Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval tease the new season of Vanderpump Rules in a new interview.

Vanderpump Rules is set to return to Bravo for season 8 early next year and viewers are eagerly anticipating Lisa Vanderpump back on their screens following her shocking departure from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. In a new interview, Ariana Madix and Tom Sandoval dish about the new season and it sounds like we’re going to see the real Lisa on the new season.

First, let’s back up to what happened on the last season of RHOBH. In case you’ve been living under the proverbial reality TV rock, Lisa had one of the most dramatic seasons in Housewives history with what fans dubbed Puppy Gate. The cast including Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna, and Teddi Mellencamp, banded together after they determined LVP had been leaking stories to the press about Dorit Kemsley returning an adopted Vanderpump Pets dog. Unfortunately for the cast, viewers seemed to side with LVP but she decided to leave the Bravo hit anyways.

Following her departure, Lisa began filming the upcoming season of Vanderpump Rules and according to Ariana and Tom, we shouldn’t be worried at all about Lisa’s presence on this show.

“I think Lisa … I think people will be really happy to see Lisa on this season. I think they are going to see a side of her that they have not seen before,” Ariana told OK! Magazine. “I think that they’ll see more of her — more of who she is — and I think it’ll be really good.”

The two pointed out that there aren’t many people out there filming multiple reality shows at once and last year’s drama with the women seemed to really affect Lisa’s role on Pump Rules.

“I think it’s a positive thing too. She’s more present, I feel like, just emotionally,” said Tom. “[Real Housewives of] Beverly Hills filmed at the same time as Vanderpump Rules, and so when she was filming both shows, she would be coming from lunch with those ladies and coming to SUR, and so she’s had that on the brain,” added Ariana.

Last year, it seemed like scene after scene on RHOBH focused on the Housewives discussing LVP and it clearly affected her job on the other show. The drama seemed to get way too dark and serious last year but it sounds like we’ll see more of Lisa and a lighter, more involved Lisa, as well, which can only be a good thing for the show as it evolves.

Vanderpump Rules returns to Bravo this January.