Lisa Vanderpump is opening up about the decision to shake up Vanderpump Rules, and according to her, the change was inevitable.
During a recent interview with Harry Jowsey, the restaurateur and reality TV producer addressed why the long-running Bravo series decided to move forward with a new cast instead of continuing with the original group that helped make the show famous.
For Vanderpump, it came down to timing and storytelling.
“Because their story was told,” she explained. “Some of them didn’t want to film with each other. I was fed up with talking to their assistants. You know what I mean?”
Over the years, Vanderpump Rules evolved from a group of young servers working at Lisa’s West Hollywood restaurants into full-fledged reality TV stars with businesses, homes, and families. That growth, while natural, slowly moved the show away from the environment that originally made it compelling.
Lisa said it simply felt like the right moment to reset.
“It was time, but they were great. I loved them all and I still love them. Some of them aren’t as sweet and nice as they could be, but I do. I love the experience and I feel responsible for dragging them into this domain, so to speak.”
Despite the cast change, she emphasized that she still feels connected to the original group.
“So, there’s a deep affection for them, but it was now time to go back to the restaurant, back to the nucleus, back to the dynamic that made the show a success in the first place of people working together behind the scenes and what that entails.”
That behind-the-scenes chaos of restaurant life — long shifts, staff drama, messy friendships, and romantic entanglements — was the core formula that turned Vanderpump Rules into one of Bravo’s biggest reality hits.
Lisa even recalled a moment that confirmed the show had captured that environment accurately.
“I remember Jon Hamm coming up to me and he said, and I think he’s iconic,” she shared.
“He came up to me and he said, ‘Lisa, I love your show ‘Vanderpump Rules.’’ And he said, ‘It’s so accurate. It’s like a real restaurant.’ I said, ‘Well, it is a real restaurant, Jon.’”
With the reboot, Lisa appears to be trying to recreate that same energy — focusing again on staff members working inside her restaurants rather than reality stars who have already moved beyond that phase of their lives.
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