Hey friends! I’m Laura Bradley, an entertainment journalist who’s been hooked on reality TV since [redacted]. I’m so excited to recap what happened in the genre each week with you. We’ve got lots to cover, so let’s get right into the mess.
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Reality check of the week
Love Is Blind dropped its second set of episodes this week, and the honeymoon period is very over. 👀 One couple in particular has taken over our social media feeds with a shocking scandal, earning this chaotic show our inaugural reality check of the week.
What happened: The couples returned from their Mexican honeymoons to D.C., where they moved into shared apartments and . Within that chaos, Tyler somehow forgot to tell Ashley before proposing that he has three whole kids. Oops? [Washington Post]
What people are saying: Somehow, it gets worse the more you dig: Although Tyler told Ashley that he’s just a sperm donor to his kids, TikTok sleuths allege that he’s been . Predictably, the internet is in shambles. [HuffPost]
Here’s my take: I’m hesitant to buy into TikTok gossip, but the screenshots are pretty damning. Tyler’s got some ’splaining to do at the reunion, and honestly, so does whoever did this season’s background checks.
The recaps
🎤 ‘The Voice’
We’re five audition weeks into this season with one left to go. I’m keeping an eye out for 17-year-old Shye, whose moving rendition of Five for Fighting’s “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” turned all four judges’ chairs on Tuesday night. . [Yahoo Entertainment]
🏝️ ‘Survivor’
We’re only four weeks into Survivor 47, and already the backstabs are fierce. Did you hear that screaming Wednesday night? That was the sound of fans realizing that Kishan was going home in a . [Entertainment Weekly]
💃 ‘Dancing With the Stars’
Singer-actress Chandler Kinney has ruled the leaderboard so 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 guys 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 between Erin and her husband, Abe, this week, and honestly, it’s even sillier than expected. They’re fighting over (*drumroll*) bitcoin? Really? [Bravo]
Reality trivia
Which coach on The Voice has the highest win percentage — meaning, the best win/loss ratio across all seasons in which they’ve participated?
Hint: It’s a “Perfect” score.
Cheat code: Here’s a and their number of wins.
3 questions…
…for Love Is Blind’s Nina Zafar
Each week, I’ll chat with a reality star or expert. This week, I DM’d , one half of the to appear on Love Is Blind, for some behind-the-scenes intel.
Laura: Give us the inside scoop on life in the lounge. Was it fun? Stressful? Exhausting?
Nina: All of the above for sure. We experienced the full range of emotions there. There is also a lot of downtime and waiting around for your next date, which people might not realize. I took a lot of naps.
Laura Did you connect 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 is such a positive energy. I love Taylor’s sarcasm and Alex is one of my closest friends now. We had a great group.
Laura: How’d the pods go for you? Did you find romance with anyone?
Nina: The pods were tough for me. I found it difficult to make a deep enough connection behind a wall to get engaged. But I did connect with one cast member. We spent time together in San Diego when the other couples went to Mexico.
Secrets from casting: Ever wondered how Love Is Blind producers find contestants? Here’s the from the casting director.
Next week’s premieres
💍 On Tuesday: Married at First Sight heads (back) to Chicago for Season 18 on Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime. It’ll include an “” cheating scandal and couple swap. [People]
🤓 On Wednesday: Travis Kelce makes his TV hosting debut on Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?, which airs on Oct. 16 on Prime Video. Here’s the subject that the most. [AP]
🦈 On Friday: Shark Tank premieres on Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Shark Mark Cuban already announced that it’s his final season. Here’s . [Today]
✅ Trivia answer: Blake Shelton has the most coaching victories on The Voice, but Niall Horan’s — most recently — has him beat. [TVLine/Yahoo Entertainment]
About In Reality: It’s hard to keep up when there’s so much great reality TV. Good thing entertainment reporter Laura Bradley is an expert at staying on top of everything. Every Saturday morning, she shares a roundup of what happened on the week’s top shows. Sign up.
