Vanderpump Rules to star completely NEW cast for season 12... as Bravo announces major reboot
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Vanderpump Rules is undergoing a major shake-up.
Bravo has announced that the upcoming 12th season will star an entirely new cast.
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.
Lisa Vanderpump will be returning and the upcoming season will begin filming next year. The new cast and premiere date will be announced down the road.
DailyMail.com has contacted a representative for NBCUniversal, Bravo's parent company, for comment.
While the cast has changed over the years, last season's primary stars were Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval, Tom Schwartz, Katie Maloney, Lala Kent, James Kennedy and Scheana Shay.
Bravo has announced that the upcoming 12th season of Vanderpump Rules will star a brand new cast
Lisa Vanderpump, Jax Taylor, Katie Maloney, Stassi Schroeder, Tom Sandoval, Kristen Doute, and Stassi Schroeder in season one of Vanderpump Rules
'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,' he said.
'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,' she said.
Additionally, the show 'will celebrate the past decade of heartbreaks, friendship rifts and scandals with a retrospective special highlighting the past 11 seasons', the release states.
TMZ reports that the original cast learned about the show's new direction last night.
The majority of the original stars were reportedly not too surprised by the shake-up, particularly after the show's recent hiatus.
TMZ reports that the original cast learned about the show's new direction last night
Insiders state the original stars will still remain connected to Bravo, with Schwartz, Lala, Scheana and her husband Brock Davies reportedly set to appear in the second season of The Valley.
The outlet also notes the original cast will be able to explore other opportunities in the NBC Universal/Bravo family.
Previously TMZ reported that production had been filming new faces back in September, however at the time insiders claimed they were shooting a new project. Those being filmed were SUR-vers working at Vanderpump's restaurants.
Amid alleged salary disputes and unresolvable conflicts with the original cast, a source recently told DailyMail.com that producers had started auditioning new faces to potentially replace the current cast if needed and that several new SUR waiters were 'desperate' to join the show.
A spin-off of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Vanderpump Rules first began airing in 2013 and followed the lives of the wait staff working for Vanderpump's various LA restaurants.
At the time it also starred Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright, Stassi Schroeder, and Kristen Doute, all of whom are no longer on the show.
A spin-off of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Vanderpump Rules first began airing in 2013 and followed the lives of the wait staff working for Lisa Vanderpump's various LA restaurants
Season 10 of the series, arguably the show's most consequential, earned the program's first ever Emmy nomination.
During that particular season, it was revealed that Sandoval had been cheating on long-time girlfriend Ariana Madix with co-star Rachel Leviss, a bombshell controversy that became known by fans as 'Scandoval.'
The fallout was heavily explored on the following 11th season and became a national obsession, but in April of this year it was reported that production on season 12 had been put on hold to allow the cast to 'decompress' following the controversy.
'Everyone needs a moment to decompress after two very rough, intense seasons,' a source told Page Six. 'The cast is looking forward to a break from filming the show.'
Madix'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.
Sandoval, Madix, Scheana, Rachel Leviss, and James Kennedy pictured in 2018
But Madix wasn't fully convinced she would be returning to the show back in April.
During an appearance at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, the star said 'it would have to make sense for me' to return, according to Page Six.
'Our show has always thrived, it’s always at its best when it is at its most authentic and its most real, and I have to be able to show up and be real and be authentic in order for it to make sense for me,' she said.
'So that’s the question I would be asking myself going into it.'
In light of the news, Lala Kent, Katie Maloney, and Ariana Madix took to social media to pay tribute to their time on the show.
Season 10 became a defining season for VPR after Sandoval cheated on Ariana with Rachel; pictured in 2022
Lala paid tribute to her time on the show on social media
Vanderpump Rules vet Brittany Cartwright commented on Lala's post, 'Oh the memories we made! Love you LaLa'
Maloney shared a throwback from the show as she shared her appreciation for the time on the series
Ariana also shared a slew of snaps over the years on VPR
Lala acknowledged she had 'mixed feelings' over the departure as she reflected on her time on the show with a lengthy message and various throwbacks.
'Where to begin. I was a young girl from Salt Lake City who made her way to L.A. I would introduce myself as Lauren, but because my childhood best friend referred to me as Lala, my nickname quickly stuck. Sur was a place that became home. I found myself not only sipping on vodka sodas there, but behind a hostess stand… it still to this day is the most intimidating job I’ve ever had.
'A short time later the opportunity to be on a show called Vanderpump Rules landed in front of me. I have such mixed feelings right now. It’s no secret I do not like change. This is the exception. I want to say thank you for rocking with us for so many years. This show changed my whole life. I’m unbelievably grateful for every moment. I’m unbelievably grateful for Bravo, for NBCU, for our crew, the entire cast, and most importantly all of you. We rocked this b**ch until the wheels fell off.'
Vanderpump Rules vet Brittany Cartwright commented on Lala's post, 'Oh the memories we made! Love you LaLa.'
Katie posted a throwback from the show set to the theme song 'Raise Your Glass' as she wrote, 'It's a mixed bag. But I wouldn't change a thing. Thank you for the memories and the love the last 11 years.'
'vanderpump rules, you will forever be that girl... i was up til 4am looking for all the right pics and the right words, but there’s no post or caption that could ever encapsulate everything,' she wrote in her caption
Kristen Doute responded to Ariana's post with this sweet message
James Kennedy's girlfriend Ally Lewber wrote the shorthand for 'I love you so much' along with heart emojis in the comments of Ariana's post
Ariana also shared a slew of snaps over the years from her time on the show.
'vanderpump rules, you will forever be that girl... i was up til 4am looking for all the right pics and the right words, but there’s no post or caption that could ever encapsulate everything,' she wrote in her caption.
'i am forever grateful to have been a part of such an incredible cultural phenomenon. thank you @bravotv , @lisavanderpump, @evolutionusa for every experience over the last 10+ years. thank you to every single crew member, producer, and our showrunners. seeing you guys every summer was like coming home to see family! that i will miss very much but you have my number so… just text me...
'thank you especially to the fans. you’ve been the constant over the last decade your love and support is what I’ll miss the most about it ending. you made this show what it is. to the fans who have shown up for us, old and new, it’s all because of you that we are here. im feeling at peace with closing this chapter and im excited for everything that is to come. i don’t know that these were the best days of our lives, but they were definitely something special.'
Kristen Doute commented on the post: 'i am so grateful because without it, would we have found eachother?! cheers to the memories and making new ones.'
Ariana replied to Kristen's comment with a slew of teary-eyed emojis and 'i love you.'
James Kennedy's girlfriend Ally Lewber responded to Ariana's post with shorthand for 'I love you so much' along with a string of heart emojis.
