The term “reality television” has a negative connotation. Sure, they’re real people doing what we see, but the vast majority of what we see on television is scripted! While they are usually entertaining to watch, the fact that they deceive you by claiming that everything on the show is “real” and “authentic” does not change the fact that they deceive you. With that in mind, let’s take a look behind the scenes of these so-called “reality shows” to see what goes on!
South Beach Tow
We can’t deny that the antics of the show are amusing. Bernice has performed amazing feats, such as removing car doors by the hinges with her hands and miraculously surviving a massive fall, as well as apprehending a violator. Despite the fact that it is clearly a hoax, it is still a lot of fun!
South Beach Tow
Duck Dynasty
The Robertson family, who live in Louisiana, became famous for their duck-hunting business. Almost everyone in the cast is related to one another by blood or marriage. On the other hand, the producers appear to enjoy adding ‘dramatic’ elements to spice things up. Furthermore, even when no one is swearing, the production team is said to enjoy adding “bleeps.”
Duck Dynasty
Undercover Boss
Do you believe that giving workers the credit they deserve is a good idea? For this show, executives from various companies infiltrate their employees’ workplaces to see how well they perform while on the clock. This, of course, gives them some insight into how to run the company. This ostensible reality show is actually a staged event. More importantly, they do not follow through on promises made to various employees. Yikes.
Undercover Boss
Hardcore Pawn
Hardcore Pawn is a documentary about the Gold family and the pawnshop they own and operate in Detroit’s rough 8 Mile neighborhood. Can you believe how many strange people pass through their shop every day? Isn’t it true that many of the arguments presented on the show are implausible? This is, in fact, the case. The “fights,” according to many of the people who appeared on the show, were staged. In each episode, what are the chances that Ashley, Les, and Seth will get into a fight with a customer?
Hardcore Pawn
Project Runway
It’s not true that just because a show is popular doesn’t mean it’s “fake.” Many contestants, including Daniel Esquivel and Jack Mackenroth, have expressed dissatisfaction with the judging portion of the competition. Esquivel has spoken out about the producers of the show, allegedly tailoring it to extreme sensationalize the contestants.
Project Runway
Cake Boss
This show was a huge hit right away. The team led by business owner Buddy Valastro created beautiful and intricate cake designs for us to admire. However, things aren’t quite as dramatic as they appear in reality. Valastro, for starters, only visits the shop when they’re filming something. Some of the events, such as weddings, are also staged.
Cake Boss
Ghost Hunters
This show has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. Since its inception, it has spawned a slew of spin-off shows. Many people, on the other hand, believe it was staged. Former case manager Donna Lacroix gave an interview in which she basically confirmed what everyone had suspected.
Ghost Hunters
The Jerry Springer Show
This doesn’t come as a huge surprise to us. This is without a doubt one of the strangest television shows ever made. The guests and storylines aren’t entirely accurate if you haven’t already figured it out. This includes the crew who encourages the audience to applaud.
The Jerry Springer Show
Fixer Upper
The homeowners, like other house shows, had to purchase the property before filming could begin. This implies that they aren’t really debating the three houses shown at the start of the episode. Because none of Joanna Gaines’ carefully arranged décor or furniture is included in the budget, the owners will only keep it if they are willing to pay for it. Not every room in the house has been remodeled, either. Meanwhile, there are rumors that Chip only works on the house when the cameras are on.
Fixer Upper
Keeping Up With The Kardashians
I’m sure we’ve all heard of this program. It premiered in 2007 and followed the lives of the Kardashian-Jenner family. It featured a large cast and recounted many of their life events. Given this, it’s unsurprising that they had to reshoot and edit some shots to keep the viewing experience and timeline consistent. At least two scenes involving Kris Humphries were scripted or reshot, according to court documents from Kim Kardashian’s divorce from Kris Humphries. The famous family also employs the editing process extensively.
Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Storage Wars
Former star David Hester stunned the world when he revealed that the show is scripted after he was fired. He claims that the items discovered in the storage lockers were staged. Furthermore, many of the auctions are fraudulent. He claims that even the cast interviews are scripted!
Storage Wars
Jersey Shore
The first episode of this TV show aired in 2009. Even if the actors are true friends, the show is not required to portray their lives accurately. According to a number of locals and extras, much of what happened on the show was pre-planned. The walkabouts were being practiced, according to an attorney who lives across the street from them. Aside from that, it’s been reported that they frequently reshoot scenes from various perspectives. The dialogue and facial expressions are flawless, to be sure.
Jersey Shore
Say Yes To The Dress
This well-known bridal reality show follows brides-to-be as they shop for the perfect wedding gown at Kleinfeld in New York. The truth is that for added drama, the producers screen the people who show up for the bride-to-appointment, and the outspoken people are asked to stress or repeat a comment. Furthermore, the boutique is much smaller on the inside than it appears on the outside. Many visitors are taken aback when they see what we have to offer.
