Vanderpump Rules Explosion: Surprise Engagement and Feud Shake Up Season 11—Here’s What We Know

Vanderpump Rules Season 12 has officially kicked off production in West Hollywood, and the beloved Bravo franchise is being shaken up from the inside out. According to multiple outlets, cameras started rolling at SUR this week with a completely fresh roster of servers, bartenders and aspiring influencers—marking the first full-scale reboot in the show’s 12-year history. Why the major overhaul? Bravo insiders tell Parade that producers wanted to recapture “the day-one grit” that made Lisa Vanderpump’s restaurant drama a breakout hit. To do that, they’ve reportedly hired an entirely new group of twenty-somethings who actually clock in at SUR and TomTom, rather than relying on legacy cast members who’ve long since moved on from bussing tables. Lisa Vanderpump herself remains front and center. TMZ cameras spotted the restaurateur pulling up to SUR for the first day of taping, greeting nervous newbies while executive producer Alex Baskin looked on. Sources say the reboot will showcase Lisa as a mentor “queen bee,” guiding a cast that reflects modern L.A.—including the show’s first out gay male lead, a Venezuelan-American server hoping to parlay mixology fame into a music career. What about the OGs? Ariana Madix is busy hosting Love Island USA, Lala Kent is focusing on her Give Them Lala Beauty line, and Scheana Shay is filming Peacock spin-off The Valley with husband Brock. While cameos aren’t off the table, Bravo’s current plan is to let the new class sink or swim on its own before weaving veterans back in for cross-over moments during sweeps. Production insiders hint that Season 12 storylines will mine real-time restaurant chaos: staff shortages, rising West Hollywood rents, and a social-media policy that forbids employees from live-streaming behind the bar. Expect plenty of messy love triangles too—one server is rumored to be juggling a secret romance with a TomTom bartender and a wealthy crypto investor who frequents SUR’s garden patio. In terms of scheduling, Bravo traditionally wraps Vanderpump Rules filming in late summer, edits through the fall, and premieres in the first quarter of the following year. If the accelerated timeline holds, Season 12 could hit screens as early as December 2025, with next-day streaming on Peacock. A fall teaser trailer is already said to be in the works, spotlighting Lisa’s ominous tagline: “New rules, new drama, same queen.” SEO takeaway: Vanderpump Rules Season 12, new cast drama, SUR filming, Lisa Vanderpump mentor role, premiere window December 2025-early 2026, first LGBT lead—fans should brace for a back-to-basics reboot that promises to re-ignite the show’s signature cocktail of romance, rivalry and restaurant realness.