We hate to say Scandoval saved Vanderpump Rules … but Scandoval saved Vanderpump Rules. Wednesday night’s (May 17) Season 10 finale of the hit Bravo show brought in record ratings at a whopping 1,885,000 live viewers, according to Nielsen — making it the season’s most-viewed episode.

The number more than doubles the ratings for the show’s last finale, which came in at a mere 781,000 following a lackluster Season 9 — as well as the Season 10 premiere, in which only 839,000 viewers tuned in back in February, per TV Deets.

The renewed peak in interest has undoubtedly stemmed from the cheating scandal that turned the world upside down back in early March, when fan favorite star Ariana Madix discovered her boyfriend of nine years Tom Sandoval was having an affair with her close friend Raquel Leviss — whom she loyally defended throughout much of this season.

The duo’s secret relationship was uncovered by Madix following the fourth episode of the season — ironically titled “No Home Left to Wreck” — that aired on Wednesday, March 1, bringing in a season-low of 648,000 viewers.

With the news breaking in the media just days before the following week’s episode, viewership unsurprisingly rose to 879,000. And after that week, each episode maintained more than 1 million viewers for the rest of the season as keen-eyed fans eagerly picked up on any and all Easter eggs alluding to the affair.

Last month, Queen B Lisa Vanderpump even commented on the impact Scandoval had on ratings while speaking on Steve-O’s Wild Ride podcast.

“Obviously, you look for great ratings, and it has produced that,” Vanderpump said, per Reality Blurb. “But after 11 years with these people … I’m very emotionally invested in them. So, I feel like I’ve been on so many journeys with them. Of course, it’s fantastic television, but at a great price.”

While Leviss and Sandoval continue to take the brunt of the hate, Madix is out here living her best life.

The Something About Her owner gave her first interview post-Scandoval on Watch What Happens Live directly after the explosive episode. Plus, she appeared on The View, where she opened up about her ex-boyfriend’s mid-life crisis, as well as Today with Hoda & Jenna, where she denied rumors that Scandoval was staged for ratings.

Vanderpump Rules airs on Wednesday nights at 9/8c on Bravo. You can watch new episodes the next day on Peacock.