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A lot of people enjoy watching reality television because it’s full of drama and entertaining personalities. However, reality television isn’t always as it seems. People who have been on some shows confess to what it is actually like.
Edited to the Extreme
One girl recalls being on the show Extreme Guide to Parenting. Her mother was a hypnotherapist, so the producers made it seem like she would use her skills to make her kids do chores. One plot line involved the girl having a crush on someone at school and her mom teaching her how to hypnotize them into falling in love with her. However, there was no actual crush, it was all just for the show.
Second Choice Judge
One boy’s father up and left him, his sister, and their mom and would try to skimp out on child support. After years of not seeing his kids, the father decided to come visit them for a few days. The visit was civil, but there was no real connection. A few months later, the mother gets a letter saying that the father was suing for all the child support he did pay her. So, she sued him back and they ended up on Judge Joe Brown’s show.
The judge awarded the mother $5,000 and scolded the father for being such a loser on national television. Other than appearing on the show, the family was escorted in limos, had free meals, and were put up in a fancy hotel.
The Bachelor is Overly Dramatized
One girl describes being on The Bachelor as a time of haziness. There were no clocks on set and the girls would always be drinking alcohol. They were also on a very strict sleep schedule and would be told when to go to bed and when to wake up. Producers would also plant ideas in their heads and make them reshoot scenes if they didn’t like their reactions or speech. Apparently, the girls spend more time with each other than they do with the actual Bachelor too.
The Real Jerry Springer
Someone who filmed an episode for Jerry Springer! that never aired recalls the entire thing being completely fake. Producers asked the woman to find friends and make believe she had a double love triangle to make the episode more interesting. What’s even more shocking was that the show employed someone who would write fake doctor’s notes or death certificates to get people on the show out of work so they could film.
Finding Your Dream Home on House Hunters
When people are on House Hunters, they have actually already bought the house and pretend to look at the two other “prospective” houses. One couple was approached by the show when they were buying their home. However, they turned the offer down because the show only offered them $500 each and they wanted to keep their dignity.
Treatment of Guests on What Not To Wear
One girl was approached by a talent scout who said that she worked for a fashion television show. When the girl found out it was for What Not to Wear, she felt a little confused. She didn’t think there was a problem with how she dressed. However, the $20,000 prize and a new wardrobe at the end caught her interest. So, she went to the interview. However, during the interview, the director came in and apologized for bringing her in. He told her that her style was fine and if she knew anyone who did need some fashion help to let him know.
Scenarios are Staged on Wife Swap
According to someone who was on an episode of Wife Swap, most of the scenarios in the show are staged. While the people are pretty real and so are their interactions with each other, the producers do manipulate them a lot. The worst part is that the person who had filmed these scenes didn’t even make the cut into the episode.
What Really Happens on 16 and Pregnant
A friend of one girl ended up on the show 16 and Pregnant. She recalls that pretty much all of the drama that took place in the show was real and not scripted. However, there was one conversation the girl had with her mother that wasn’t caught on camera. So, the director made them film the conversation over again. The only issue was the girl already gave birth so she had hide the fact that her stomach wasn’t big by holding a teddy bear in front of her and act like she was still pregnant.
Half Real, Half Fake
One EMT had the chance to be on a reality TV show about EMTs and paramedics. He recalls that while the patients were real, the show dramatized their conditions and made every situation seem like it was life or death when it wasn’t too serious at all. They also had to say scripted lines such as, “Without us, these patients would die.”
It’s All Taken Out of Context
One person worked behind the scenes on a few reality TV shows. They revealed that there is a team of Story Producers behind the scenes telling the cameramen which angles to get so they can use them to create the story that they want to tell. They will often take scenes and phrases out of context to manipulate the story too. He also revealed that when it comes to game shows, the federal government sends a representative to the show to make sure the game isn’t rigged.
Cash Cab Contestants
While hanging around Manhattan one day, a 14-year-old boy, his father, and his father’s friend were approached by a promoter asking if they wanted to be on a gourmet chef reality TV show. They agreed and were told not to eat a big lunch. When they arrived at the location they were given, they felt that something wasn’t right. The promoter told them they were sending a car to get them, which turned out to be the Cash Cab! Unfortunately, they lost and were dropped off in the middle of Chelsea and had to pay their own way back home.
60 Minute Makeover
One person helped out the show 60 Minute Makeover, where friends will redecorate someone’s home in just an hour while they are out for the day. The owner of the home comes back surprised to see their home redecorated. However, the furniture that is actually put into the house is usually very low quality. There is also a lot of prep work done before the 60 minutes begin. In reality, it takes more than 60 minutes to redecorate the home, especially when a team of professionals come in to fix any spotty work.
“Storage” Shows Aren’t That Great
One person’s family owned a bunch of storage units in California. They were approached by a reality TV show about using the storage units to auction off to people. By law, any storage unit that is being auctioned off must be announced in the paper. So, hundreds of people would show up and start bidding on units, even if they were empty. So producers had to start hiding valuable items in the units to make it more interesting.
The Hot Pawn Girl
One girl auditioned for what she thought was The Bachelorette. The advertisement said that they were looking for an attractive, vibrant girl. However, it turned out she was interviewing for a role on Pawn Queens. When she was hired, the producers gave her a backstory as to why she wanted to run a pawnshop and everything. In reality, this girl was a dental assistant. Almost everything was fake about that show.
Silvia
