Craig Conover Drops Bombshell: Films 'Southern Charm' Scenes with Kathryn Dennis for Season 9, Professing 'We Love Her' tram

The Southern Charm cast hopes to see Kathryn Dennis back on the show following her alleged hit-and-run.

"We love Kathryn, actually," Craig Conover said at Sunday's Southern Charm panel at BravoCon in Las Vegas. "Shep and I actually filmed with her this year. I don't think it was supposed to happen, but we did it and I think they did it as a favor to us because we love her so much."

Conover, 34, said he wants to see that footage but "we probably won't."

"The point of me telling you that is we would love for her to come back," the Sewing Down South founder continued. "I think the door is always open. I think she's working on herself and has a lot of work that she has to do before she comes back. But I hope she's doing well and I know a lot of people here have recently, we've been in contact with her."

Conover said his friend Austen Kroll "talks to her as much as he can," as do other members of the cast.

"We love Kathryn," Conover reiterated. "But we just hope that she figures her stuff out."

Shep Rose defended Dennis, too.

"We've all come a long way and we've seen the bumps, the bruises and all that stuff," Rose, 43, said. "And unfortunately, you know, Kathryn stumbles sometimes. We do love her 'cause there's a person right inside her that we know is a good person."

Conover said he'd like Dennis return to Southern Charm next season.

"She means so well and she wished she was here with all of you more than anything," he told the crowd. "And what our goal is for next year that, you know, she comes back and gets to see you guys."

A 2022 Ford SUV registered in the name of Dennis, 32, struck a school resource officer directing traffic in front of Whitesville Elementary School on Gaillard Road, near Chavis Lane, around 7:18 a.m on Oct. 20, Lance Corporal Nick Pye of the South Carolina Highway Patrol told PEOPLE. The injured officer received medical attention on site.

The Ford SUV "did not stop at the scene of the collision," Pye said, confirming that the vehicle was later located at Dennis's address.

PEOPLE has previously made multiple attempts to reach Dennis about the incident, without success. However, a knowledgeable source confirmed to PEOPLE that Southern Charm star was involved in the alleged incident.

Bravo fans first came to know Dennis when the Charleston-set reality series debuted in 2014. She met Thomas Ravenel during season 1, and by the end of that year's filming they were expecting daughter Kensington Calhoun, now 9. The next year, they welcomed son Saint Julien in November 2015.

Dennis's time on the show was dominated by her combustible on-and-off relationship with Ravenel, now 61, leading to many allegations on his part about her sobriety and fitness as a mother. They struggled for years to settle a protracted custody battle, finally doing so in 2019, and have continued to work on their dynamic as co-parents after the fallout of their romantic relationship.

PEOPLE confirmed in January that Dennis would be leaving Southern Charm after eight seasons.

Dennis began this year on a hopeful note, posting on Instagram: "I don't know about you but I'm feeling 2023 ~ my New Year's resolution is to have more hope and channel my grace 🙏💞"

In September, she dedicated another Instagram post to her kids, writing, “When I am with you I feel so alive again even when you can’t see me or hear me I am always thinking of you..know that our love connects us by an invisible string, always. I know that we will make it through these tough times and they won’t last forever. 🙏♥️ sending strength to all of the coparents out there."

She continued, "No matter the situation being without your children is the most difficult pain you must carry each and every day you are without them. It’s so unnatural and such a drawn out devastation. We need each others love and support—here’s to hope for the future ♥️"