Reality TV is more complex than it seems. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re chipping away at the “Reality TV Iceberg” to uncover some of the wildest behind-the-scenes gossip and theories in reality TV history, plus the darkest shows and figures that were scrubbed from public knowledge.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're chipping away at the reality TV iceberg to uncover some
00:05of the wildest behind-the-scenes gossip and theories in reality TV history. Plus the darkest
00:11shows and figures that were scrubbed from public knowledge. There's still such a curtain pulled
00:16over the whole show. Nobody expected it to end up like it did. We'll start at the top with major
00:23controversial moments that changed the industry forever, then sink further into the most shocking
00:28incidents you've likely never heard of. So grab your scuba gear and get ready to embark on an
00:33expedition to the deepest depths of the reality television ecosystem. All part of a new phenomenon.
00:39The studio audience roar with laughter. More than 30 million people tune in.
00:45Tier 1. The surface. At the tip of the iceberg are the bits that played out on our screens.
00:50These tropes, scandals, and storylines got everyone talking and left a lasting impact
00:55on the world of reality TV. That's hot. First up, the TLC network's exploitation.
01:01I'm Melody Rose and I'm a hillbilly cheapskate. You can't kick off a reality TV iceberg without
01:07mentioning the downright bizarre and extreme reality franchises found on TLC, which often
01:12focus on people struggling with obesity, unconventional compulsions, or mental health
01:16disorders, to name a few. I'm addicted to cats. Right now the total number, I can't even count,
01:22it's got to be over 20. With titles such as MILF Manor and My Teen is Pregnant and So Am I,
01:28the network clearly isn't pulling any punches. Two particularly disrespectful series, Toddlers and
01:34Tiaras and John and Kate Plus 8, capitalize on the duress of kids who are thrust in front of
01:39cameras for a chaotic spectacle. But the most egregious offense the network commits so often
01:51is the green lighting of shows that appear to be designed for viewers to gawk at people living
01:55below the poverty line. Just look at Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and Extreme Cheapskates, which seem
02:00to be shot to make audiences feel almost uneasy or squeamish about the trials of the lower class,
02:05and perhaps grateful to not have to live like them. Though it's been repeatedly called out
02:19for producing degrading programs, the machine continues to run. The Kardashians, reality TV
02:30royalty. On the opposite end of the reality TV spectrum exists the wish fulfillment of keeping
02:35up with the Kardashians and later spinoffs. The famous-for-being-famous family has become
02:47somewhat of a social experiment, allowing cameras to follow every twist, turn, and scandal for over
02:53a decade. You may be scratching your head as to how they sustained such a big following through
03:05so many seasons of mundanity and contrived drama. During the early years, the sisters
03:22wisely gamed new social media apps like Twitter and Instagram to recruit massive followings,
03:27generating interest as trailblazing influencers and driving that fanbase to their show.
03:35Although many were immediately turned off by their out-of-touch whimsies,
03:40fans were more or less fascinated by this glimpse into the luxurious lifestyle of the uber-wealthy.
03:46Love them or hate them, there's no denying the Kardashians have a certain staying power that
03:50solidified their spot at the top of the reality TV pyramid and, well, this iceberg, barring all
03:56Illuminati connection theories of course. The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, toxic fandoms.
04:02While the Kardashians proved how social media can build a star up,
04:06the similarly lavish Real Housewives proved just how social media can tear a star down.
04:12In this online era, where fans are constantly engaging directly on celebrities' pages,
04:17toxic fandoms have become ghastly specters that haunt stars long after the cameras stop rolling.
04:22In The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4, an Instagram fan account, Reality Von Teese,
04:27spread malicious rumors and leaked insider information about the cast.
04:32In a stunning twist, the ladies discovered that the posts were coming from inside the group,
04:36and new housewife Monica Garcia was behind it all.
04:39I know you're Reality Von Teese.
04:44That's not true entirely.
04:50This led to a blowout dinner party and reunion special that gave them an opportunity to confront
04:54her, but also to speak about how hurtful internet trolls can be.
04:58It hits different when the internet comes after you and trolls come after you with
05:04nasty things because you think you're over it and then you get on a show and
05:08Instagram takes off and trolls come in. It's hard.
05:10The comments really hurt.
05:11Some fans theorize that Bravo intentionally cast Monica with expectations of the ensuing chaos,
05:16but producers deny they had any knowledge of her intentions.
05:20Either way, the turmoil showed audiences firsthand that attacking reality stars
05:24online can do serious harm. Let that be a lesson learned.
05:28There would be retaliation.
05:30What would the retaliation be?
05:33Oh, just social media hatred.
05:34Just attacks, like vicious attacks that ruin your character, your name, your business.
05:40Bachelor in Paradise, too much booze.
05:43While alcohol-induced hookups are nothing new in reality TV, Bachelor in Paradise became known for
05:48supplying copious amounts of liquor to its attractive singles, who understood that imbibing
05:53and cozying up to their co-stars was the best way to make good TV and get camera time.
05:58This sounds like a recipe for disaster.
06:00And during the show's fourth season, that's exactly what we got.
06:03Bachelor Bachelorette alums Corinne Olympios and Demario Jackson became under the influence
06:08during the season premiere and hit the sheets. But after watching the footage back,
06:12one of Corinne's producers felt she was far too intoxicated to consent.
06:16A full investigation was launched, and the fourth wall was broken as crews sent the cast home.
06:21Cut it down. Cut it.
06:24The production is coming to a halt. It's the last thing I ever would have pictured
06:29we were going to hear.
06:30Warner Bros. ultimately stated that they found no evidence of misconduct and resumed filming,
06:34but applied stricter drinking restrictions as a result.
06:38The entire fumble, which damaged the pair's reputations,
06:41lends credence to the bystander effect that has impacted countless other productions.
