After eleven years of cheating scandals, elaborate weddings, shock engagements, and dramatic divorces, the doors are (metaphorically) closing on the SUR we know and love— although you can still visit and sample the famous goats cheese balls in real life, of course. Vanderpump Rules is getting an entirely new cast, which means it’s time to say goodbye to our favourite servers— granted, in the last few seasons barely any of them have been actually working at the restaurant.
Bravo recently announced that the show will be getting a total cast revamp, out with the old and in with an entirely new cast of ‘close-knit SUR-vers who are as complicatedly involved with one another as their iconic predecessors.’ They added, ‘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.’
While some long-time viewers may be heartbroken to hear the news, many fans aren’t surprised. After the bombshell that was #Scandoval— the 2023 scandal where it was revealed that Tom Sandoval had been cheating on his partner of nine years, Ariana Madix, with their fellow cast member Rachel Leviss AKA Raquel— what more could this show possibly give us? We originally tuned in to see the cast sleep with each other, then cheat on each other, then argue with each other in an endless cycle, but after eleven years there’s almost no one left who hasn’t been slapped or bedded. Aside from that, many of the main cast members— the volatile Jax Taylor and his long-suffering wife, Brittany Cartwright, as well as fan-favourite but controversial Stassi Schroeder— already jumped ship last year to star on the show’s spin-off, The Valleys. Scheana Shay, Tom Schwartz and Lala Kent will all be joining the next series of the show following this shake-up, so fear not, you’ll still be able to catch up with your chaotic favs there.
So, how do the cast feel about being ousted from the very show that made them famous? Ariana Madix, who since #Scandoval has soared to new heights hosting Love Island USA and appearing on Broadway as Roxie Hart in Chicago, has no bad blood about Bravo’s decision. She wrote on Instagram, ‘Vanderpump Rules, you will forever be that girl… I am forever grateful to have been a part of such an incredible cultural phenomenon.’ She added, ‘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… I’m feeling at peace with closing this chapter and I’m excited for everything that is to come.’ She ended her statement very aptly writing ‘I don’t know that these were the best days of our lives, but they were definitely something special.’
For others, the reaction was more mixed. Lala Kent, who’s ex-fiancé Randall Emmett’s downfall and questionable behaviour were explored in the 2023 documentary The Randall Scandal: Love, Loathing, and Vanderpump, wrote, ‘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.’ Katie Maloney— who married and divorced her ex-husband Tom Schwartz on the show— 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.’
James Kennedy, who battled alcoholism and proposed to his ex-fiancé Raquel (now known as Rachel) during his seven-season stint on the show, wrote, ‘I’m holding back some tears as I write this. It’s been a pleasure being a part of Vanderpump Rule and filling your screen with our lives over the past decade. I’ve dedicated my life to this show and I’m forever grateful to everyone who tuned in.’
Tom Sandoval, the lead in #Scandoval, has yet to comment on the show’s shake-up, although he did recently announce that the sandwich shop Schwartz & Sandy’s that he co-owns with Tom Schwartz is shutting its doors. The other half of this venture, Tom Schwartz, posted a Friends-themed reel to his Instagram but refrained from writing a long quote like his fellow cast members.
Scheana Shay, who will be joining the next series of The Valleys, wrote, ‘The end of an era, and the start of something new… I never could have imagined while shooting the pilot for VPR that it would become what it has, nor go on for as long as it did... Putting our lives out there isn’t always easy, but every time one of y’all reached out to say our stories resonated with you made it all worth it!’
And finally, the matriarch herself who presided over every squabble, Lisa Vanderpump wrote, ‘What a wild ride the last 11 years have been. Thank you to all of our cast for sharing your lives and stories and for being a part of this journey. How I’ve loved each and every one of you.’ We’re not entirely sure we can say the same, but it certainly has been a wild ride.
The new series premieres at some point in 2025, so you have just enough time to binge seasons one to eleven and relive the good old days.
Sarah O'Byrne is a News and Entertainment writer for Bauer Media, writing for Grazia, heat, Closer, Bella, Yours and Crime Monthly. Any spare time she has is spent watching Vanderpump Rules— the old and new.