 20 lbs.

"Of course I knew I had to lose the weight, so what I would do is I would lose about half of it, and then I'd say, 'Now I get to do whatever I wanna do,' and then I'd gain it back," she explained. "And so it became this roller coaster until I finally woke up one day and said, 'Listen,' -- because I didn't feel good about myself -- so I said, 'You gotta be committed in seeing it through.' And so I did! And then a lot of good things started happening in my life. I think I say it in the first episode, [the weight] just kind of started to come off, and I was able to lose that second 20."

"But that being said, I'm 55 years old," she added. "Right now, I've probably gained a few 'cause I'm having fun and it's summer, but that's life! I wanna create a healthy lifestyle and a healthy balance. If you go and do that strict dieting every single day then you're depriving yourself, so I make some good choices and then maybe some not-so-good choices every week, and then it all balances out."

Last season, we saw Shannon struggling. She struggled with accepting that her marriage was over, she struggled with taking off her wedding ring, she struggled with the subsequent weight she put on, she struggled with her confidence. But Shannon told TooFab comparing Season 13 to Season 14 is like "night and day, for once!"

"Year six, I hope, is gonna be a good one," she said confidently. "I know that I had fun. And I don't know if I was a peace-keeper -- I don't know what you would call me -- but I tried to diffuse drama this year because I'm just tired of it. I started to get involved in other people's drama to try and point out to them that there are other ways to go about life than fighting like this."

"I mean, there are things here and there that, yes, I am absolutely involved in," she confessed. "But I feel as though that I try and resolve things as quickly as possible and move forward."

Season 13 also saw Shannon butting heads with Tamra Judge, her BFF and one-third of the tight-knit "Tres Amigas." Shannon also didn't take kindly to then-newcomers Gina Kirschenheiter and Emily Simpson, but social media has been painting the picture that everyone's getting along these days, right?

"Well, that's not necessarily true,' Shannon said with a chuckle. "There's a couple [issues]. You'll see! [But] the Tres Amigas are doing very well. We keep in touch regularly."

The other third of the Tres Amigas is series OG and first Housewife ever Vicki Gunvalson, who was actually demoted to cast friend for Season 14. Fans are still furious with Bravo's decision.

"Vicki might not be holding an orange, but she is an integral part of the show, and she always will be," Shannon assured us.

"Most of the time when I was filming in a group setting, I was with her, so she is present in the show, and she always will be," she continued. "There's not many people that can say -- there certainly aren't many, if any, actors that can say -- that they were on a successful television show for 14 years, but yet, she can. She's done something that most haven't."

While Shannon said Vicki's engagement to "really good guy" Steve Lodge was not filmed, she assured us she and Tamra threw their amiga one hell of an engagement party that'll air on the season finale.

"The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 14 premieres Tuesday, August 6 at 9 p.m. on Bravo.

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