The Vanderpump Rules reboot isn't entirely made up of unfamiliar faces.
The beloved Bravo series returned on Dec. 2 with season 12, which features a fresh group of employees at Lisa Vanderpump's iconic Los Angeles restaurant, SUR. While talking with the all-new cast earlier this month, Chris Hahn opened up to PEOPLE about previously appearing on the Netflix hits Dated and Related and Perfect Match.
"Obviously I'm nervous," he admits. "I know people are a little upset that I've been on reality TV before, and I think they think they know who I am based on my reality TV, what has been shown and everything like that. So I'm a little nervous to maybe see a little bit of s----talking, hate and stuff like that. But at the end of the day, I understand where they're coming from if they feel that way, and you're going to find out who I really am."
In addition to Hahn, the new VPR cast includes Venus Binkley, Shayne Davis, Angelica Jensen, Marcus Johnson, Audrey Lingle, Natalie Maguire, Demy Selem, Kim Suarez and Jason Cohen -- who is also Hahn's cousin and appeared on Dated and Related with him in 2022. They say cameras have captured "a big year for us" that they're looking forward to fans seeing.
"I'm 31, he's 31, and I think it's a pivotal moment of our life," Hahn shares. "We're getting to that age where things should start happening. We've come from very humble beginnings and we've been nothing but I think grateful for a lot of experiences and all the opportunities that have come up to us. I think we've both seen a lot of growth overall, and I'm proud of ourselves for being as vulnerable as we have and doing what we've done and not holding back on anything and just being ourselves."
"I think that's one hard thing for people to do, and it was very hard for us," Cohen adds. "I've got to say, when you just expose your complete life and what that is, you can learn from that, and I feel like that's what's going to be really entertaining to watch."
After Dated and Related, Hahn went on Perfect Match, where he left the show with The Trust's Tolú Ekundare before they split. (He told Tudum in June 2024 that they "didn't end off on the best terms.") He went on to appear on the OnlyFans dating series Miss Match in March 2025 before joining VPR shortly after.
"It's hard to say you don't care what anyone thinks and of course you do a little bit," Hahn acknowledges. "Will I let that affect me? Will I let it affect my happiness? I'm going to try not to. I don't think it will."
He later says: "I hope to inspire people to not be scared and really just put themselves out there and not shy away from opportunities because of how people are going to think of you and what people are going to say. I think external thoughts and what other people think of you, I think that is just putting yourself in your own prison."
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Vanderpump Rules season 12 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo, with episodes available the following day on Peacock.