Sutton Stracke Praises 'Really Good Friend' Erika Jayne After Yearslong 'RHOBH' Feud: 'A Big Surprise for Me'

Sutton Stracke turned a new leaf before filming Season 15 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

From finding friends in former foes to handling conflict differently, the reality star did a complete 180.

Stracke speaks exclusively with OK! about becoming better friends with Erika Jayne after years of feuding, how Amanda Frances navigated her first season, starting over and traveling with the cast.

After numerous seasons going head-to-head with the pop star, Stracke says she got to see a whole new side to Jayne.

"Erika and I did not end our [Season 14] reunion well," the businesswoman admits. "I wasn't quite sure how this was going to go. I think we both treated each other with kid gloves and walked in gently to the friendship with one another. It has paid off. We really got to know each other well. We enjoy each other's company and that's been really fun. She's smart and she's actually a really good friend. I've loved getting to know that side of her. It's been really nice. So that was a big surprise for me, but also a really joyful one."

During the cast trip to Italy, Stracke offered to room with the newbie as she tried to find her footing during her first season.

"I mean this in the nicest way, but Amanda is not the most likable person," she admits of Frances. "When we say she's annoying, she is. But she's also a good person. She doesn't want to hurt anybody. She doesn't have an agenda to hurt anybody. If we can get past her work and her business, then maybe we can get to know her."

Before cameras rolled on the latest installment of the hit Bravo show, Stracke did some self-reflection.

"After last season and kind of that abrupt end, I needed to take a break and reset a lot of things," she says. "I had to go back to my roots and just focus on that. I wanted to celebrate my children. After James [her son] graduated from high school, I was going to be an empty nester. I was getting ready for this next era of my life. I knew that I needed to go into it without being so reactionary and so prickly."

During Season 15, the ladies embark on a lavish trip to Tuscany. However, traveling in a big group isn't always as glamorous as it seems.

"Timing is very difficult," Stracke explains. "We have to be ready at a certain time. We have to be finished at a certain time. When we go shopping, none of us really want to leave. We feel like we could keep going. We're always left dragging it [the bags] from a store and into the van in order to get to go back to the villa to go get ready to go out for dinner. That's kind of hard. — and our dinners go really late!"

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 15 continues with new episodes on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.

Episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.