Say Yes To The Dress
Long Island Medium
Theresa Caputo made a name for herself as a medium who helped people communicate with the afterlife. Your skepticism of the show is well-founded. Caputo is currently embroiled in a scandal surrounding claims that she had access to client and audience data for her shows. Before feeding them to her on stage, producers learn about them through questionnaires, background checks, and social media profiles.
Long Island Medium
Cupcake Wars
The show begins with four contestants representing various bakeries from across the United States. The contestants compete in three rounds of cupcake baking in order to be featured in an event with a thousand cupcakes on display. In most cases, the first round includes a challenge that requires participants to make cupcakes with unusual ingredients. There are rumors, however, that the contestants are already aware of the ingredients to be used.
Cupcake Wars
Naked And Afraid
In this survival show, contestants are taken to exotic locations, stripped naked, and shot while attempting to live off the land. Several contestants have expressed their displeasure with the fact that things aren’t always as they appear. The strange adventure, according to reports, was well-produced. They are also provided with amenities that they would not find in the wild by the production team. Tampons, supplements, and prescription medication are among these items. We knew right away that it was too good to be true.
Naked And Afraid
Basketball Wives
The reality show follows the lives of women who are married to professional basketball players. Not everyone, on the other hand, was pleased with their appearance on the show. Former cast member Matt Barnes discussed how scripted and staged the entire show is. Tanya Young has backed up the allegations, claiming that the producers staged the drama by pitting the wives against each other.
Basketball Wives
The Hills
The show featured everything you’d expect from a reality show. On a regular basis, there was backstabbing, teen angst, and relationship drama. The show appears to be heavily scripted. According to Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, they were asked to film the same scene fifteen times. He was furious when she said she thought she was “pregnant.” Several characters, including Lauren’s coworker’s best friend, were cast by the show’s producers.
The Hills
Last Comic Standing
When this show was still on the air, it was all about discovering new talent and giving them exposure or cash prizes in exchange for competing. The truth was that the producers had swayed the vote, unbeknownst to the judges and contestants. When the winner’s name was announced, everyone became enraged. It’s also been suggested that the show skews good performances in order to make them appear bad.
Last Comic Standing
The Apprentice
Donald Trump was reintroduced to the public thanks to this reality show. The plot revolved around a group of celebrities and businessmen who were being interviewed for a job at the current President’s firm. For dramatic effect, the firing scene was obviously added and scripted. Before they filmed the scene, the contestants already knew they were going to be fired. Perhaps the worst aspect of the show was that the winner received no actual prize other than bragging rights.
The Apprentice
Love Island
This is the show for you if you like Survivor and The Bachelor. For those who are unfamiliar with the show, it basically brings singles together for a tropical island summer! The contestants are enticed to hook up and pair off for the promise of money, romance, and a chance to win the competition. It’s a hoax, according to Reddit. Almost everything in the show is scripted, from the arguments to the intimate scenes. According to reports, the producers go over all of the takes and pick the most “realistic” one for the final cut.
Love Island
Breaking Amish
Unfortunately, Breaking Amish was not as authentic as they claimed. Official documents revealed, according to Jezebel, that the Amish people on the show had defected a long time ago. If you believed their claims that they had just left the community for the “first time,” you might be surprised to learn this. It really makes you think just how many shows have been lying to you all along.
Breaking Amish
Britain’s Got Talent
This show shares a lot of similarities with its American counterpart. It’s a wide-ranging talent show that features just about anything you can think of. Magicians, dancers, and acrobats are among the performers. Everyone in the audience was brought to their knees by one dog. The canine act “Jules and Matisse” won first place in the competition in 2005. It was, however, a rigged game! Because the real dog was too scared to do the high-wire stunt, the producers used a dog that looked like Matisse.
Britain’s Got Talent
Restaurant Stakeout
Willie Degel is a restaurant owner who installed security cameras in a failing establishment. This was done so that he could figure out what the issue was. Employees who aren’t doing their jobs correctly, if at all, will be caught by the system. He’d confront them and, if necessary, fire them on the spot. It’s a story that’s almost entirely made up. The restaurant owner admitted that the Food Network contacted him and then screen-tested his employees before filming the first season. Customers were also instructed to be as obnoxious as possible.
Restaurant Stakeout
Dance Moms
Did you think all the drama and fighting on Dance Moms was just for the camera? If that’s the case, you’re correct. According to little Maddie Ziegler, who told USA Today in 2015 that some of the show’s dramatic moments aren’t real, some of the show’s dramatic moments aren’t real. The young lady revealed, “It’s hard to do a reality show when there’s so much crying and drama. The producers set it up to make us all yell at each other… The moms have a fake fight sometimes. Afterward, they just start talking and laugh about it.”
