Good morning! I’m Laura Bradley, an entertainment journalist who grew up on reality TV, and every week here I recap the highs and lows of the genre.
Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox.
Reality check of the week
Three weeks in The Real Housewives of New York City Season 15 (the second season after the reboot), a long-simmering feud between Ubah and Brynn exploded during (what else?) a weekend in the Hamptons, scoring our reality check of the week.
What happened: These women (particularly Brynn) often deal with their conflicts like high school students, spreading gossip and brokering peace through friends’ delegates. Ubah has had enough, so this week she called everyone gossip bearers ‘pigeons’. [Bravo/E! News]
What people say: The internet largely agrees with Ubah, but she did embroiling herself in an argument between friends to get her point across, which struck some as a bit…hypocritical and pigeon-like. 🤔[Parade]
Here’s my opinion: Like everyone else, I just want everyone on this show to start talking to the people they’re actually mad at. These telephone tête-à-têtes are getting old. That said, I will never look at a pigeon again without cackling. [Reality Tea]
The summaries
🎤 ‘The voice’
This week the blind auditions wrapped up, and I’m joining Team Reba after nabbing country singer Katie O and the soulful Lauren-Michael Sellers. [Yahoo Entertainment]
🏝️ ‘Survivor’
Week 5 ended in another brutal blindside as the Gata Tribe shook off their own Anika Dhar – and she was angry. As in, she responded to farewell waves with a cold “No.” Read her exit chat here. [TVLine/GoldDerby]
🌹 ‘The Golden Bachelorette’
With dates looming nearby, Joan Vassos fired three guys this week: most notably Kelsey A’s dad, Mark, and fellow fan favorites Jonathan and Keith. Could one of them be the next Golden Bachelor? [Yahoo Entertainment/USA Today]
❤️ ‘Love is blind’
We are a week away from the Love is blind final, and I’m not sure anyone will make it to the altar. Alex and Tim? Finished. Hanna and Nick? Finished. (Thank God.) Taylor and Garrett? Fighting over lyrics. Ashley and Tyler? Yes. God help them all. [Washington Post]
💃 ‘Dancing with the stars’
On Dedication Night, judge Derek Hough and his wife, Hayley Erbert, danced on stage for the first time since her brain surgery. NFL star Danny Amendola and former bachelor Joey Graziadei tied for first place. [Yahoo Entertainment]
Reality trivia
Who was the first Survivor castaway to win the show with a unanimous jury vote?
Tip: This person has not returned to participate in the show since his victory.
Answer below.
3 questions…
…for Dancing with the stars summary David Artavia
Dancing with the stars is heating up, so I spoke with Yahoo Entertainment reporter David Artavia about the highlights of this season so far.
Laura: There’s a lot of hype surrounding this season. What made it so fun to watch?
David: Anna Delvey’s buzzy casting was short-lived, but once people tuned in, they discovered how fun and diverse the rest of the cast is. Where else can you watch Olympians, reality stars, a Super Bowl champion and a supermodel all step out of their comfort zones?
Laura Which star has surprised you the most so far?
David: Two words: Ilona Maher! I’m obsessed with the Olympian’s journey. She is strong and statuesque – a Glamazon, if you will! And yet she has allowed herself to be so vulnerable with her dance partner, Alan Bersten, in front of millions of people.
Laura: What else are you looking forward to this season?
David: Next week is Disney Week! Need I say more? We all have a special Disney memory, so whatever the song choice, I will sing every word. I mean, I’ve rocked out to every Disney song since I was 10.
Don’t miss this segment: Watch Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik jump back onto the pommel horse during his routine this week.
Next week’s premieres
1️⃣ They are battle rounds The voice: Now that the blind auditions are over, the NBC singing competition will compete in the Battle Rounds on Monday and Tuesday at 8 PM ET. Who will be the new frontrunner? [TVLine]
2️⃣ Residences are enabled The Golden Bachelorette: Tune in next Wednesday at 8pm ET on ABC to see Joan meet the families of Chock, Pascal, Jordan and Guy. [Yahoo Entertainment]
3️⃣ It’s Barbie night The Masked Singer: Also, don’t miss the wacky Fox show’s “Barbie Night” on Wednesday at 8 PM ET, celebrating the iconic doll’s 65th anniversary. [Billboard]
4️⃣ It’s time for the finals Love is blind: A chaotic season finale awaits us next Thursday, so there’s no better time than now to find out which couples are still together. [Washington Post]
✅ Trivia answer: became Earl Cole Survivor‘s first-ever unanimous winner in 2007 during the show’s 14th season, Survivor: Fiji.
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.
