Andy Cohen Admits He’s Still Hopeful for Lisa Vanderpump’s ‘Real Housewives’ Return

Lisa Vanderpump may not be returning to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills after Season 9, but producer Andy Cohen hopes she will eventually make her triumphant return. During his appearance on The Wendy Williams Show on Thursday, Cohen said he believes the reality star will return some day.

“We will miss Lisa Vanderpump,” Cohen told Williams of the personality, who left after nine seasons. He added that this isn’t the first exit from a high-profile star in the history of the beloved franchise.

“I love Lisa Vanderpump, but the great thing about the Housewives is it’s an ensemble show. We have a group of all-stars in Beverly Hills” he said, going on to reference two stars who left and ultimately decided to come back.

“New York survived when Bethenny [Frankel] left, Atlanta survived when NeNe [Leakes] left for a bit. So People come and they go, and I hope that Lisa comes back at some point,” he said, as first reported by PEOPLE.

Vanderpump confirmed she would not be returning to RHOBH after she revealed she would not be attending the Season 9 reunion taping. In an interview with Extra, the Sur owner explained that “the last year was a very negative year for me.”

“I just had a horrible time with the show and the women. It was a very sad time in my life and it wasn’t made any better. I just decided to walk away,” she said.

Three months before filming for Season 9 began, Vanderpump lost her brother Mark to suicide. Shortly after news broke of her exit from the show, her mother, Jean Vanderpump, died at the age of 84.

The season also saw Vanderpump have a major fight with her co-stars over drama known as Puppy Gate.

The first part of the Season 9 reunion, which aired earlier this week saw Cohen and the women expressing their disappointment after Vanderpump did not show up for the taping.

Shortly after the taping, Cohen opened up about being sad she skipped the reunion and called her irreplaceable.

“I wish she had been there, what can I tell you. I really wish she had been there,” he shared on his SiriusXM Radio show Andy Cohen Live in June. “And I hope and I think she actually could have left with some resolution.”

“No one will ever replace her,” he added. “And no one can replace her. I mean, it has been well-documented that when we were developing the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, I was not totally sold on doing the show… but when I saw Lisa Vanderpump on that casting tape, man, she was the one who really sold me on doing the show.”

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.