06:45Where crew members failed to stop a nefarious offense unfolding before them,
06:49all for the sake of ratings.
06:51I'm so hot.
06:55Oh, that feels good.
06:57Survivor – The Dan Incident
06:59A similar occurrence took place in Survivor's 39th season, Island of the Idols,
07:03which will forever be stained by the actions of castaway Dan Spillo,
07:07who was accused of unwelcome touching by multiple women on the island.
07:11His creepy behavior was called out early on, but nothing was actually done.
07:15In fact, producers saddled the most vocally uncomfortable castaway,
07:19Kelly, with the responsibility of deciding how to handle the situation.
07:23When word got around camp, Kelly was duped into thinking her fellow
07:26castaways would vote Dan out with her safety in mind,
07:29only for her torch to be snuffed instead.
07:31She was then relegated to the sidelines,
07:34where she had to watch in silence as the others discussed the legitimacy of her claims,
07:38a dark mirror to the way female accusers are often disbelieved and gaslit.
07:42Dan would at last be ejected from the game, this time for touching a crew member off-camera,
07:47in what was clearly a consequence of the showrunner's inaction.
07:51Fans were outraged, forcing CBS to rethink their
07:54strategy for ejecting players who cross boundaries sooner.
07:58CBS's Diversity Pledge
08:00At the same time that CBS was facing backlash for their terrible mishandling of Survivor 39,
08:05they were facing the biggest outcry against their questionably formulaic casting to date.
08:10For years, so many of their competition programs primarily featured young,
08:14conventionally attractive, thin, and mostly white participants.
08:17We have to diversify everything from our Disney movies to cartoons to
08:21reality shows that we watch.
08:23Well, I mean, obviously it's long overdue.
08:24The few token minorities who did make the cut were often stereotyped on screen,
08:29with some coming forward later to share that producers had asked
08:32them to act in certain ways that would fulfill their, quote,
08:35Online campaigns from former contestants and fans alike forced CBS to take action,
08:40and execs finally announced that both casts and
08:43crews would be comprised of at least 50 percent people of color going forward.
08:47Since this went into effect, the number of minority winners on these series has skyrocketed,
08:52proving that fair representation is crucial to guaranteeing the integrity of any product.
08:57COVID shutdowns
08:59The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the reality TV landscape,
09:03with some executives pausing or delaying productions, others removing live audiences,
09:08and some even having participants film themselves at home to fill cable slots.
09:12Congratulations, Sam, you did it! You got it!
09:17Incidentally, several international Big Brother seasons were airing live at the time of the
09:21outbreak, with isolated houseguests totally unaware of what was happening outside studio walls.
09:27The Big Brother Australia contestants were primed and put on a more intense lockdown,
09:31with the remainder of the season being accelerated. But for the Big Brother
09:35Canada housemates, producers made the decision to pull the plug entirely.
09:39We are forced to officially end the production of this season of Big Brother Canada.
09:44Oh my God.
09:48Their visceral reactions to the news and concern for loved ones back home will forever immortalize
09:53that initial shock we all felt when first confronted by the gravity of lockdowns,
09:57along with fears of what would happen next.
10:00It is very scary to hear that. Pretty much the world is shutting down. You do not know
10:07what's going on out there.
10:099-11 unfolds. The pandemic wasn't the first time a set of Big Brother houseguests had to learn
10:14about a major event while cut off from the world. In 2001, while under lock and key,
10:19season two castmates were informed that the 9-11 attacks had just taken place.
10:23Housemate Monica Bailey was briefed that her cousin, who worked at the Towers, could not be
10:27located, and it was later confirmed that she had been tragically killed.
10:30A similar scene occurred in the real world Chicago. The season aired in 2002,
10:35though the footage of the cast reacting to the tragedy is just as haunting.
10:39It's scary because you don't know what's coming next.
10:42They work through difficult questions about humanity, anxieties over further attacks,
10:47and the agonizing devastation everyone was feeling during that period of loss.
10:51And so, living up to its promise to capture the real world,
10:54the scene depicts a truly gut-wrenching moment that epitomizes a time in both reality TV and
11:00world history.
11:01It's just hard to keep faith when something so destructive happens, and why, and why, and why.
11:07The tearful close-up. It's one thing for producers to film reactions to global events,
11:12and entirely another to poke the camera and boom mic in the
11:15face of a castmate who just received word that a loved one died.
11:18Over the years, numerous stars spanning a variety of shows have been filmed
11:22finding out that someone back home had fallen ill or passed away.
11:25What do you mean to me? No, Phil! What happened?
11:32Despite their understandably distraught reactions to these incredibly private phone calls,
11:37the cameras continue to roll and even zoom in as they cry out for help.
11:41It's a very emotional scene, and it's a very emotional scene.
11:44Beyond invading their space during one of the worst moments of their life,
11:47these scenes proceed to air for the world to see.
11:50This proves just how low some producers will go to sensationalize human suffering.
11:55Can you guys leave for a second?
11:56Bye!
11:58But it could also be argued that this is simply the cost of signing up to have your life documented.
12:03Where should the line be drawn, though?
12:05That ethical question still hasn't entirely been answered.
12:09The real-world selling point has long been its raw,
12:12honest depictions of castmates' personal struggles.
12:14In the series' 20th season, Hollywood, Joey Kovar's storyline sees his battle
12:19with substance use and subsequent outbursts that stun fellow roommates.
12:23The season tracks a disturbing progression in his behavior
12:26and culminates in him checking into rehab.
12:28This is the goodbye letter to f***ing alcohol.
12:31I'm not going to do this again.
12:32I'm not going to do this again.
12:34I'm not going to do this again.
12:36This is the goodbye letter to f***ing alcohol.
12:38I'm saying goodbye to you because you have done nothing but trick me and backstab me.
