"This show changed my whole life," Kent said while sharing what she hopes is next for her in her reality TV journey.
Lala Kent is mourning the end of an era.
While appearing on Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast with Amanda Hirsch, Kent shared her candid feelings about the news that Vanderpump Rules will be returning with an all-new cast.
And while she's not gone from reality TV completely -- with appearances on Season 2 of the VPR spinoff The Valley confirmed -- the mother-of-two said she's said to see this chapter of her life come to a close.
"I don't want to say that I'm fine with it, because I'm not. It was the greatest time of my whole life," Kent said. "But at some point, you have to look at the big picture and say, 'Is this show -- are we even able to film it any longer?' And I just don't think we were able to film it any longer."
She continued, "So anyone who's acting OK with it, I feel like it's a slap in the face."
Without the show, Kent said "no one" would care about her and her castmates. And while that's largely where they all got their start, Kent and VPR's season 11 cast have all managed to make names of themselves off-camera, whether it be hosting gigs, Broadway or business ventures.
"I always tried to remember what got me to this place. Because before Vanderpump, I was just a bitch trying to beat the streets, a squirrel trying to get a nut. This show changed my whole life," Kent maintained.
She continued, "There are many people who we've seen on Bravo who come onto shows and they don't last. So, I'm not saying that we owe our entire beings to this show, but Vandeprump Rules was the door that opened, and then we took over the whole house. And I'm extremely proud of all of us that we took opportunity by the balls and did this."
"It's sad," Kent add. "Because it's so iconic. It's a pop culture phenomenon. Who can say that they were a part of something like that? Not many people."
The announcement came last month, with Bravo sharing that VPR will be renewed for season 12 but with some major changes. The show will now feature Lisa Vanderpump "and a new group of close-knit SUR-vers." Sources say Kent, Scheana Shay, Brock Davies and Tom Schwartz will appear on The Valley next season, while they could possibly appear on Vanderpump Rules and elsewhere in the Bravoverse going forward.
As for the future of the rest of the cast, including James Kennedy, Tom Sandoval, and others, that remains unclear.
Kent is clear about her reality TV future, however, telling Hirsch, it's like her "heartbeat."
"I get off on it. I'm obsessed," Kent quipped. "I enjoy being a part of it. I enjoy watching it. It's like such a huge part of my life, reality television, so that part is sad."
As for where she sees herself next, Kent is hopeful she can stay in the game and continue to reinvent herself, however those opportunities come to be.
"I'm not ready to be done with reality TV," she told Hirsch, "However at this stage in my life, I am enjoying the break -- kind of falling into the background and just enjoying my kids."
