Peter Madrigal Dropped Some Truth Bombs About Not Being Paid and Leaving 'Vanderpump Rules'
"I guess it was by my choice, in a sense," Peter recently shared, of leaving 'Vanderpump Rules.'
Updated March 6 2024, 7:09 a.m. ET
It's time to clock back into SUR once more. Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules premiered in January 2024, and even if most of the cast no longer works there, it's still a mainstay on the show. The long-running reality series follows the staff members of various high-end West Hollywood restaurants including SUR Restaurant and Lounge and Tom Tom Restaurant and Bar. As you might expect of any Bravo classic, drama and reality show shenanigans ensue with each new season.
After more than a decade on the air, plenty of regular and recurring cast members have come and gone within the restaurants of Vanderpump Rules. But longtime fans of the series will undoubtedly recognize some familiar faces who grace the series with each new season.
One such face is Peter Madrigal, who was a prominent staff member of SUR since the show first debuted. But does Peter still work at SUR these days? He recently opened up about his status on the show on the Bravo & Blaze podcast.
Peter Madrigal has held his position at SUR for years on 'Vanderpump Rules.'
According to his Bravo TV profile, Peter was originally hired as a busboy for SUR back in 2008 during the early days of the impending global recession. He would eventually earn himself a server/bartender position. In an enviable climb up the employment ladder, Peter would be granted a managerial position in 2011. Two years later in 2013, he began appearing in episodes of Vanderpump Rules as a recurring cast member.
Despite being a regular presence in the restaurant, Peter admitted in an interview with Bravo that he tried to avoid all of the reality show drama that ensues within his establishment.
"I'm not going to be able to be managing SUR and [be] involved in drama," Peter explained. "That's not good, you know what I mean? There always has to be someone with a level head through all the chaos involved."
Interestingly enough, his LinkedIn profile also lists several side hustles in real estate and podcasts.
In recent seasons, Peter went from a recurring member of the cast to a guest role. In the past, he expressed interest in eventually leaving SUR to open his own lounge.
However, Peter admitted during Season 10 that he doesn't plan to leave his current job just yet, much to SUR owner Lisa Vanderpump's relief.
Why did Peter leave 'Vanderpump Rules'?
Even if Peter has no plans to leave SUR, he isn't part of the Bravo series anymore. When he appeared on the Bravo & Blaze podcast in March 2024, he revealed that he was asked back for Season 11 on the condition that producers no longer pay him.
"So basically my choice was to come back to the show for free, or not do it" he shared. "That's basically what happened."
He added that he was told there was no money in the show's budget for him, so he chose not to return to film.
Peter has been exploring other ventures throughout his career. He continues to work as a part-time real estate agent and often posts cocktail recipes on his highly active Instagram account with more than 287,000 followers. As for Vanderpump Rules, you can always go back and watch the early and extra dramatic days of the Bravo series to see Peter in action.
Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules premieres on Jan. 30, 2024, at 8 p.m. EST on Bravo.