12:43You made me lose my family, my friends, my money, job, self-esteem, and almost my life.
12:49In one of the darkest moments in the show's history,
12:51he's forced to confront the totality of his disorder,
12:54accepting that he has a problem and telling his roommates he's afraid it will take his life.
12:58Nobody believes me.
13:01But one day, you guys will all wake up and go,
13:04where's Joey?
13:06And Joey's going to be gone, man.
13:08Viewers at home rooted for him to make a recovery,
13:10and he would later appear on Celebrity Rehab.
13:13But just a few years after his TV appearances, Joey would sadly overdose.
13:18Today, this profoundly tragic arc and the scenes in which he predicts his own death
13:22serve as one of reality TV's most chilling character studies.
13:25One day, you all wake up,
13:28and you'll know I'm gone. I'm sorry.
13:31Now that we've scraped the top of the iceberg, it's time to take a plunge.
13:35Tier 2, Underwater.
13:37Just below the surface lies the murkier reality TV moments
13:41that require a bit of sleuthing to decipher.
13:43This includes editing mishaps, fan theories,
13:46and some of the wildest dirt on beloved hit shows.
13:48Jumping right into it, Jersey Shore, staged drama.
13:52During the golden years of reality television,
13:55Jersey Shore exploded onto the scene as one of the most recognizable
13:59unscripted franchises of all time.
14:01But that hasn't stopped it from dodging accusations of being, well, scripted.
14:06All of yous in this house are f***ing fake!
14:10In Season 2's Snooki vs. Angelina fight scene,
14:13fans caught onto the fact that JWoww's socks changed states multiple times,
14:17driving theories that it had been re-shot.
14:20But these continuity errors can likely be explained by the way
14:23hours of footage are condensed and stitched together, sometimes out of order.
14:27Case in point, pay attention to how the food on a star's plate
14:31changes frequently while gabbing over a meal.
14:33These allegations would catch up to the guidos again in Season 4,
14:37where a brief frame reveals a woman with a production earpiece
14:40tossing ice at the cast,
14:41who then turn and attack the bartender as if he threw it.
14:44The reboot series, Jersey Shore Family Vacation,
14:47is also largely suspected of being faked,
14:49with the veteran cast fully understanding
14:51the type of conflict needed to sustain a multi-season show.
14:55We should go outside and flip out.
14:56Can you do it?
14:59Of course, this all remains speculative.
15:02RuPaul's Drag Race Edit Manipulation
15:04A more concrete behind-the-scenes secret,
15:07multiple drag queens have come forward to bolster claims
15:09that producers on RuPaul's Drag Race heavily encouraged them
15:12to behave in ways they normally wouldn't,
15:14or that the final edit totally misrepresented the actual events of the competition.
15:19Whistleblowers include Adore Delano, Jasmine Masters,
15:22and even winner Evie Audley.
15:24While that is ultimately the product that ended up getting delivered
15:28to the fans, the process was not that.
15:33Many RuGirls have also clapped back against their unfavorable
15:36villain edits that portray them as monsters,
15:38put them in poor standing with fans,
15:40and hurt their ability to land gigs.
15:43Go back to Party City where you belong!
15:46Phoebe O'Hara was incredibly outspoken about this,
15:49stating that the edit was not at all authentic to who she is,
15:53and that she even got into spats on set
15:55by calling out producers for their shenanigans.
15:57After season four, there was a slight period of time
16:00I almost quit drag.
16:01It was just too much to handle.
16:03In retaliation, Ru would later release a song called
16:06Blame It on the Edit.
16:08She won't out-blame it on that edit
16:10You're the one who said it
16:12In his defense, the girls are competing,
16:14but they're also creating a TV show,
16:16which needs to draw viewers via heightened conflict
16:18and entertainment value.
16:19Girl, you had rolls all over the place in the back.
16:22It was disgusting.
16:26Back rolls?
16:28Get her, Jade!
16:29This sometimes means manipulating the cast,
16:31elimination order,
16:33and final product to present a dramatized retelling
16:35with a set of exaggerated characters.
16:38After all, it is show business.
16:40It's just drag.
16:42Talent shows, a secret song and dance.
16:44It's come out that performers on talent shows,
16:46like The Voice,
16:47are forced to sign strict contracts
16:49that give producers executive creative control
16:52over their image and the songs they perform.
16:54So while we think we're getting a genuine peek
16:56into an artist's repertoire,
16:58what we're really getting is a series
16:59of highly curated TV numbers.
17:02Ironically, this leaves performers feeling
17:03like they don't have a voice at all.
17:06Piling on to the artifice,
17:07musician Adam Weiner exposed The Voice talent recruiters
17:10for reaching out and asking him to participate in the show,
17:13stating he had been pre-auditioned
17:15and would jump the queue.
17:16For what's supposed to be a competition series,
17:18this hardly seems fair to the millions of hopefuls
17:21who traveled from all over
17:22and waited hours in line to impress the judges.
17:25The X Factor UK and Britain's Got Talent
17:27have faced similar allegations,
17:29and American Idol was even accused
17:31of cutting contestants who were unwilling
17:33to play the long game with greedy producers
17:35seeking to monopolize their time and talent.
17:38We're sorry, this is the end of the road for you.
17:40Pimp My Ride, making lemons.
17:43Pimp My Ride follows the outlandish renovations
17:45that Exhibit and his crew perform
17:46on lucky participants' broken down vehicles.
17:49We know you're the queen of trunk.
17:50Yes.
17:51So we decided to give you a trunk trunk.
17:57These major restorations
17:58were supposedly performed in a week,
18:00but in reality, the lengthy overhauls
18:02took upwards of six months.
18:04Most of the car's fleshy features
18:05were either totally useless
18:07or had to be legally removed after filming,
18:10so the alterations were largely for show.
18:12You know when you're at the beach
18:13and they got those high-powered binoculars?
