why is fredrik eklund leaving?
"Well, that was fantastic," Tutor tells PEOPLE exclusively of her reaction to the news of Eklund's exit ahead of the show's premiere Thursday night. "Listen, he's a charmer. He's great on TV. As a friend though, I'm not signing up for that friendship. But great real estate agent and God bless him and his new endeavors."
Eklund joined the Los Angeles cast for season 13, while continuing to appear on Million Dollar Listing New York. He made the announcement he'd be leaving the Bravo franchise after 11 years in January to focus on his own business ventures.
"After an amazing 11 years, I've decided it's time for the next chapter in my life, and to leave Million Dollar Listing. It's an end of an era and a new start for me," he began the lengthy post in which he addressed his decision. "I let Andy , the Producers and the Executives know last week how grateful I am. Eternally grateful, I mean what an incredible run we had together."
The new season of MDLLA will feature Tutor, 47, alongside returning agents Josh Flagg, 37, and Josh Altman, 43. Now that there are only three cast members and with production of the New York franchise on pause, Tutor says the trio is feeling the pressure.
"Just being the three of us, there is a lot of pressure," the UN'SWEET wine co-owner shares. "But we gave it 150%, so we were really excited to see it ourselves and how it turned out."
Tutor says she's thankful for the opportunity, as she teases that this season will be a bit different than in the past.
"Right before we started filming we realized it was just going to be the three of us and we were like, 'Oh my God, this is such an incredible opportunity,' Tutor shares. "Because we're all in the same office, obviously we have a little bit more of a natural chemistry and dynamic."
"Josh and Josh and myself are friends in real life and that comes with fighting, like Flagg drives me insane and Altman, I just have to tap the ego every so often and we'll be just fine," she adds.
The smaller cast also allows the show to get more into its stars personal lives and follow their journeys, says Tutor. Previous season documented Tutor's divorce from her husband of 13 years. She's now in a new relationship and has a stunning new home. Flagg's marriage to fellow realtor Bobby Boyd ended last spring and this season will reveal moments from his new relationship.
"When we found out it was just going to be us, it was just an opportunity for us to spread our wings a little bit and make the show a little bit more personal," says Tutor. "It's followed such a trajectory for the last 13 years, that to be able to get a little bit away from that, I think you'll start to see three– four-episode arcs become personal."
While in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, the reality TV star explained that despite rumors, his departure had nothing to do with the other cast members. He said that there were some personal issues with regard to his family, kids, and traveling amongst other things that led to him making the decision.
He further stated:
The Swedish real estate broker has been a part of the franchise as well as the Bravo family for over a decade and it has been an amazing ride. However, Eklund recently announced that he will not be returning to the show.
Fredrik has lived his life on the show and fans have been a part of some of his biggest milestones, including his wedding with Derek Kaplan and the birth of their children. Fredrik was first a part of the New York series of the show but joined MDLLA in season 13 after moving to Los Angeles with his family.
Season 13 of the series ended with a clash between Fredrik and Josh Altman. The reality star’s relationship with Josh Flagg also changed during the spin-off, Million Dollar Listing Josh & Josh.
Flagg claimed that Eklund leaked information about his move to Douglas Elliman in December 2021 and that Altman supported his namesake.
While in a conversation with PEOPLE magazine, Josh said:
He further told the publication that the Fredrik people see on MDLLA is not the real Fredrik, which is why he hasn’t spoken to the co-star since the Bravo show wrapped up its previous season. He stated that Flagg and he are family and that eventually, one moves on.
He added:
Fredrik denied the claims by his fellow cast members and stated that his reasons for leaving the show were mostly personal and not due to the conflict between the duo. He said that he was grateful to the cast and that he wished them well. He added that shooting MDLLA was time-consuming and that he loved every minute of it, however, his life is “bigger” and he has many more projects in the pipeline.
He said:
A lot more faces have decided to leave the franchise and as a result, MDLLA will now see Josh Altman, Josh Flagg, and Tracy Tutor returning for season 14. Others who left the show include James Harris and David Parnes.
The Bravo show is set to return to screens on Thursday, December 8, at 9 pm ET.
During his one official season on the Los Angeles series, Fredrik clashed with the other agents. Season 13 concluded with a blow-out argument between Fredrik and Josh Altman, and his friendship with Josh Flagg later deteriorated on the spinoff Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles: Josh & Josh.
