Considering reality TV is something that barely existed just twenty years ago, the format completely dominates today’s television landscape. We know that things can sometimes get pretty weird with the stars of these shows, so it’s fascinating to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how things really go down.
Will these secrets change the way you watch reality TV? Probably not. But everybody likes a secret.
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Warning : some of the stories here are very dark, including suicide.
Appearing on a show might cost you your life.
Gerald Babin, a contestant on Survivor: Koh Lanta , died of a heart attack after taking part in a tug-of-war challenge. To compound the tragedy, his physician died by suicide just weeks later, saying in a note that he couldn’t handle the media blaming him for Babin’s death.
The bullying can be too much.
Paula Goodspeed, an American Idol contestant who wore braces, was mercilessly bullied by host Simon Cowell on the show. Cowell said things like, “I don’t think any artist on Earth can sing with that much metal in your mouth.” A couple of years later, Goodspeed died by suicide .
Contestants aren’t always properly vetted.
Megan Wants a Millionaire was a reality show that was cancelled after just three episodes. This is because contestant Ryan Jenkins was implicated in the murder of his ex-wife . Shortly after the murder, Jenkins died by suicide.
Sometimes a map makes all the difference.
The main challenge of Dangerous Waters entailed circumnavigating the world on jet skis. One crew got more than they bargained for when they inadvertently strayed into Russian waters . They were detained by Russian authorities for four days before they were released.
Stunts are often poorly conceived.
Three men involved with a Discovery Channel military-themed reality show died in a helicopter crash . The crash happened at night, and the pilot’s visibility was further impaired by the bright TV lights filming him. The incident led to renewed calls for safety on reality TV sets.
There isn’t much support for mental health.
Chef Seth Caro suffered an anxiety attack during production of Top Chef: Just Desserts , which wasn’t shown on camera. After being involuntarily committed to a mental hospital , he says he’s now unable to find work in the industry.
Some of the ideas are terrible all along.
The reality series Armed and Famous was all about training d-list celebrities to serve as police officers. This inevitably went wrong when they raided the wrong address, which resulted in a $1 million lawsuit being filed against the show.
The stunts can get out of hand.
A “test of strength” challenge on a Uruguayan reality show entailed having contestants move a locomotive along train tracks. They lost control of the train and it raced down the tracks, hitting twenty contestants. Seven of them died as a result of their injuries.
They don’t always help fast enough.
Saad Khan, a contestant on a Pakistani reality show, was trying to complete a challenge that entailed swimming across a lake with a heavy backpack. He started struggling in the water, but wasn’t saved in time and drowned .
Makeovers don’t always go right.
Lorrie Arias, a woman who participated on The Swan and got a plastic surgery makeover, is now deeply depressed. Years after the surgery, she now only leaves her house to see her therapist every couple of months. The show offered no therapy.
Don’t ask a reality show to mess with your home. Just don’t.
Rochelle Kirk and Scott Waters signed up to appear on Catch a Contractor , a show about finding mistakes made by a contractor. Months later, they were suffering adverse health effects — all because the show’s producers had spilled raw sewage into their home.
The reality route can lead straight to prison.
David Nickell, a contestant on True Life: Addicted to Pills , was shown on camera buying and selling drugs. He was promptly arrested and sentenced to prison . Nickell later sued MTV, saying that the show’s producers had told him to do what he’d done, promising him there’d be no repercussions.
Sometimes, reality TV is the final straw.
After being kicked off a Survivor -type show called Pirate Master in 2007, contestant Cheryl Kosewicz killed herself . She said on MySpace that the show had come between her and her boyfriend, who’d also died by suicide a few months earlier.
Appearing on a show can lead to merciless bullying.
Tyra Sanchez, who appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race , attempted suicide after ceaseless online bullying became too much for her to handle. She says she felt fed up after being subjected to two years of non-stop bullying.
Secrets aren’t secrets.
Reality TV is all about coaxing out people’s most personal details. This happened on Survivor: Game Changers when Zeke Smith, who is transgender, was outed by a tribemate during Tribal Council. Needless to say, it was a deeply traumatic experience.
Mental health is not a priority.
A contestant on Britain’s Got Talent , Alyn James, was selected for the competition even though he was known to have suicidal ideation. James was mocked on the show and was placed under suicide watch as a result.
Again: mental health is not a priority.
Deleese Williams was all set to appear on Extreme Makeover to get plastic surgery. Her family was coerced into making fun of her appearance on camera. Later, her sister felt so guilty about what she’d done that she died by suicide .
Even the camera crews aren’t safe.
During production of an episode of Cops back in 2014, police opened fire after mistaking a fake gun for a real one. Both the suspect and a camera operator were killed in the gunfire .
Dream homes are more like nightmare homes.
The Okvath family was gifted with a huge makeover to turn their home into a mansion on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition . However, the bigger space required higher bills and taxes and the family was forced to sell the home at a loss .
The consequences can be deadly.
“Dragon Man” Mel Bernstein is known as a gun and weapons expert. While filming a promotional shoot for an upcoming show called Dragon Land , Bernstein’s wife and business manager Terry Flanell was killed after being struck by smoke bombs . A lawsuit against Discovery Channel was later dropped.
