It might come as a shock to some, but reality TV is not real – and one recent contestant knew they would win before they stepped foot on set.
According to media personality-come-podcast host Jessica Rowe, a celebrity who recently appeared on an Australian reality TV show only did so because they were guaranteed the win in their contract.
Rowe spilled the tea on her podcast, The Jess Rowe Big Talk Show… but naturally withheld the name of the celebrity in question.
“I was talking to a celebrity recently that had been on a reality TV show and even they knew things would be set up,” Rowe said, confirming that the celebrity refused to take part in the show unless their contract stipulated the competition would be rigged for them to win.
Although Rowe didn’t mention which show or celebrity she was talking about, she did reveal which reality shows had approached her to appear over the years, including SAS Australia, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, and The Masked Singer Australia – the last of which Rowe initially agreed to, until producers asked her to send in a tape, which she dutifully played on the pod.
Needless to say, there is a reason Jessica Rowe has not appeared on The Masked Singer: “Little surprise The Masked Singer said thank you but no thank you.”
The only reality TV show Rowe has appeared on, which was The Real Dirty Dancing. Rowe described the making of the show as “excruciating” and said she was frequently in tears.
Love Film & TV?
Get the latest Film & TV news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
“It brought up a lot of emotion in me that I hadn’t expected,” she said.
Rowe has previously had fellow Real Dirty Dancing cast mate Hugh Sheridan on the podcast, where the pair reminisced about the show and the “drama” producers had created between the pair for viewer interest.
“Nothing about reality TV is real,” Rowe reiterated.
