Zack Wickham Defends The Valley Cast: “We Hold Our Own” Without Vanderpump Veterans

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As The Valley carves out its own identity in the Bravo universe, cast member Zack Wickham is making it clear: the show doesn’t need its Vanderpump Rules alums to thrive—though he’s not against them showing up.

In an interview with Decider, Wickham addressed the buzz surrounding Scheana Shay and Lala Kent’s potential appearances on The Valley. While fans are divided about how much crossover they want between the two shows, Wickham kept it diplomatic but confident.

“Do I think our show holds its own without them? Sure,” he said. “Do they add? Possibly. So I’m here for whatever. If they come on, let’s bring it because they’re part of our groups anyway outside of filming, so it makes sense.”

Wickham also acknowledged his long-standing ties with the Vanderpump crew. “I’ve known Lala since she integrated into the group on VPR. I’ve been around for everything,” he explained, emphasizing the ups and downs that naturally come with longstanding friendships. “You might not see eye to eye on certain things. And so that might be where some of my comments online have come from.”

While the topic of cast dynamics stirred conversation, Wickham also addressed another hot topic among Bravo fans: his seat placement at The Valley reunion. Positioned at the far end of the lineup alongside Michelle Lally, fans speculated whether that indicated a lack of importance or drama. Wickham, however, brushed off the concern with humor and insight.

“It was kind of funny because I feel like people were in an uproar for different reasons,” he said, before adding, “I don’t think the seating really matters, unless you’re the first seat.” In his view, those prime spots are for cast members with the most intense storylines. “Undoubtedly [those seats] were going to be Brittany [and] Kristen. Jax did not deserve to be second chair, but whatever. He could have Zoomed in or come in for a second.”

As for how the reunion played out, Wickham hinted at a surprisingly civil atmosphere—at least for a while. “It was – actually, controlled chaos,” he teased. “We actually all did a really good job of being pretty controlled until we weren’t.”

Whether or not the original Vanderpump stars continue to cross over, Wickham is confident The Valley is standing tall on its own. With unfiltered moments and growing drama, this spinoff seems to be finding its footing—no OGs required.