How Winter House Will Address Tom Sandoval's Season 3 Absence

Scandoval is sending shockwaves through Steamboat Springs.

Just days before filming started on season three of Winter House back in March, Tom Sandoval's cheating scandal rocked the world—and the cast of the Bravo series. In fact, the Vanderpump Rules star was supposed to return for the new season alongside BFF Tom Schwartz, but his controversial affair with costar Rachel "Raquel" Leviss changed all of that.

And while Sandoval ultimately dropped out amid the backlash, fans will get to see all the drama play out on Winter House.

Upon Schwartz's arrival, everything was immediately addressed among the cast, Danielle Olivera exclusively told E! News. "He had so much anxiety and so it was like the elephant in the room," she explained, "and he was like, 'OK, do you guys want to just talk about it?'"

And, yes, they did. "We were like, 'Do you need a hug?'" the Summer House star joked. "'Here's a drink and a hug.'"

Then they peppered him with questions, admitted Winter House costar Jordan Emanuel.

"I was definitely curious as to how Tom Schwartz was going to be," she told E! News, noting Sandoval would have negatively impacted the vibe, "but I don't know if that was excitement or just being nosy."

That was especially the case when Schwartz took a break from filming in Colorado to shoot the explosive VPR season 10 reunion, where Sandoval was obliterated for cheating on ex Ariana Madix.

"I definitely was asking questions at that point," Emanuel said with a laugh. "He needed a lot he needed a lot of support at that point."

See the Scandoval drama play out when Winter House premieres tonight, Oct. 24, at 9 p.m. on Bravo. Keep reading to learn more about Winter House season three.

Trading in his flip-flops for snow boots, Alex Propson (Below Deck Sailing Yacht) arrives from Fort Lauderdale with his long hair and free-spirited attitude. A natural-born flirt, Alex wastes no time getting to know the ladies in the house, but is quickly called out by one for his game being a bit too obvious.

Single and ready to mingle, Malia's bestie Katie Flood (Below Deck Mediterranean) has spent the better part of the last decade traveling the world, making connections wherever she goes. However, when she finds herself connecting with someone in the house who's the opposite of her usual type, she wonders if she'll be able to handle such a sensitive guy.

Jordan Emanuel (Summer House: Martha's Vineyard) is the queen of putting herself in uncomfortable positions in an effort for self-growth. She comes to Steamboat for just that as she tries winter sports for the first time and aims to land a fling for the two-week vacation. However, Jordan is taken aback when a few of the men in the house don't immediately fall for her charming ways.

After a long-term relationship and seven-month dry spell, yachtie Malia White (Below Deck Mediterranean) is looking for some action off the water and is ready to showcase her old stomping grounds of Colorado to the rest of the group.

Kory Keefer (Winter House) arrives at the house ready to party and in a bit of a gray area with Sam Feher (Summer House), whom he met last summer. With no official label on their "situationship," Kory tries to figure out how much freedom he has, especially after catching the eyes of a few of his new single housemates. Will he cross the line …once he figures out where it lies?

Casey Craig is a cryptocurrency professional and former competitive skier who is ready to take a break from her demanding job and show off her skills on the mountain as she establishes herself in this new group of friends.

Despite being the only married man in the house, Kyle Cooke (Summer House) still loves to party with his single friends and hopes to watch sparks fly between them. He's looking forward to getting some work-free time to bond with his wife, Amanda Batula (Summer House), but after a sudden illness delays her arrival out west, an even more unexpected situation comes their way.

Feeling the steady pressure from his parents, Brian Benni (Family Karma) is ready to meet "the one" and settle down. In the hopes of living out his very own rom-com in a winter wonderland, Brian casts a wide net, but his unique way of flirting doesn't seem to be immediately reciprocated by the women of the house. Will he be able to find the girl of his dreams to keep him warm?

Despite being the only married man in the house, Kyle Cooke (Summer House) still loves to party with his single friends and hopes to watch sparks fly between them. He's looking forward to getting some work-free time to bond with his wife, Amanda Batula (Summer House), but after a sudden illness delays her arrival out west, an even more unexpected situation comes their way.

After a stressful year including a divorce, business struggles and now being in the thick of one of the biggest pop culture scandals of all time, Tom Schwartz (Vanderpump Rules) is ready for a much-needed escape to reconnect with himself. While finding a relationship is not on his list of priorities this vacation, he finds himself surprised to be crushing on a housemate while struggling to allow himself to finally move on from his past.

Fresh out of a breakup, Danielle Olivera (Summer House) is fragile but ready to put herself back out there. Hoping to move forward from a relationship she didn't want to end, she's looking for a hot vacation hookup and quickly finds herself falling for one her housemates. She's excited about this potential romance, but will her insecurities prevent her from doing what she really wants?

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