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REALITY TV SPECIAL: ST W
ith falling figures of people tuning in to some programmes and the axe of ‘The X Factor’ this year, the nation appears to be falling out of love with a fair few reality shows... As intense public scrutiny is also reportedly affecting participants’ mental health, is the honeymoon phase for the likes of 'Love Island' and other dating programmes over? And what about the infamous ‘Strictly’ curse? What lies ahead for the dance-off shows? Celebrity Journalist Angela Sara West digs deeper with reality show stars to find out what they think is in store for such series. From 'Strictly Come Dancing', 'Made In Chelsea' and 'TOWIE', to 'The Great British Bake Off', 'Sewing Bee' and Ant & Dec's star-studded ‘I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!', the reality TV show portfolio covers a plethora of genres galore. Brightening up our summer screens since 2015, the spark of lust'n'love and dating dramas with the audience seemed to dissipate for ‘Love Island’ this year, with the series’ opener pulling in the show's smallest overnight launch viewership since 2017, and viewers enjoying Euro 2020 and Wimbledon instead. Unlike the first fly-on-the-wall reality shows like ‘Big Brother’, with numerous reality shows we now observe scripted showdowns, mandatory meet-ups, manipulated cast members, and scenes structured for “our entertainment”, often making things feel forced. We also have glossier, more aspirational participants, with constructed reality stars making careers out of crossovers, as personalities move on to the challenges of plentiful other popular reality programmes after starring in their first, going on to compete in shows such as ‘Celebrity MasterChef’ and ‘Celebs Go Dating’, resulting in super star success stories. Acting as a springboard to success in other mediums, careers in acting, pop music, and even the business world, ordinary people frequently find overnight success off the back of the shows. But with producers putting pressure on participants, contestants losing their ‘dignity’ on a public platform, scripted reality shows, too, it seems reality TV has lost its grip on reality and is consequently losing public support.
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So, just what is it that is turning people off from these previously phenomenallypopular programmes? Are we fed up with the copycat formats? Are reality shows still relevant? Have they gone too far? Or is it the damaging mental health aspects that are putting us off? After all, there have been rumours rumbling for years over the lack of show aftercare. The fact that there have even, sadly, been subsequent suicides and incidents of self-harm among reality stars and hosts could well be the cause of the channel switchover. There's also the savage social media outrage culture, which Ofcom says reflects a "trend of growing complaints
about high-profile TV. Shows should, of course, have a duty of care. What is the future for reality series? To find out more, I chat exclusively with a few famous faces about what it’s REALLY like to star on a reality show, delve into their highs and lows, and discover what they believe the future holds for such series.
Amy Day - Love Islander 2021 All-singing, all-dancing Surrey star Amy Day shot to fame on this year’s ‘Love Island’ and, hot out of the villa, is now in much demand as a performer and model for shoots for glossy
Amy Day Credit: Earl (Stephen Santos) @wackpaper17photography