18:16Yeah.
18:16Guess what?
18:17We hooked you up with your own set
18:19right here in your car.
18:20Check them out.
18:21To make matters worse,
18:22dozens of these former rust buckets
18:24were returned to owners
18:25with even more mechanical issues
18:26than they had before.
18:28Maintaining these pimped out rides
18:29proved so impractical
18:31that most of them were quickly sold
18:32or eventually junked,
18:34and almost none of the whips are around today.
18:36Hit the light switch right there.
18:40Oh, yeah.
18:42Extreme makeover, home edition, moving out.
18:45Pimp My Ride is to cars,
18:46as Extreme Makeover, Home Edition is to houses.
18:49The wildly extravagant home renovations
18:51performed on the series
18:52were mostly done to improve the lives
18:54of families in dire straits
18:55who had very specific needs.
18:57Our mission is not only to help her
18:59with this hospital,
19:00we're also going to make a dream happen for her
19:02that she has no idea that's going to happen.
19:04So while they eagerly chanted,
19:07to see their new dream home,
19:09some families would later find
19:10that the situation turned
19:11into a bit of a nightmare.
19:13The now inflated taxes and utility costs
19:15for many of these upgraded mega homes
19:17led to more heartbreak,
19:18as a handful had to be sold or foreclosed.
19:21Though producers claimed
19:22they provided some additional support
19:24after the episodes taped,
19:26it proved too little for families
19:27who'd been stretched so thin
19:29that they had no choice but to vacate
19:30their not-so-humble abodes.
19:36The Challenge, edited out.
19:38Over time, numerous reality contestants
19:41have had their edits minimized
19:42due to real-life scandals,
19:43like with Sherry Pie on RuPaul's Drag Race.
19:46But it's a bit unheard of for editors
19:48to retroactively remove a participant
19:50from a show completely.
19:51Eddie Williams, who appeared on Are You the One?,
19:54was set to compete on The Challenge Vendettas
19:56along with Old Flame Alicia Wright.
19:58But he was pulled early on
19:59and then completely edited out of the broadcast,
20:02with only his online bio serving
20:04as proof he was ever part of the season.
20:06According to the rumor mill,
20:07Alicia was not happy to see Eddie
20:09and told producers she had a restraining order
20:11against him due to prior altercations.
20:13The validity of these legal claims
20:15and the way it all unfolded
20:17is still very questionable,
20:18with tweets and cast gossip
20:20all seeming to contradict each other.
20:22This would play out again several seasons later
20:24when Love Island's Lauren Coogan
20:26had her brief run on The Challenge
20:27spies, lies, and allies completely erased too.
20:30She later denied the prominent theory
20:32that this was due to a series
20:33of racially insensitive comments,
20:35but because the cast was placed
20:36on a strict gag order,
20:38we'll likely never know the truth.
20:40Bad Girls Club
20:41Blurred Baddies
20:42Though Eddie and Lauren were initially
20:44billed as part of their respective casts,
20:46two replacements on Bad Girls Club
20:48never had their identities revealed at all.
20:50When two new sisters entered
20:52the mansion in Season 15,
20:53the rest of the girls immediately attacked them,
20:56sending them out the door
20:57just as fast as they came.
20:58On the show, it was explained
21:00that this was a hazing incident gone wrong.
21:02So our original plan was to throw a flower
21:04at the new girls,
21:05but that plan quickly backfired.
21:08This was a prank that went terribly wrong.
21:10But in reality,
21:11the castmates had received intel
21:12that the sisters were an infamous duo
21:14who'd been dating the same man,
21:15and lashed out in disgust.
21:17These nasty bitches are not coming in our house!
21:20Ew, they look ugly.
21:22While this scene made it to air,
21:23editors chose to blur the sisters' faces
21:25and they were never mentioned again
21:27or even named,
21:28leading to them being known
21:29as the Ghost Twins.
21:31It turns out this bizarre editing treatment
21:33was in response to a lawsuit
21:34filed by the sisters
21:35against several cast members
21:37and production company Buena Murray,
21:39demanding accountability for a slew of charges,
21:41including their brief hospitalization.
21:44The show would only last for two more seasons,
21:46with many hypothesizing
21:47that the legal troubles
21:48were the knockout punch
21:49for the controversial club.
21:51I can't go out like a bully.
21:54Bridezilla's Wedding Woes
21:56What's worse than being hidden
21:58from a show you've opted to participate in?
22:00Surely it must be getting tricked
22:01into participating in the first place.
22:03And that's actually happened.
22:05When Bridezilla's was filming
22:06its early episodes,
22:07several featured couples
22:09didn't realize they would star
22:10in the series at all.
22:11In fact, they had been approached
22:13and asked to shoot
22:13a more nuanced reality show
22:15titled Manhattan Brides
22:17that would capture the stressful event planning
22:19of extravagant weddings.
22:20It was a show that they were describing
22:22as successful New York women
22:23who, as well as preparing for their wedding,
22:26are also running businesses or careers.
22:28Others were told an entirely different name,
22:30Metro Brides.
22:31Instead, they ultimately got
22:33a repackaged program
22:34called Bridezilla's,
22:35and what aired was a chaotic TV circus
22:37that painted the brides to be
22:39as misbehaving, entitled basket cases.
22:46Of course, this didn't go over well
22:48and led to a number of,
22:49you guessed it, lawsuits.
22:51I got sweatpants and a t-shirt in my car
22:53and I will beat everybody up, Daddy.
22:55I'm not even joking.
22:56Hell's Kitchen
22:57Truly Hell on Earth
22:59Contestants on Hell's Kitchen
23:00are often portrayed as frantic,
23:02exhausted, and in constant fear
23:04of being on the receiving end
23:05of Chef Gordon Ramsay's iconic quips.
