Hey friends! I’m Laura Bradley, an entertainment journalist who has since become addicted to reality TV [redacted]. I’m so excited to recap what’s been happening in the genre with you every week. We have a lot to discuss, so let’s dive right into the mess.
Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox.
Reality check of the week
Love is blind dropped its second batch of episodes this week, and the honeymoon period has begun terribly about. 👀 One couple in particular has taken over our social media feeds with a shocking scandal, making this chaotic show our first reality check of the week.
What happened: The couples returned from their Mexican honeymoon to DC, where they moved into shared apartments. In that chaos, Tyler somehow forgot to tell Ashley before proposing that he have three whole kids. Oops? [Washington Post]
What people say: Somehow, it gets worse the more you dig: Even though Tyler told Ashley he’s just a sperm donor for his kids, TikTok sleuths claim he has been. Predictably, the internet is in shambles. [HuffPost]
Here’s my opinion: I hesitate to join in on TikTok gossip, but the screenshots are pretty damning. Tyler has something to say at the reunion, and honestly, so does whoever did the background check this season.
The summaries
🎤 ‘The Voice’
We’re five audition weeks into this season and there’s one more to go. I’m paying attention to 17-year-old Shye, whose moving rendition of Five for Fighting’s “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” turned all four jury chairs Tuesday night. . [Yahoo Entertainment]
🏝️ ‘Survivor’
We’re only four weeks into it Survivor 47, and the backstabs already are powerful. Did you hear that screaming Wednesday night? That was the sound of fans realized that Kishan went home in a . [Entertainment Weekly]
💃 ‘Dancing with the stars’
Singer-actress Chandler Kinney has dominated the leaderboard thus far, but during this week’s back-to-back and “” nights, former bachelor Joey Graziadei to the top. [Yahoo Entertainment]
🌹 ‘The Golden Bachelorette’
Week 4 on The Golden Bach was the . The boys did a charity striptease (hello,!), frontrunner Chock went home (and then came back), and fan favorite Charles L., leaving all of Bachelor Nation in tears. [Yahoo Entertainment/USA Today]
🗽 ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’
We finally found out this week between Erin and her husband, Abe, and honestly, it’s even crazier than expected. They’re fighting over (*drumroll*) bitcoin? Real? [Bravo]
Reality trivia
Which coach to The voice has the highest winning percentage – that is, the best win/loss ratio in all the seasons they have participated in?
Tip: It is a “Perfect” score.
Cheat code: Here is one and their number of wins.
3 questions…
…for Love is blind’by Nina Zafar
Every week I chat with a reality star or expert. This week I sent a DM to get half of it to appear Love is blind, for some behind the scenes information.
Laura: Give us a glimpse into life in the lounge. Was it fun? Stressful? Exhausting?
Nina: All of the above for sure. We experienced the whole range of emotions there. There is also a lot of of downtime and waiting for your next date, which people may not realize. I took a lot of naps.
Laura Have you had contact with any of the people who ? If so, tell us what they’re like IRL!
Nina: I love . Monica is the sweetest soul. Hannah and Ashley are hilarious and Marissa has such a positive energy. I love Taylor’s sarcasm and Alex is now one of my best friends. We had a great group.
Laura: How did the pods go for you? Have you found romance with someone?
Nina: The pods were heavy for me. I found it difficult to make a deep enough connection behind a wall to get engaged. But I did interact with one cast member. We spent time together in San Diego when the other couples went to Mexico.
Secrets of casting: Have you ever wondered how Love is blind producers find participants? Here is the message from the casting director.
Next week’s premieres
💍 On Tuesday: Married at first sight heads (back) to Chicago for season 18 on October 15 at 8pm ET on Lifetime. It includes a “” cheating scandal and a couples swap. [People]
🤓 On Wednesday: Travis Kelce makes his TV hosting debut on Are you smarter than a celebrity?, which airs on Prime Video on October 16. This is the most common topic. [AP]
🦈 On Friday: Shark tank premieres October 18 at 8pm ET on ABC. Shark Mark Cuban already announced that this is his last season. Here it is. [Today]
✅ Trivia answer: Blake Shelton has the most coaching wins The voice, but Niall Horan’s – most recently – has him beaten. [TVLine/Yahoo Entertainment]
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.
