Bravo bosses made the ‘sad’ decision to scrap the entire cast of Vanderpump Rules after deep divisions and irreparable friendships threatened the future of the long-running reality TV show.
Fans were shocked on Tuesday when the broadcaster announced plans to reboot the show with an entirely new cast after 11 seasons, despite the long-running series experiencing its highest ratings ever thanks to the ‘Scandoval’ saga.
‘The decision to scrap the cast had nothing to do with ratings,’ a source told DailyMail.com exclusively. ‘There was simply nothing more that was left to say. The story had been told.’
The insider stressed that the dynamics between the cast members had severed and there was no longer any ‘truth’ to their friendships and their work at Lisa Vanderpump’s SUR restaurant.
‘In the beginning, Vanderpump Rules was about a group of people who were genuinely friends,’ the source said.
‘They were roommates and had a close bond with each other. They also worked at SUR.’
Bravo bosses made the ‘sad’ decision to scrap the entire cast of Vanderpump Rules after deep divisions and irreparable friendships threatened the future of the beloved reality TV show
They continued: ‘In the end none of this was true anymore. They were not friends. Hardly any of them talked to each other and they no longer worked at the restaurant. They all knew after the finale last season that there was nothing left to tell.
‘Fans knew this too. It is sad how divided they had become. They knew that they were not returning when time came to shoot a new season and it was put on pause.’
The source went on to confirm that the new cast has yet to be locked in, but insisted that they will all work at Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurants, mainly SUR, and will have authentic relationships.
‘Some have been picked but the casting process is still very much underway and preliminary,’ they said. ‘Lisa is excited for this new beginning with an all-new team.’
A second source said that both Bravo and Lisa ultimately decided that extending Vanderpump Rules with ‘new blood’ was the best path forward.
‘If it is a hit, they aren’t paying anyone but Lisa the big money,’ they said. ‘It will be very cheap to produce, and if it fails, then they will work on getting Lisa another vehicle on the network.’
Bravo is also keen to work with the fired Vanderpump Rules stars on different projects.
Lala Kent and Scheana Shay have already filmed season two of Vanderpump Rules spin-off The Valley, while Tom Sandoval will appear on the third season of The Traitors.
The dynamics between the cast members had severed and there was no longer any ‘truth’ to their friendships and their work at Lisa Vanderpump’s SUR restaurant, sources said
In October, DailyMail.com reported that some of the new waiters at Lisa’s West Hollywood restaurant SUR were ‘desperate’ to get cast on the rebooted series.
When season 11 of Vanderpump Rules finished airing in May, Ariana Madix was still refusing to interact with ex-boyfriend Tom who had cheated on her with Rachel Leviss. She also wanted little to do with his best friend and business partner Tom Schwartz.
Ariana also fell out with former besties Scheana and Lala, and grew closer to Katie Maloney.
To show her loyalty to Ariana – who she co-owns the Something About Her sandwich shop – Katie then ended up feuding with Scheana and Lala too.
An insider told DailyMail.com at the time that the cast was ‘no longer an organic group of friends that want to hang out with each other.’
The new cast consists of ‘close-knit SUR-vers who are as complicatedly involved with one another as their iconic predecessor,’ the network said as they announced the show’s renewal on Tuesday.
Lisa will be returning and the upcoming season will begin filming next year. The new cast and premiere date will be announced in due course.
While the cast has changed over the years, last season’s primary stars were Ariana, Tom Sandoval, Tom Schwartz, Katie, Lala, Scheana and James Kennedy.
‘It is sad how divided they had become,’ an insider said. ‘They knew that they were not returning when time came to shoot a new season and it was put on pause’
Season 10 became a defining season for VPR and secured some of its highest ever ratings after Tom Sandoval cheated on Ariana Madix with Rachel Leviss (pictured together in 2022)
‘What a thrill it is to build on the legacy of this series by doing it all over again,’ executive producer Alex Baskin said in the statement.
‘With profound appreciation for the original group and their iconic run, we can’t wait for the audience to see a dynamic new group of co-workers and friends make their way through life together.’
‘Under Lisa Vanderpump’s watchful eye, the West Hollywood mainstay SUR — and now TomTom — welcomes the next batch of servers, hosts and bartenders rife with plenty of drama, situationships and frenemies,’ the release noted.
Lisa stated in the announcement: ‘The last 12 years of filming have been an extraordinary run full of laughter, tears and everything in between. I can’t thank enough those who have shared their lives.
‘How I love you all. In the restaurant business, one shift always gives way to another. Cheers to the next generation of Vanderpump Rules.’
Additionally, the show ‘will celebrate the past decade of heartbreaks, friendship rifts and scandals with a retrospective special highlighting the past 11 seasons.’
A spin-off of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Vanderpump Rules first aired in 2013 and followed the lives of the wait staff working for Lisa’s various LA restaurants.
At the time it also starred Kristen Doute, who also announced her pregnancy on Tuesday, Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright and Stassi Schroeder, all of whom are no longer on the show.
Fans were shocked on Tuesday when the broadcaster announced plans to reboot the show with an entirely new cast after 11 seasons, with stars including Katie Maloney paying tribute
Lala Kent, who now stars in Bravo show The Valley, also paid tribute to her time on the show
Vanderpump Rules veteran Brittany Cartwright commented on Lala’s post: ‘Oh the memories we made! Love you LaLa’
Kristen Doute responded to Ariana’s post with this sweet message
Season 10, arguably the show’s most controversial, earned the program its first ever Emmy nomination.
During that season, it was revealed that Sandoval had been cheating on long-time girlfriend Ariana with costar Rachel, a bombshell controversy that was quickly dubbed ‘Scandoval.’
The fallout dominated season 11 and became a national obsession.
But in April, it was reported that production on season 12 had been put on hold to allow the cast to ‘decompress.’
‘Everyone needs a moment to decompress after two very rough, intense seasons,’ a source told Page Six at the time. ‘The cast is looking forward to a break from filming the show.’
Ariana’s career flourished after Scandoval, with the star landing roles on Chicago, Dancing With The Stars, and even a hosting role on Love Island USA.
Tom this week announced the closure of his bar Schwartz & Sandy’s, which he owns with his costar.