The original cast of Vanderpump Rules has been booked and busy ever since Bravo announced that the show was getting rebooted with a new cast. Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright, and Kristen Doute spearheaded The Valley, while Ariana Madix began hosting Love Island USA, Stassi Schroeder appeared in Vanderpump Villa, Scheana Shay released a memoir, and exes Katie Maloney and Tom Schwartz each started their own podcasts. Even Tom Sandoval, who was shunned from the group over his scandalous affair with Rachel Leviss, has signed onto more projects in the last two years than he ever did during his 11-season run on the Emmy-nominated reality series.
Sandoval, who nearly made it to the end of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test Season 2 and became a fan-favorite on The Traitors Season 3, is now gearing up to perform with his band, The Most Extras, on America’s Got Talent, which begins airing live shows on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
Noting that AGT is “much different” than any show he’s ever done before—and is perhaps the “biggest stage” he’s performed on to date—Sandoval reminisced on some of his previous experiences on competition shows, like Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, Fox’s hit series that puts celebrities and pro athletes through the rigorous Special Forces selection process.
“It’s definitely one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” Sandoval told Decider over a recent Zoom interview. “On the season we were on, after watching it back, I’m sure you can ask all the people that were there, it was way harder than it looks. There’s so much stuff that they put you through that you don’t see on TV.”
Sandoval wasn’t the only Vanderpump Rules alum to compete on the competition series, as it was recently announced that Cartwright, who starred in Vanderpump Rules from Season 4 to Season 8 and currently leads The Valley, joined the cast of Special Forces Season 4, which premieres on Sept. 25.
“I didn’t speak to her about it, but I’m excited for her,” Sandoval said. “I wish her the best of luck. I’m sure she probably already filmed it or whatever, but I hope she did really well. It’s really just about testing yourself.”
Cartwright’s mirror room scenes will likely have a heavy focus on her contentious divorce with Taylor, who announced that he would not be returning to The Valley next season amid backlash to the way he treated his estranged wife in Season 2.
While he and Sandoval have had a turbulent relationship over the years—we can’t forget when Taylor demoted Sandoval in his wedding, or returned the samurai sword signed by Randy Jackson that Sandoval had previously gifted him—it seems as though they are currently on civil terms. In fact, the two recently went to see Freakier Friday together.
“I actually just saw Jax yesterday. We went and saw a movie together,” Sandoval revealed (side note: he “laughed a lot” at the sequel to Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis’ 2003 masterpiece Freaky Friday). “We’re doing good. I’m really just trying to support [him and] be a good friend to him as he tries and he gets the help that he needs. I just wish him all the best.”
As for whether Sandoval would ever appear on The Valley in Taylor’s absence, he said, “Well, it’s always nice to be asked to do something like that, but for right now I’m really just focusing on other aspects of my life. But you never know. You never know.”
In the meantime, it sounds like we’ll be seeing more of him on shows like The Traitors. Sandoval’s redemption arc truly kicked off when he appeared in the Peacock show’s third season, which showed fans a quirkier side to the former SUR bartender, instantly making him a fan-favorite after years of scrutiny for his part in “Scandoval.”
“It definitely brought back a sense of confidence,” Sandoval said. “I just love doing shows like that. So, I’m gonna continue to do more, hopefully. Yeah, it’s a fun ride and I’m glad to see that people like watching me in those types of situations.”
So, what’s next for Sandoval (besides America’s Got Talent and House of Villains Season 3, which he recently wrapped filming)?
“I’ve gotta think about that one,” he said. “Maybe Survivor?”
Watch Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras perform on America’s Got Talent on Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 8/7c on NBC.