There are a number of signs hinting at Lisa Vanderpump's possible return to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, especially when looking at the declining response to her spin-off. Lisa has been the one Housewives OG to enjoy the longest-running spin-off series. It has been two seasons since Lisa exited RHOBH at the end of season 9, but with viewers expressing disappointment in the current state of Vanderpump Rules, a return as a housewife could help Lisa revive her spin-off series.
Lisa exited RHOBH with no friends in the cast. She and Kyle Richards had their final fallout, and Dorit Kemsley was also on Lisa's hit list. With Vanderpump Rules thriving at the time, Lisa no longer needed to appear on two hit Bravo shows. She could instead focus on managing her staff and having it filmed for reality television. Now, two years later, so much has changed. Lisa's spin-off show lost a number of key pot-stirrers who helped to keep things juicy. In addition, outside of Erika Jayne's shocking legal woes, there weren't many standout storylines from season 11 of RHOBH. Meanwhile, the other two short-lived spin-offs Lisa secured, Vanderpump Dogs and Overserved, never really took off.
Amid chatter about the current state of Vanderpump Rules, insiders are reportedly hinting that Lisa is considering a return as a housewife. “Between the terrible ratings with Overserved and Vanderpump Dogs and VPR crashing in ratings, she hasn’t been able to find success outside of Beverly Hills Housewives and wants to make a return," a source told The Sun. But Lisa knows her power and is aware that should she return, it will provide a boost in ratings for the franchise. As a result, Lisa would "only do it for the right price," the insider noted. It's also said that both sides share a "mutual interest" in Lisa making a comeback. "She has stayed in execs’ good graces all these years, it would make sense for her career and for their show," they added.
When looking at how Vanderpump Rules became a fan favorite, the show had a large push from RHOBH. Scheana Shay helped with the transition due to her messy affair with Brandi Glanville's ex-husband. Scheana's appearances on RHOBH and confrontations with Brandi provided a smooth transition for Lisa to introduce the rest of her staff at SUR and snag them their own reality series. But the show has drastically changed over the last year. Bravo fired four cast members and another three quit. Jax Taylor, Stassi Schroeder, and Kristen Doute were often at the center of drama, but they are no longer part of the series. With all three gone, the storylines on the show have been pretty lackluster.
Should Lisa choose to go back to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, she would help revive her spin-off and possibly introduce new staffers to the show dynamic. The franchise could use for a change in casting. Erika will surely return due to her ongoing divorce and legal battle with Tom Girardi. However, outside of Erika, there aren't enough strong storylines to secure a diamond for all of the ladies in season 12. Producers also want to keep Kyle around should Lisa return to see the two OGs bring their feud to an end, but Lisa recently teased a return only if producers "clean house." It looks like the ball is in Lisa's corner to make the next move.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
Source: The Sun