Us Weekly Reveals Their Reality Star of the Year

Transcript

00:00I'm Dan Wakeford, the Editor-in-Chief of Us Weekly, and this week at Us Weekly, we're

00:06celebrating reality TV with our annual Reality Stars of the Year issue.

00:12At Us Weekly, we love reality TV. Some might consider the genre a guilty pleasure, but

00:19we're proudly ready to celebrate the surprisingly relatable people and the conversations these

00:25Each day, these stars invite us into their lives, sharing the highs, the lows, the tears

00:32and the laughter, and all the unforgettable moments that have made reality TV a genuine

00:38cultural phenomenon.

00:39Whether it's a competition, a docu-series or a dating show, we can't get enough of

00:44their stories. And through them, we explore our own lives, our relationships, friendships

00:50and what it really means to walk a mile in someone else's shoes.

00:53Or in the case of the Housewives, they're Louboutins.

00:56Okay, so ultimately we know that being able to name every single Kardashian and Jenner

01:02dynasty, and probably even including their pets, isn't going to be a ticket to winning

01:07a Pulitzer Prize. Still, we believe it's time to stop feeling guilty about our love

01:12for reality TV.

01:13Instead, let's salute stars like Ariana Maddox, who used her platform to raise awareness around

01:19mental health issues, and golden bachelorette Joan, whose journey to find love at 61 has

01:25struck a chord with viewers of all ages. It highlights themes of grief, hope and resilience,

01:30while also raising awareness for pancreatic cancer by talking about her husband's death.

01:35The cast of Selling Sunset and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives have made an impact

01:39too, encouraging discussions about authenticity and loyalty.

01:44Authenticity is something our reality star of the year, Carl Richards, knows a lot about.

01:48She's shared her life on TV for 14 years, letting cameras capture the good times and

01:54the bad. We've watched her kids grow up, seen her tackle complex and often tense relationships

01:59with her sisters, and in the last year, navigate the end of her 27-year marriage.

02:04Through it all, Carl kept her integrity and honesty, remaining true to herself. She's

02:09a master at the game of reality TV and inherently knows how to create drama, while still somehow

02:15keeping it classy and entertaining.

02:17While reality star stories can teach us valuable lessons, sometimes it's really just about

02:22the sheer joy of lying in bed, turning off the world and watching these wonderful, wacky

02:27characters and their unpredictable moments unfold. It's a reminder of the beauty in

02:32life's spontaneity and the laughter that can come from shared experiences.

02:37These engaging narratives allow us to escape from our own reality for a while, revelling

02:42in the quirks and charm of human relationships in all their messy glory. And then there's

02:47their outfits.

02:48So, to those who say reality stars have no talent, we say, try being that compelling,

02:54charismatic and engaging on TV by just being yourself. It's actually quite hard to do.

03:00I'm trying right now and it's much harder than it looks.