'Vanderpump Rules' is reportedly halting production to give the cast and crew a break after two "very rough, intense seasons".
Lisa Vanderpump's reality TV show has been full of drama ever since castmember Tom Sandoval split from Ariana Madix in 2023 after it emerged that he had a months-long affair with her pal Rachel Leviss and a new report suggested the show is going to be rested to give everyone involved time to "decompress" following the 'Scandoval' fall out.
A source told New York Post column Page Six: "Everyone needs a moment to decompress after two very rough, intense seasons,” the source told us. “The cast is looking forward to a break from filming the show."
Filming usually takes place between May and July, but the report suggests production on season 12 will be paused over the summer months. It comes after the 2023 'Scandoval' drama prompted TV bosses to resume filming on the show earlier than expected which is said to have cut everyone's time off with season 11 being filmed shortly after the 10th series wrapped.
TMZ reports producers "want to let the cast do their own thing for a bit without jumping right back into another summer of filming" adding that they hope som time off will lead to some "big developments and new drama to capture" when filming resumes.
It's not clear when the show will go back into production, but the outlet reports TV bosses are unlikely to wait until next summer to pick it back up.
Another reason behind the pause is said to be Ariana Madix's new job hosting 'Love Island USA'. She's replacing actress Sarah Hyland as the face of the dating show and is set to spend several months in Fiji filming and would have been unavailable for 'Vanderpump Rules'.
Announcing the news in a video posted on Instagram, Ariana declared she can't wait to get to the villa. She said: "Talk about a bombshell! This summer, I'm trading rhinestone buckles for bikinis.
"I'm hosting the next season of 'Love Island USA' streaming this summer on Peacock. I can't wait to stir up some trouble in paradise."