23:08Salmon roast on a plank of cedar.
23:10I think you're a plank.
23:11Plank means an idiot,
23:14so be a good plank and get back in line.
23:16While one may assume
23:17that this is all played up for cameras
23:18and Gordon is really a sweet guy,
23:20there's actually some truth to the hell moniker.
23:23Right here, Chef.
23:24Thank you very much.
23:25Not a problem, Chef.
23:26F*** off you, you fat, useless sack of f***
23:28Yankees, Yankees, dude and shite.
23:31It was reported that contestants
23:32have been forced to sleep
23:33in military barrack-style rooms
23:35and often work 19-hour days,
23:37sometimes getting between zero
23:39and five hours of sleep.
23:40It's been rumored that this sleep deprivation
23:42is intentional,
23:43as producers want the contestants
23:45to be as stir-crazy as possible
23:46to heighten the drama.
23:48None of you are working as a team!
23:51Where's the lamb sauce?
23:53Apparently, if you want reality TV content
23:56that feels real,
23:57then sometimes extreme measures
23:58have to be taken to make it real.
24:01The Hills, an elaborate illusion.
24:03For all the reality shows
24:04that have had their credibility examined,
24:06The Hills has spent some of the most time
24:08under the microscope.
24:09I want to spend the rest of my life with you.
24:12With you?
24:13If you do.
24:14This stylish series follows
24:15a group of young LA friends
24:17and dodges stereotypical reality TV
24:19production choices by avoiding
24:20things like confessionals.
24:22It's shot to look far more cinematic
24:24and has a fairly blatant feeling
24:25of being staged.
24:26They just asked if I could go
24:27be there in 20 minutes.
24:30What?
24:32Are you ready?
24:33Dude, I'll be ready in just 10 minutes.
24:35Had producers sold out
24:36and hired a set of actors?
24:37Was this a drama made to look
24:39like a reality show?
24:40These are questions the public
24:42never fully settled on.
24:43While many unscripted productions
24:45do require extensive staging,
24:47like micing up,
24:48sound checks,
24:48and getting consent forms
24:49from background figures,
24:51The Hills still comes off
24:52like a Hollywood movie.
24:54I'm gonna miss you.
24:55I'm gonna miss you too.
24:57And several former crew members
24:59have confessed that many moments
25:00were reshot or meticulously set up.
25:03Fanning the flames,
25:04the show ends with a visual
25:05of a cast member smirking to the camera
25:07as a crane swoops back to reveal
25:09he's standing on a studio lot.
25:11It's a tongue-in-cheek nod
25:12to the rumors surrounding the series,
25:13but it doesn't quite confirm anything.
25:16Even today,
25:16when showrunners were interrogated
25:18about The Hills' authenticity,
25:20they couldn't seem to agree
25:21or land on a definitive answer.
25:23So what's real?
25:24What's fake?
25:24Those lines will likely
25:26forever remain blurred.
25:28Sinking even deeper,
25:29it's time to shine light on
25:31Tier 3,
25:32The Depths.
25:34Fair warning,
25:35these entries cover
25:36far more shocking show concepts
25:37and disturbing behind-the-scenes developments,
25:40so explore with caution.
25:42Let's relive the Japanese Truman Show.
25:44In 1998,
25:45a weekly reality show,
25:47so diabolical that it practically seemed illegal,
25:50hit the airwaves in Japan.
25:55Sosu no Denpa Shounen,
25:57a program known for its endurance challenges,
25:59began airing a segment titled
26:01A Life in Prizes,
26:02in which a man named Nasubi
26:03was left in a tiny apartment
26:05with no food,
26:06no clothes,
26:06and no outside communication.
26:08Normally,
26:09my thoughts are how to survive this ordeal,
26:12and I don't have enough nutrition
26:14going to my brain
26:15to think of anything else.
26:17But recently,
26:18my thoughts keep wandering
26:20to the outside world.
26:21A single camera recorded him 24-7
26:24as he sifted through magazines,
26:25entering mail and sweepstakes
26:27to earn the prizes he'd live off of.
26:29A total of 963 applications,
26:32and he has won...
26:34nothing!
26:37He was forced to consume raw rice,
26:39dog food,
26:40and sugary drinks to survive
26:41as he attempted to earn 1 million yen,
26:43the condition for which he'd complete the challenge
26:46and leave the room.
26:47It seems far-fetched to imagine
26:48this kind of isolation torture
26:50would be allowed to go on,
26:51but the door was unlocked the entire time,
26:54and Nasubi had actually agreed to continue.
26:56However,
26:57he'd been rather misled.
26:58A producer told Nasubi
27:00that most of this footage would never air,
27:01but upwards of 17 million viewers
27:04had already been tuning in
27:05to watch his descent into madness.
27:14Though he initially stayed
27:15with hopes of launching his career
27:16as a television comedian,
27:18he eventually became so disoriented
27:20that escape didn't feel like an option.
27:22He recalls seeing death as a better fate.
27:24And when he finally left confinement
27:26after one year and three months,
27:28he'd forgotten how to socialize.
27:41In the finale of this cruel game,
27:43the shell-shocked Nasubi
27:44was jarringly thrust
27:45in front of a live studio audience,
27:47exemplifying how mindless entertainment
27:49had become more essential
27:50to producers and viewers
27:51than Nasubi's well-being.
27:54It was a horrifying early experiment
27:57that, in many ways,
27:58predicted the desensitization
28:00of reality television as a whole.
28:10The Simple Life, a tragic act.
28:12The Simple Life launched Y2K princess
28:14Paris Hilton into the limelight,
28:16where she and co-star Nicole Richie
28:18were portrayed as rich, dumb blondes
28:20attempting to make it in the real world.
28:24Hi, what's up?
28:25Welcome to PsyX.
28:30Okay.
28:33You're hot.
