Good morning, reality fans! Can I take you for a chat? We have a lot to talk about this week thanks to a Golden bachelorette finale, two Housewife meltdowns and a mysterious exit The voice. Let’s dig in.
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‘The Voice’ Contestant Tanner Frick (Casey Durkin/NBC)
Reality moment of the week
No matter how fierce the competition is, that doesn’t happen often The voice really gets dramatic. But this week was an exception. Why did favorite country crooner Tanner Frick leave without warning?
What happened: Frick’s gravely voice caused a four-chair turn in less than a minute after his blind audition. But this week, host Carson Daly said he had left and offered no further explanation. [Entertainment Weekly]
What people say: Tanner hinted at his motivation on TikTok, where he teased a new song called “Lonesome Road” with the lyrics “I guess I’m a lone wolf and a lost one / Ain’t Nobody Want Me Anyway.” [Billboard]
My hot take: It’s obvious, isn’t it? It seems Tanner saw an opportunity to land Benson Boone and launch his music career early. Carpe diem, I say! [Us Weekly]
Kinney (left) and her ‘DWTS’ partner (Eric McCandless/Disney)
The summaries
💃 ‘Dancing with the stars’
DWTS reached a major milestone this week with its 500th episode, and as if on cue, the judges gave singer-actress Chandler Kinney the first perfect scores of the season. NBA alum Dwight Howard, meanwhile, finally went home. [Yahoo Entertainment/GMA]
🏝️ ‘Survivor’
In week 9, Genevieve proved that Canadians aren’t always so nice by plotting Sol’s demise. So much for Sol’s secret agents, eh? Sol said it best in his exit interview: “They got me.” [Entertainment Weekly/GoldDerby]
🌹 ‘Golden Bachelorette’
Joan chose Chock during the finale, leaving Guy to cry in the rain. Her season was sweet, if a little drama-starved, and I mostly hope so Golden alums Susan and Jack meet after sitting in the audience together this week. [Yahoo Entertainment]
🗽 ‘RHONY’
For a moment, it seemed like some real, bona fide drama had crept into this snoozefest of a season when rumors swirled this week about Rebecca Minkoff’s pregnancy. Unfortunately, it was just a joke. Uhm. Predictably, fans are not happy. [BuzzFeed]
⛰️ ‘RHOSLC’
The title of the episode says it all: “Revenge Is Best Served in Coach.” Bronwyn showed rare comedic genius by booking Lisa on a 65-minute flight on a bus, essentially throwing a shiny red cherry on top of Lisa’s already fantastic meltdown. [Bravo/Daily Beast]
Monty Brinton/CBS photo archive via Getty Images
Reality trivia
Which former Survivor participant was recently elected Attorney General of Washington State?
Tip: This person took part in the Australian Outback in 2001.
Answer below.
3 questions
…with Kyndall Cunningham
The world of Housewives was positive this week, so naturally I called up one of my favorite Bravo mavens — Vox culture reporter Kyndall Cunningham — for a quick chat.
Laura: We’re six weeks into it RHOP. Who do you think is the standout performer of the season so far?
Kyndall: I definitely think Stacey is the MVP. She has the funniest facial expressions and the best confessionals. Plus, she’s dating a sketchy actor who happens to be celibate, and it’s really fascinating!
Laura: We just watched part 2 of the RHOC meeting. What was your favorite storyline this season?
Kyndall: I loved seeing Jenn stand up to Tamra after everything she put her through over the past two seasons. It’s rare to have housewives who are super nice, but who can also read someone for trash when the time comes.
Laura: RHOSLC dropped a game mid-season trailer this week. What sets this franchise branch apart from the rest?
Kyndall: It definitely feels more improvised than other shows. These women are very prepared and studied Housewives-isms. Luckily, they’re so funny that it usually works.
Go deeper: Here’s that $4 million necklace RHOSLC‘s Bronwyn received from her husband.
Strawberry Shortcake on ‘The Masked Singer’ (Fox via Getty Images)
Next week’s watchlist
1️⃣ Dancing with the stars: The semifinals begin Tuesday at 8 PM ET on ABC. Make sure you prepare by checking out everyone’s scores from this week. [Today]
2️⃣ Masked singer: Wednesday is Miley Cyrus Night, so tune in to Fox at 8 PM ET. In the meantime: Meet one of the newest secret singers, Strawberry Shortcake. [Entertainment Weekly/Gold Derby]
3️⃣ Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Ready to add more housewives to your roster? RHOBH returns to Bravo for Season 14 on Tuesday at 9 PM ET. Buckle up, because it looks like Kyle and Dorit are still feuding after that fiery Season 13 reunion. [Bravo/RealityTea]
✅ Trivia answer: He might have finished seventh Survivor: The Australian Outbackbut last week, Nick Brown was elected the first black attorney general in Washington state.
About in reality: It’s hard to keep up when there is so much great reality TV. It’s a good thing that entertainment reporter Laura Bradley is an expert at staying on top of everything. Every Saturday morning she shares a recap of what happened during the week’s top shows. Register.
