Tom Sandoval has expressed his opinions regarding Daniel Wai, Ariana Madix’s new lover.
The Vanderpump Rules star, 40, spoke on Daniel and their future while also hinting at season 11 and sharing what he learnt from his months-long romance with former co-star Rachel “Raquel” Leviss, 29, more than six months after Ariana, 38, went public with Daniel, a fitness trainer based in New York City.
“He seems like a nice guy,” Sandoval told E! News of Daniel on November 27. “I don’t really know him or them together, but from what I’ve seen, they seem happy. I wish them the best.”
Although it is unclear if Sandoval and Daniel ever filmed together, Ariana did confirm in October that Daniel will be seen on season 11.
“Once or twice, but definitely not very much,” she told News of how much he’d be featured. “He’s not into the whole world of it all. It was very foreign to him, but I give him props for being a good sport on my behalf.”
Sandoval had difficult on-camera situations with other cast members in addition to filming with Ariana after “Scandoval,” as he tried to atone for his cheating scandal.
“Seeing people lump me into one category, especially those I’d known for more than ten years, hurt me a lot,” he said. “I was the friend that turned up every time. It was me who was present. It was difficult for people to disregard all I’ve ever done and all of that, treating me as though I were a foreign spy who had been acting this way for fifteen years only for this one time.
While Sandoval was certainly in the dog house after season 10, he said season 11 will shed new light on “Scandoval.”
“There’s a lot more to what happened,” he teased. “At some point, more things and details will come out and I think this next season of Vanderpump Rules you’ll see a lot more.”
As for what he’s learned, Sandoval said he now appreciates the smaller things in life.
“It’s gotten me to really appreciate things in my life that maybe I took for granted,” he admitted. “I really appreciate the friends that have stuck by me. That didn’t jump on a bandwagon or a movement.”
During another interview, with TMZ on November 27, Sandoval revealed which of his Pump Rules castmates would last the longest on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.“I would say hands down [Jax Taylor]. I think Jax would do well. I think he would enjoy it, too,” Sandoval suspected. “He would do the best out of everyone. [But James Kennedy] would do well too.”
Sandoval believed that forty-year-old Tom Schwartz wouldn’t fare as well.
He said, “I don’t think Schwartz would last because there’s no cash prize at the end, which you gotta understand too.” “You’re putting yourself first. You’re not winning, whether you’re doing it out of pride, a sense of accomplishment, or another motivation. No one is surpassing you. It’s personal to you.”
Continuing on to TMZ, Sandoval said he’s glad season 11 has wrapped.
“My favorite time with filming Vanderpump Rules is always before the season airs because once the season airs, you feel like you’ve got to relive it but I’m really glad season 11 is, we’re done filming it,” he shared.
Vanderpump Rules season 11 premieres on Bravo in January 2024.