28:34For years, the duo was mocked
28:35and ridiculed by the press,
28:37with Paris taking a lot of the heat
28:39for her girlish vocal fry
28:40and spoiled vapidity.
28:41It's raining everywhere.
28:43You guys should move to LA.
28:44It's really, like, better weather.
28:46And that is Earth.
28:49Bye, gorgeous.
28:50Here's traffic.
28:52But this collective angst
28:53for the heiress would finally dissipate
28:55when she came forward
28:56to drop some harrowing truths
28:58about her backstory
28:58that no one had anticipated.
29:00The media has really controlled
29:01my narrative for over two decades,
29:03and now it was time to tell the truth.
29:05In her memoir and TV specials,
29:07Paris reveals that the bimbo character
29:09was entirely an act,
29:10created as a self-defense mechanism
29:12while suffering reprehensible abuse
29:14at a boarding school.
29:15Throwing us against walls,
29:18strangling, hitting.
29:20The routine brought her so much fame
29:22that she kept it up for years
29:24until it became unsustainable.
29:25No longer wanting to be known
29:27as a ditzy socialite,
29:28she shattered the illusion
29:29that so many long held against her,
29:31proving that judging a book by its cover
29:33could make fools out of all of us.
29:35For a long time,
29:36people have misunderstood
29:37and underestimated me,
29:38but I can understand
29:40playing that character.
29:41Of course, they were going to assume otherwise,
29:44but I'm not a dumb blonde.
29:45I'm just very good at pretending to be one.
29:47Tila Tequila's grim turn.
29:49Tila Tequila,
29:50a model who amassed fame on Myspace,
29:52landed several reality TV gigs
29:54throughout her career.
29:55Her most infamous was
29:57a shot at love with Tila Tequila,
29:59a dating show that played on a bisexual gimmick
30:01with male and female contestants
30:03competing for her affection.
30:04She never shied away from controversy,
30:06often getting in trouble
30:07due to her drinking and partying.
30:09However, an onset of mental health issues
30:11would become public knowledge
30:12as her online rants became increasingly bizarre.
30:15Oh yeah, by the way,
30:17we are actually inside of a huge spaceship.
30:20She was kicked off of the UK celebrity Big Brother
30:22when it was discovered that
30:23she had penned a blog sympathizing with Hitler.
30:26From there,
30:27she went on to viciously attack
30:28other celebrities on Twitter,
30:30post her neo-Nazi beliefs,
30:31and claim that she was the female Jesus,
30:34leading old fans to deem her quote,
30:35insane.
30:36Though vitriol against Tila
30:38and headlines such as quote,
30:39Tila Tequila's mental breakdown
30:40have generated plenty of exploitative media fodder.
30:43One can only hope she's on a path to better health.
30:46There's something about Miriam,
30:48a television low.
30:49In the early 2000s,
30:51there was a trend of strange reality shows
30:53where singles were tricked into dating someone
30:55that wasn't entirely who they said they were.
30:57I Wanna Marry Harry conned a group of women
30:59into vying for the love of a man
31:01they thought was Prince Harry.
31:03There are a lot of pretty girls there.
31:06You could say way out of my league,
31:08but for who I'm pretending to be,
31:10it's perfect.
31:11But nothing was more disturbing
31:13than There's Something About Miriam,
31:14where a group of straight men
31:16unknowingly competed on a dating show
31:17starring a transgender woman.
31:19The lads who Miriam chose
31:21know that there are surprises ahead,
31:23but there's one big surprise
31:25they could never guess.
31:26There is a secret that the guys don't know.
31:30I'm not a real woman.
31:32The finale's big reveal
31:33highlighted the surprising revelation
31:35that she hadn't received
31:36all of her gender-affirming surgeries.
31:38With Miriam in such close proximity,
31:40there is always a danger
31:41that Aaron will feel her secret
31:43pressing against him.
31:44And the joke was that they'd been tricked.
31:46I love men, and I love being a woman.
31:51But I'm not a woman.
31:56I was born as a man.
31:59Not only did the show
32:00highly endanger the transgender community
32:02by portraying Miriam as duplicitous,
32:04but it sparked a lawsuit by the participants
32:06who were disgusted by the premise of the show.
32:09I was honest when I was in that house.
32:10Everybody was honest.
32:11And he wasn't.
32:15He was lying to everybody,
32:16and he doesn't have that right.
32:19It was a utter shitshow.
32:21It's safe to say something like this
32:22would likely never be greenlit today
32:24and could only exist in the era
32:26it was originally conceived.
32:28If you'd like to take a look
32:29through these binoculars,
32:31you will see Miriam.
32:33Yeah, but if you look a bit more closely...
32:3819 Kids and Counting,
32:39Josh Duggar's Crimes.
32:41One of TLC's most successful series,
32:4419 Kids and Counting,
32:45was canceled in 2015
32:47when it came out that the cult-like family's
32:48eldest son, Josh,
32:50had been accused of inappropriate behavior
32:52towards his own siblings.
32:53We were devastated,
32:55and we said,
32:57we've got to send him out of the home.
33:00He has got to go.
33:02Though he was a minor at the time,
33:03in 2021,
33:04he would be arrested as an adult
33:06for distributing illegal material on the internet.
33:08The ensuing trial led to the cancellation
33:10of the Duggar spinoff series, Counting On.
33:13This unsettling case
33:14put a permanent cloud over the shows,
33:16proving that even years
33:17of a camera crew's documentation
33:19can never fully let us in
33:20on all of one's darkest secrets.
33:23At the very base of the iceberg lies
33:26Tier 4,
33:26The Ocean Floor.
33:28Some sinister reality TV figures and series
33:31have been almost completely hidden from the public.
33:33These are the most somber moments
33:35that networks try to bury
33:36and make us all forget.