Dance Moms
Hell’s Kitchen
Gordon Ramsay, a flamboyant and foul-mouthed celebrity chef, hosts this popular cooking show. We’ll admit that it’s a fun show, but keep in mind that everything is scripted. Customers who ate the meals later turned out to be paid extras. Nonetheless, we can’t deny that the show’s interactions are amusing!
Hell’s Kitchen
Toddlers And Tiaras
We don’t know about you, but when we catch a few minutes of this show, we can’t help but wince. Some people appear to have a genuine interest in it. Much of the show, like the others on the list, is staged, according to Ranker. The stars are asked to rewrite their lines and invent drama to add to the intrigue.
Toddlers And Tiaras
Survivor
Survivor is a reality show in which contestants are split into teams and transported to the wilderness, where they are forced to live off the land while competing in challenges. Many of the competitions and challenges, unfortunately, turned out to be a ruse. For some of the challenges, the producers admitted that they had to hire body doubles. A lot of the footage had to be reenacted as well. Former contestant Stacey Stillman claims that her eviction from the show was rigged.
Survivor
American Idol
In 2001, the first episode of this hugely popular television show aired. It is based on a straightforward premise. They held auditions across the country until they found the rightful winner of American Idol. The vast majority of the tens of millions of hopefuls will be disappointed. Scouts were rumored to be on the lookout for the most talented singers prior to the auditions. Isn’t it heartbreaking to find out it was all a farce?
American Idol
Catfish
Hosts Max and Nev attempt to solve the mystery of “who is really behind these profiles” in this MTV hit show. Catfishing may seem strange at first, but it is a common practice. This isn’t to say that everything you see on the show is accurate. The application process is said to have been reversed by the producers. In order to be considered for a spot on the show, catfishers had to fill out an application.
Catfish
The Voice
This show, according to a potential competitor, is not at all fair. According to a Facebook post, the show approached rock singer Adam Wiener, but he declined. According to him, the competition is pre-cast, with the producers selecting the songs and musical styles to be performed. His revelations drew widespread attention and cast doubt on the show’s credibility.
The Voice
Property Brothers
As a result, a few people’s hearts will be broken. Drew and Jonathan Scott, Canadian brothers, team up to help a couple find their dream home on the show. A few aspects of the show, however, have been revealed to be fake! For starters, they don’t renovate the entire house; instead, they concentrate on a few rooms selected by the couple. The show then reshoots scenes for the benefit of the audience, adding more “drama” to the scenes. Finally, the couple decides on a renovation project because the brothers frequently show them homes that are simply out of their price range.
Property Brothers
Pawn Stars
Isn’t it incredible how much of the History Channel show is scripted? It’s possible that the Harrisons own and operate the store. Instead of being a functioning store, it has since become a tourist attraction. Due to Nevada’s privacy laws, the stars no longer work there during regular business hours. Aside from that, they’ve already agreed on a price with the sellers, and many of the items have been thoroughly investigated.
Pawn Stars
The Real Housewives
There had been a lot of speculation that this show was scripted, but it was finally confirmed when Real Housewives of New Jersey star Theresa Guidice swore under oath that it was. The producers had planned the meetings between the ladies ahead of time. You could say the same thing about their savage squabbles.
The Real Housewives
The Bachelor/The Bachelorette
We all know how much fun both shows are, but the truth is that a lot of it was planned ahead of time. Celebrities may have been fed lines, according to reports. Before putting dramatic actors in dramatic situations with one another, producers weed out the dramatic actors. The rose ceremony, as well as the casting, are meticulously planned so that the finalists can be chosen ahead of time.
The Bachelor And The Bachelorette
The Biggest Loser
While viewers eagerly await the results of each contestant’s weight loss, it turns out that the fancy technology used to demonstrate their weight loss is a hoax. The contestants are weighed and measured two days before the competition. To top it off, the credibility of the show’s medical professionals has been questioned several times. Some claimed they couldn’t distribute drugs because they didn’t have the necessary credentials. Not to mention that the contestants are made to appear sluggish and lazy when they are anything but.
The Biggest Loser
The Simple Life
Fans couldn’t get enough of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie working menial jobs while staying with local families in small towns across the United States. Despite the fact that the show was hilarious, Paris Hilton later admitted that the producers forced her and her co-stars to play the sassy blonde and the troublemaker. Paris, on the other hand, revealed that she enjoyed playing the airhead with a baby voice. She admitted to frequently reverting to this character’s voice after five years on the show.
