Andy Cohen weighs in on the decision to revamp 'Vanderpump Rules' with a completely new cast, praising the move as the right thing to do given the show's evolution over the years.
- Dec 3, 2024
AceShowbiz - Andy Cohen has expressed his support for the recent announcement that "Vanderpump Rules" will be getting a reboot with a brand-new cast, with only Lisa Vanderpump returning.
On Monday's episode of his SiriusXM show "Andy Cohen Live", the Bravo honcho shared his thoughts on the matter. "I am so impressed with how production kept the show going over the last, I'm going to say four years, when slowly but surely none of them were working at SUR," Cohen said, referring to the West Hollywood restaurant where the show's early seasons centered around.
He noted that the focus of the show had "morphed and changed" over time, with James Kennedy being the only cast member still having a significant presence at SUR, and others finding success beyond the restaurant. Cohen also pointed out that the season 11 finale provided a perfect ending for the current cast, with the last few minutes feeling like a series finale.
He likened the reboot to the recent "[t=The Real Housewives of New York City[" shakeup, explaining that "all good things must come to an end" and that it was time for a change. Cohen praised the outgoing cast for remaining true to themselves throughout their time on the show, but acknowledged the difficulties in filming due to conflicts between castmates, such as the fallout between Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval, and Lala Kent.
Bravo announced the reboot last week, stating that the new cast would consist of "close-knit SUR-vers who are as complicatedly involved with one another as their iconic predecessor." Lisa Vanderpump, who has been with the show since its inception, will be the only original cast member to return.
While some of the former cast members have reportedly expressed disappointment, a source told PEOPLE that they were not surprised by the news. "It just didn't make sense to continue," the insider said. "This is an attempt to recalibrate and bring the show back to the thing that made it such a success to begin with."