33:38Before we continue,
33:39be sure to subscribe to our channel
33:41and ring the bell
33:42to get notified about our latest videos.
33:45You have the option to be notified
33:47for occasional videos or all of them.
33:49If you're on your phone,
33:50make sure you go into your settings
33:52and switch on notifications.
33:54Let's unearth
33:55International Survivor Castaway Deaths.
33:58Although Survivor maroons its castaways
34:00on remote islands,
34:01forcing them to compete for necessities
34:03like food and shelter,
34:04it's practically a given
34:05that with all the on-set doctors
34:06and crew members,
34:07they wouldn't literally have to fight to survive.
34:10But in international adaptations of Survivor,
34:12three castaways have actually lost their lives
34:15under tragic circumstances.
34:16In 2009,
34:17a contestant on the Pakistani series
34:19drowned during a physical challenge.
34:21And earlier that year,
34:22the Bulgarian version lost a castaway
34:24to a fatal heart attack.
34:25Though two players subsequently
34:27quit the show in horror,
34:28the game actually continued
34:30with a winner eventually being crowned.
34:32Then in 2013,
34:33the French Survivor titled Colanta
34:35was subject of a criminal investigation
34:37after one castaway collapsed
34:39in a day one challenge
34:40and died of heart failure,
34:42resulting in the cancellation of the season.
34:44It was determined that this was caused
34:46by a pre-existing condition
34:47that should have been detected
34:48amongst the extensive medical tests
34:50conducted during casting.
34:51In an even more harrowing turn,
34:53the show's longtime staff physician
34:55would take his own life
34:56in response to the public damage
34:57to his reputation.
34:59The US version has had its share
35:00of close calls too,
35:01with numerous scary medical evacuations
35:04making it to air.
35:05So the biggest takeaway from all this
35:06needless loss is that
35:08no reality competition series
35:09is worth pushing its subjects
35:10to the brink of death,
35:12and extensive safety protocols
35:13are absolutely paramount.
35:15The Challenge
35:16Toothbrush Incident
35:18On The Challenge, The Ruins,
35:20contestant Tanya Cooley
35:21was subjected to a lot of cruel abuse
35:23by her castmates.
35:24Even worse,
35:25years after filming the season,
35:26it leaked out that she'd accused
35:28veteran competitors Kenny Santucci
35:30and Evan Starkman of assaulting her
35:32while she was asleep.
35:33Per her account,
35:34producers had just loaded them up
35:36with unlimited booze
35:37in hopes it would spark drama,
35:38but instead an incident unfolded
35:40that would haunt the network
35:41to this day.
35:42You can make fun of me.
35:43Yeah, I get drunk and I fight
35:45and I get stupid,
35:46but there is a line with me
35:48and you crossed it.
35:50According to the suit,
35:51Tanya insists that the assault
35:52occurred in plain sight of cameras
35:54and nobody intervened.
35:55But producers assert
35:56that upon viewing the footage,
35:57her claims were unfounded.
35:59Stunningly,
36:00the waiver Tanya signed
36:01also stated that the physical competition show
36:03would involve non-consensual contact,
36:05and the producers were effectively
36:07not responsible for unwanted touching.
36:10After the incident,
36:11Tanya would distance herself
36:12from the network,
36:13but the men involved
36:14were still contacted
36:14to appear in MTV shows
36:16and even given leadership roles.
36:18That is, until the controversy surfaced
36:20and they were more or less blacklisted.
36:22Karma's a bitch.
36:23Fans were stunned to lose
36:24three of the show's staple competitors
36:26in such a hush-hush scandal
36:28that was in many ways
36:28swept under the rug.
36:30Evan, Kenny, and Johnny
36:32have been nothing but insulting
36:34and mean to Tanya.
36:36As soon as Tanya leaves,
36:37they want to be the good person
36:39and say,
36:40hey, she has all these problems
36:42and we should be nice to her.
36:44Interestingly,
36:44the episode in question
36:45was never uploaded
36:46to the Paramount Plus streaming service
36:48that hosts the challenge,
36:49and the truth about the entire ordeal
36:51remains something of a mystery.
36:53I'm not saying everyone needs to
36:54feel a certain way about this situation,
36:56but it's like,
36:56we've all had our fun with Tanya.
37:00Extreme makeover,
37:01a dangerous game.
37:03Before the Home Edition,
37:04there was just Extreme Makeover,
37:06which set out to completely reconstruct
37:08the physical appearances
37:09of its supposedly ugly ducklings.
37:11I can already think of 20 things
37:14to do for you.
37:15Dr. Zareff and I
37:16are going to work together
37:17so that you get the very best result.
37:18Okay.
37:20It was marked with controversy
37:21from the start,
37:22promoting plastic surgery,
37:24weight loss,
37:24and intense beauty regimens
37:26as a set of necessary transformations
37:28that would provide
37:29some form of romantic prospect
37:30to a previously quote-unquote
37:32unlovable person's life.
37:34Before that,
37:35everybody would look at her
37:36and think that she was
37:37some kind of freak,
37:38and now she's beautiful.
37:40It's amazing.
37:41But one episode of Extreme Makeover
37:42that never aired
37:43has an even bleaker backstory.
37:45A woman who was set to appear on the show
37:47had already done a lot of filming,
37:49but her episode was canceled
37:50due to the fact that her jaw surgery
37:52wouldn't heal in time
37:53to complete taping.
37:54In one scene,
37:55the subject's sister
37:56was goaded by producers
37:57into making deplorable comments
37:58about her sibling's appearance,
38:00which turned out to be all for nothing.
38:02The fallout from this entire nightmare
38:04left the family distraught,
38:05with the sister so overcome with guilt
38:07that she took her own life.
38:08In this case,
38:09production meddling for a juicy soundbite
38:11rippled into an unthinkable tragedy,
38:13proving that the ugly duckling
38:15was not its subject,
38:16but the show itself.