The Simple Life
House Hunters
One of HGTV’s most popular shows, House Hunters, has been exposed as yet another fake reality show to add to the list. When the contestants first appeared on the show, they had already decided which house they wanted to buy. Some of the contestants have already purchased the house featured on the show. To top it off, it’s been reported that younger actors occasionally play the show’s house owners.
House Hunters
What Not To Wear
The premise of the show is intriguing, but it isn’t as entertaining as it appears. Each contestant will receive $5,000 in order to update their wardrobe and get a makeover. However, there are some restrictions: the producers must donate all of the participants’ clothes to charity. Furthermore, participants must pay tax on everything they purchase. Finally, the contestants’ clothing is all custom-made to fit them perfectly, which is another cost that the show does not cover.
What Not To Wear
Pimp My Ride
MTV’s reality show Pimp My Ride was one of the most popular at the time. Rapper Xzibit would show up at people’s houses and completely transform their old cars. The car makeovers were only for the cameras and were entirely cosmetic. Someone on the show mentioned that when they got their car back, it was barely running. Furthermore, these vehicles could take up to six months to repair.
Pimp My Ride
Cribs
Cribs was another popular MTV show. This show would feature celebrities displaying their opulent residences in front of a live audience. During its 13-year run, the show featured a number of well-known celebrities. On the other hand, MTV was forced to defend itself after a woman filed a lawsuit accusing the network of portraying her rented home as rapper Ja Rules’ crib.
Cribs
90 Day Fiance
Right away, 90 Day Fiance has a slew of flaws. The show’s main goal is to get one of each couple’s members a K-1 visa so they can immigrate to the United States. The issue is that the couple only has 90 days to marry. If they do not travel before their tourist visa expires, it will be revoked. Naturally, this causes a lot of drama between the couples, but the producers fan the flames in order to draw in more viewers. On a regular basis, participants will be asked to do or say certain things.
90 Day Fiance
Divorce Court
What could be more dramatic than divorce and marital issues, given how much drama reality television is known for? Divorce Court is a court that focuses on the drama and issues that arise during a marriage, listening to both sides of the story and reaching an agreement. The show, on the other hand, has been revealed to be entirely made up. They claimed that their daughter and her boyfriend had been approached about appearing on the show. Because they weren’t married at the time, the producers gave the couple a backstory to lie about on the show.
Divorce Court
The Osbournes
There were The Osbournes before there were Kardashians. Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly, and Jack make up the band. When it came to swearing, the show didn’t hold back, with everyone on it doing so on a regular basis. Fans were enthralled by the strange but loving family dynamic. They even got a few laughs with their seeming-to-be-real antics. The show was mostly scripted, and none of it was real. The producers allegedly briefed the family on what to expect in each episode.
The Osbournes
Teen Mom
Teen Mom is definitely no exception. MTV’s lack of authenticity in reality shows was no exception for Teen Mom. The show, which followed 16 and Pregnant, focused on the lives of young mothers after they had children. No one can deny that there was a lot of drama, arrests, and breakups. However, it’s been speculated that the producers would painstakingly edit conversations to make them appear more dramatic than they actually were.
Teen Mom
Beauty and the Geek
This reality show wanted to pair attractive women with nerdy men for couples challenges. The show’s geeks were depicted as socially awkward and incapable of communicating with women, but this was not the case in real life. One of the guys on the show turned out to have a girlfriend back home. The show has also been accused of portraying some of the contestants with actors.
Beauty And The Geek
I Am Cait
Caitlyn Jenner’s struggle to become her true self was chronicled in this show, which included all of the ups and downs along the way. While the show’s first season was grounded in reality, the second season focused entirely on Jenner’s transition, leaving little to the imagination. As a result, the producers began fabricating Caitlyn’s tales.
I Am Cait
Famously Single
This E! Network reality show follows a group of single celebrities as they attempt to match them with different people. The celebrities live together while attending therapy sessions and reminiscing about their search for love. These celebrities, on the other hand, aren’t the best actors, and many of the scenes are clearly staged. Various celebrities and people from their past are brought into the show to add more drama to the show.
Famously Single
Total Bellas
Given how fake WWE was, it’s only natural that a reality show based on the Bella Twins would be fake. The series featured Nikki and Brie’s partners, John Cena and Daniel Bryan. Many of the show’s scenarios were clearly staged for the cameras, and much of the drama between Nikki and John Cena was staged for the cameras.
Total Bellas
WAGS
WAGS quickly became one of E!’s most popular shows, following the lives and dramas of sports stars’ wives. The producers created drama between the women to keep the show interesting for viewers, and the show was heavily reliant on fake scenarios. Even though the marriage breakdowns were real, the women’s conversations and rivalry were all made up. Women who weren’t dating athletes were also added to the mix to add some variety.
WAGS