Good morning! I’m Laura Bradley, an entertainment journalist who was raised on reality TV, and each week I’m recapping the genre’s highs and lows right here.
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Reality check of the week
Three weeks into The Real Housewives of New York City Season 15 (the second season post- reboot), a long-simmering feud between Ubah and Brynn blew up during (what else?) a weekend in the Hamptons, scoring our reality check of the week.
What happened: These women (especially Brynn) often handle their conflicts like middle schoolers, spreading gossip and brokering peace through friend-delegates. Ubah has had enough, so this week she called everyone out as gossip carrier “pigeons.” [Bravo/E! News]
What people are saying: The internet largely agrees with Ubah, but she did involve herself in a beef between friends to make her point, which struck some as a little … hypocritical and pigeon-like. 🤔[Parade]
Here’s my take: 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’ll never look at a pigeon again without cackling. [Reality Tea]
The recaps
🎤 ‘The Voice’
Blind auditions wrapped this week, and I’m all in on Team Reba after she nabbed country singer Katie O and the soulful Lauren-Michael Sellers. [Yahoo Entertainment]
🏝️ ‘Survivor’
Week 5 ended in another brutal blindside when the Gata tribe shanked their very own Anika Dhar — and she was pissed. As in, she responded to goodbye waves with a cold “Nah.” Read her exit chat here. [TVLine/GoldDerby]
🌹 ‘The Golden Bachelorette’
With hometown dates looming, Joan Vassos cut three guys this week: notably Kelsey A’s dad, Mark, and other fan favorites Jonathan and Keith. Could one of them be the next Golden Bachelor? [Yahoo Entertainment/USA Today]
❤️ ‘Love Is Blind’
We’re a week away from the Love Is Blind finale, and I’m not sure anyone is gonna make it to the altar. Alex and Tim? Done. Hannah and Nick? Done. (Thank goodness.) Taylor and Garrett? Fighting over texts. Ashley and Tyler? Yikes. God help them all. [Washington Post]
💃 ‘Dancing With the Stars’
On Dedication Night, judge Derek Hough and his wife, Hayley Erbert, danced onstage for the first time since her brain surgery. NFL star Danny Amendola and former Bachelor Joey Graziadei tied for first. [Yahoo Entertainment]
Reality trivia
Who was the first Survivor castaway to win the show in a unanimous jury vote?
Hint: This person has not returned to compete on the show since winning.
Answer at the bottom.
3 questions…
…for Dancing With the Stars recapper David Artavia
Dancing With the Stars is heating up, so I chatted with Yahoo Entertainment reporter David Artavia about this season’s highlights so far.
Laura: There’s a lot of hype around this season. What’s made it so fun to watch?
David: The buzzy casting of Anna Delvey was short-lived, but once people tuned in, they discovered just 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 stepping out of their comfort zones?
Laura Which star has surprised you the most so far?
David: Two words: Ilona Maher! I’ve been obsessed with the Olympian’s journey. She’s 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 no matter what the song choices are, I’ll be singing every word. I mean, I’ve been off book for every Disney song since I was 10.
Don’t miss this clip: Watch Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik hop back on the pommel horse during his routine this week.
Next week’s premieres
1️⃣ It’s Battle Rounds on The Voice: Now that blind auditions are over, the NBC singing competition will enter the Battle Rounds on Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. Who’s the new frontrunner? [TVLine]
2️⃣ It’s Hometowns on The Golden Bachelorette: Tune in next Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC to watch Joan meet the families of Chock, Pascal, Jordan and Guy. [Yahoo Entertainment]
3️⃣ It’s Barbie Night on The Masked Singer: Also, Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, don’t miss the zany Fox show’s “Barbie Night” celebrating the iconic doll’s 65th anniversary. [Billboard]
4️⃣ It’s finale time on Love Is Blind: We’re in for a chaotic season finale next Thursday, so there’s no time like the present to find out which couples are still together. [Washington Post]
✅ Trivia answer: Earl Cole became 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’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.