38:18A Date and a Murder
38:20Ryan Jenkins,
38:21who appeared as a wealthy Bachelor contestant
38:23on the dating show
38:24Megan Wants a Millionaire,
38:25would shockingly murder his wife,
38:27Jasmine Fiore,
38:27while the show was airing.
38:29Police have found some key evidence
38:30in the case of murdered model Jasmine Fiore,
38:33believed killed by her reality TV star ex-husband.
38:36VH1 pulled the rest of the episodes
38:38out of respect for the victim,
38:39and totally scrubbed the show
38:41from their archives.
38:42Incidentally,
38:43I Love Money had just finished
38:44filming its third season
38:46with a cast of stars
38:47assembled from a variety of reality shows.
38:49Amongst them was none other than Ryan Jenkins,
38:52and VH1 was forced to scrap
38:53that completed game show too
38:55due to his involvement.
38:56In fact,
38:57he'd won it.
38:58Though the season is now considered
39:00lost media,
39:01a producer recalls Jenkins' obsessive
39:03and controlling phone conversations
39:04with his then-wife
39:05that were recorded on the set of I Love Money.
39:08In fact,
39:08these phone calls were set to become
39:10a major storyline,
39:11depicting Jenkins as overly jealous,
39:13and his marriage totally on the rocks.
39:15Did you ever see any arguing,
39:17any fighting between the two?
39:18I've seen it, yeah,
39:19in person.
39:20After the murder,
39:21Jenkins went on the run,
39:22and news outlets uncovered
39:24his prior arrest records,
39:25which had apparently gotten past producers.
39:28He'd previously been arrested
39:29for assaulting a girlfriend,
39:30an early indicator of his disturbing behavior
39:33that should have most definitely
39:34disqualified him from participating
39:36in a dating show.
39:37Although former cast members
39:39remember Jenkins as mostly charismatic
39:41and charming on sets,
39:42Ryan was always, you know,
39:43a complete gentleman.
39:44Ryan was, I thought,
39:45one of the nice guys.
39:46there's no denying that Megan
39:47was inadvertently placed
39:48in a dangerous position
39:50by having such an insecure,
39:51violent person compete for her love.
39:54Well, I can't legally work here
39:55unless I'm married.
39:57Oh, so you're using me for a green card.
40:01I tell you this,
40:02if we get married,
40:04I won't get you to sign a prenup.
40:07And in a series of interviews,
40:09she later revealed that she actually
40:10intended to pick him as the winner
40:12until producers dissuaded her,
40:14suggesting she choose a different bachelor
40:16they believed the fans would like more.
40:17So Megan calls me up,
40:19I give her a big wet kiss,
40:21just to rub it in everyone's faces.
40:23This all brings to light
40:24the imperative nature of background checks
40:26and psychological exams
40:27during the reality casting process.
40:29Though producers often aim
40:31for over-the-top,
40:32drama-prone personalities,
40:33there needs to be
40:34a greater level of caution exercised
40:36in order to ensure everyone's safety.
40:38It goes without saying,
40:39Megan really lucked out
40:40by not settling down with a killer.
40:42Putting an end to the saga,
40:44Jenkins took his own life
40:45in response to the formal murder charges.
40:48These shelved shows will likely
40:49never fully see the light of day,
40:51with only a few episodes
40:52of Megan Wants a Millionaire
40:54floating around.
40:55I'm a little bit of a prince charming,
40:56a little bit of a bad boy.
40:59Yummy.
41:00To Catch a Predator,
41:01Deadly Turn.
41:03Though the tragic loss of life
41:04at the hands of Ryan Jenkins
41:05took place after filming,
41:07one show had no issue
41:08airing a televised death
41:09that occurred during production.
41:11To Catch a Predator,
41:12which followed police sting operations,
41:14was long accused of entrapment
41:16and received mixed opinions
41:18for quote, creating crimes
41:19instead of stopping crimes.
41:21Although he was invited by the decoy,
41:23the DA never showed up
41:25at our undercover house.
41:26But Chief Myrick says,
41:28in the eyes of the law,
41:29it doesn't make a difference.
41:31In one episode,
41:32cameras roll as police close in
41:34on the home of a suspected perp,
41:35though he never comes to the door.
41:37In fact, he takes his own life inside
41:39while the crew continues
41:40to document every moment.
41:42Then, we hear a faint crack.
41:46The officers force their way in.
41:48This would be the final nail
41:49in the coffin for the
41:50pseudo-investigative reality series,
41:52which was cancelled soon after.
41:54Though many viewers expressed
41:55no heartbreak for the accused criminal,
41:57the event played out like
41:58a sadistic public execution,
42:00where a life came to an abrupt end
42:02for all to see on their television sets.
42:04My family and I have experienced
42:06a great deal of hurt and sadness
42:08over this situation,
42:09and I intend to fight as hard
42:10and as long as I can
42:12to prevent other people
42:12from becoming victims
42:14of such reckless actions
42:15as those taken by your employees
42:17acting as judge, jury, and executioner.
42:20Though this fatal episode serves
42:21as one of the most morbid moments
42:23in reality TV history,
42:24it also symbolizes an unwavering tenet
42:27of the exploitative industry
42:28and its sometimes complacent audiences.
42:30That being a willingness to capture
42:32and witness heinous, unsettling,
42:34and iniquitous human tragedies
42:36splattered across our screens,
42:38all in the name of entertainment.
42:41So how do you feel
42:42about the reality TV iceberg?
42:44Comment below to share your thoughts
42:45about the controversial machine
42:47and unseemly moments
42:48we didn't get to mention.
42:49Check out this other recent clip
42:51from Ms. Mojo,
42:52and be sure to subscribe
42:54and ring the bell to be notified
42:55about our latest videos.