reality blurred: reality tv reviews, reality show recaps, and news

News & updates

• ❑ Tuesday, Oct. 21, 3:43 pm | Andy Dehnart

  The Amazing Race season one cast member Dave Groark, who ran the race with his wife Margaretta, died Aug. 13, 2025, at age 89. His obituary notes that Margaretta died before him, back in 2008.

• ❑ Monday, Oct. 20, 7:40 pm | Andy Dehnart

  So You Think You Can Dance season 4 winner Joshua Allen died earlier this month after being hit by a train. He was 36. Family friends have set up a GoFundMe that will be used for "covering funeral and burial costs, as well as providing short-term support for" his parents, the page says.

• ❑ Friday, Oct. 17, 6:52 pm | Sarah D. Bunting

  President Trump announced that he has commuted the sentence of George Santos. It's a good thing there aren't tariffs on eye-roll emojis because [18,284 eye-roll emojis].

• ❑ Thursday, Oct. 16, 3:49 pm | Andy Dehnart

  Pop Culture Jeopardy—the one with teams of three—is coming back for a second season, but on Netflix, not Amazon.
  
  Not mentioned in the press release: Colin Jost. Probably cheaper and better TV to just put a cardboard cutout behind the host stand.

• ❑ Thursday, Oct. 16, 7:34 am | Andy Dehnart

  A bunch of Survivor alumni appeared in a Survivor parody, voting Andrew Cuomo out in an ad for Zohran Mamdani's campaign for New York City mayor. They include Survivor winners Natalie Anderson and Yam Yam Arocho, and others including Teeny Chirichillo, Katurah Topps, and Brandon Donlon. Watch it here.

• ❑ Wednesday, Oct. 15, 7:11 am | Andy Dehnart

  George Gilbert was removed from the Big Brother UK season 22 house for "repeated use of unacceptable language and behaviour," ITV said. Later, George admitted that the specific language that got him removed involved anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, though he said and did plenty of other bigoted things in the house, too.

• ❑ Tuesday, Oct. 14, 7:51 pm | Andy Dehnart

  The Real Housewives of Potomac star Wendy Osefo was arrested Thursday, joining the growing group of Real Housewives who have been charged with crimes.

  The Carroll County Sheriff's Office in Maryland said Wendy and her husband were "charged with multiple counts related to fraud." In 2024, they reported to police that "approximately 80 items of jewelry, luxury goods, clothing, and shoes were stolen, worth a total of more than $200,000." But "Detectives found that over $20,000 of the items reported stolen had been returned by the owners to the locations the items were purchased" and "found images of a homeowner wearing jewelry that had been reported stolen after the burglary took place."

  That alleged image is of Wendy at the White House Correspondents Dinner.

  Wendy was arrested a day after teaching her class "The Sociology of Reality TV: Race, Colorism, and Xenophobia" at Wesleyan University. The Wesleyan Argus reported that another faculty member will teach her class for the rest of the semester, and The Grio reported that she is no longer employed as distinguished visiting professor of sociology.

• ❑ Tuesday, Oct. 14, 11:48 am | Andy Dehnart

  HGTV has announced Bachelor Mansion Takeover, on which "12 former Bachelor, Bachelorette, Golden Bachelor, and Golden Bachelorette contestants will give the famed property a dramatic makeover."

  Will they have to bleach the rooms first? Will they decorate once again with several hundred thousand candles? Tayshia Adams and Tyler Cameron will judge, and Jesse Palmer will host.

  Oh, and here are the "fan-favorite franchise alumni with expert renovation skills": Dean Bell, Jill Chin, Noah Erb, Allyshia Gupta, Tammy Ly, Sandra Mason, Sam McKinney, Brendan Morais, Courtney Robertson Preciado, Jeremy Simon, Christopher Stallworth, and Joan Vassos.

• ❑ Monday, Oct. 13, 7:18 pm | Andy Dehnart

  Happy 25th birthday, Trading Spaces! To celebrate, go behind the scenes with me as I spent an episode with Doug, Laurie, Paige, and the crew.

• ❑ Wednesday, Oct. 8, 3:23 pm | Andy Dehnart

  Banijay Entertainment acquired the worldwide rights to the Ninja Warrior format from Tokyo Broadcasting System—though not in the U.S. or Canada, Germany, France, Poland, and all of Asia—and said they intend "to evolve this brand."