News Digging > Culture > Reality TV Contestants Who Slammed The Show They Were On – Nicki Swift
Reality TV Contestants Who Slammed The Show They Were On – Nicki Swift
Reality TV Contestants Who Slammed The Show They Were On - Nicki Swift,Many reality TV stars may hold the divisive genre in high esteem, but not everyone feels quite as positive about it or the particular show they appeared on.

Reality TV Contestants Who Slammed The Show They Were On – Nicki Swift

This feature discusses domestic violence, mental illness, addiction, racism, ableism, transphobia, and suicide. 

Reality television comes in all shapes and forms — and so do reality television contestants. You have your talent competition shows like “American Idol” and “Top Chef,” which draw out folks who want a big break —singers, dancers, bakers, drag queens, and more — as well as strategy and activity-based shows like “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race,” which draw out people up for an adventure. Then you have your celebrity competition series like “The Masked Singer” and “Dancing with the Stars,” as well as all of those shows built around D-listers whose flames have dwindled. You have “Housewives,” “Sister Wives,” “Teen Moms,” and whatever we’re calling the people from “90 Day Fiancé” and “Summer House.”

So, yes, the reality TV landscape is jam-packed, and we haven’t even mentioned the approximately eight million people who have appeared on “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette,” or any of its spin-offs and imitators. Some shows evoke wishful identification, like those that take us inside the fabulous world of high-end real estate, while others are more about laughing at others’ ridiculousness, obsessing over their petty drama, or gawking at their unique identities and skills. If it’s still unclear, we absolutely love us some reality television, even if the genre has had its share of clunkers. And while plenty of people who have appeared on reality TV also hold it in high esteem, not everyone feels positive about the genre or the particular show they appeared on. Here is a selection of reality television contestants — some notable, some obscure — who have publicly slammed their shows.

Lisa D’Amato compared ANTM to a prison experiment

Unique Nicole/Getty Images

For someone who appeared on “America’s Next Top Model” twice, Lisa D’Amato sure has a lot of negative things to say about the franchise. For instance, in a since-deleted 2021 Instagram video, she accused Tyra Banks and other producers of using her childhood trauma for ratings. The star also claimed that speaking out against the show was a breach of contract that left her liable to be sued. 

Two years later, in light of the show’s 20th anniversary, D’Amato encouraged other “Top Model” alums to share their own negative filming experiences, even comparing the series to the Stanford Prison Experiment from 1971. “Don’t be scared of Tyra or Ken Mok. The light is coming through and more and more the fandom are on our side,” D’Amato wrote in the lengthy Instagram post (via Entertainment Weekly). “Speak up and speak freely.” 

D’Amato first appeared on “America’s Next Top Model” in Season 5, and clearly did not hold such strong negative feelings when she returned in Season 17 as part of the show’s “All-Star” cycle, which she won. She even made a brief appearance the following season. Perhaps not coincidentally, her war with “Top Model” coincided with the fading of her star — she went from “Top Model” to appearances on pretty much any other reality show she could find, including “Celebrity Rehab” and “Marriage Boot Camp.” She has also tried to make it in music and is an OnlyFans creator.

Adrianne Curry claimed the Top Model prizes were bogus

Jb Lacroix/Getty Images

Adrianne Curry was the first person to win the title of “America’s Next Top Model,” taking the crown way back when the show made its debut in 2003. She has since become better known for courting controversy, most recently when she came under fire for critiquing Madonna’s appearance in a social media post. She has also been called out for body shaming actor Melanie Lynskey, for slamming the inclusion of disabled models on the runway, and for once suggesting a boycott of BET and Black History Month. Curry seems to love any attention, even when it leads to her being accused of spewing bigotry against marginalized communities. 

Alas, Curry did not do much modeling after “Top Model.” However, she prolonged her 15 minutes by marrying “The Brady Bunch” star Christopher Knight and scoring the VH1 reality show “My Fair Brady,” which aired for three seasons. While she continues to make cameos on any reality show willing to have her, she arguably makes her biggest waves with her yearly Comic-Con costumes.

Though none of that would have been possible without “America’s Next Top Model,” Curry has spoken out about the show numerous times. Most notably, in a 2018 blog post (via Life & Style) she claimed that the contracts she won on the show were bogus, that she never received her prize money, and that Tyra Banks ghosted her. Regardless, on Instagram in 2020, she also noted that she didn’t much care, adding, “I loved being on the show.”

Carole Radziwill will not shut up about RHONY

Manny Carabel/Getty Images

We loved Carole Radziwill on “Real Housewives of New York,” mostly because her cool, down-to-earth vibe was a breath of fresh air next to the histrionics of some of her louder, unhinged co-stars. But in the years since leaving “RHONY” in 2018, Radziwill has not come off as cool and collected, so much as a dog with a bone. Her constant attacks on her former producers and co-stars have felt thirsty, even if she has peppered them with declarations of her love for the fans. Radziwill appeared on the show for six seasons — from 2012 to 2018 — and has now been talking about it for nearly as many years after leaving. For a seasoned journalist with a connection to the Kennedys, it’s all a little down in the muck for our tastes.

We could not possibly get into all of Radziwill’s beef with “RHONY” and the people associated with it, so we will give you the highlights. On Twitter in 2022, she took issue with being shown in flashbacks without earning any residual payments for it, and a year later she told The Mountains that she regretted minimizing herself for the show. She has also blasted former bestie Bethenny Frankel’s “RHONY” podcast, entered into a public feud with Andy Cohen, and on Twitter, she accused producers of manipulating narratives. During an episode of “Andy’s Girls with Sarah Galli,” she also stated that she wouldn’t return for “RHONY: Legacy” because she couldn’t tolerate having another conversation with any of her former co-stars. Ouch.

Rachel Lindsay called out racism within Bachelor Nation

Matt Winkelmeyer/2021 Mtv Movie And Tv Awards/Getty Images

Rachel Lindsay first appeared on reality television as a potential suitor on Season 21 of “The Bachelor.” She stood out so much that the franchise enlisted her as the next “Bachelorette” — making her the first Black lead in the history of the franchise. Since then, she has become one of the franchise’s most visible alumni, and she could be touted as one of its true success stories. Not only is she still married to the contestant she chose, Brian Abosolo, but she has catapulted beyond reality TV and is now an on-air correspondent with “Extra.” However, the franchise cannot exactly flaunt her achievements, because Lindsay has become one of its biggest critics — and for good reason.

Controversy erupted when “The Bachelor” finally cast their first Black leading man, Matt James. Later, photos emerged placing one of his contestants at a plantation-themed party. This was certainly not the first race-based controversy for the franchise, but it hit around the peak of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2021, so people were listening. After Lindsay interviewed longtime host Chris Harrison about the photos, his minimizing comments led to his removal from “The Bachelor.” In a very thoughtful op-ed for Vulture, Lindsay subsequently discussed tokenism and the way the franchise consistently failed in terms of diversity and claimed she’d experienced the wrath of a toxic fandom. She has since continued to critique the show, including its failure to properly address a contestant’s Blackface photo in 2022.

Andi Dorfman was disappointed by The Bachelorette

Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

To date, there have been nineteen seasons of “The Bachelorette,” which means that 20 women can call themselves by that title (thanks to the ill-conceived Season 19, which had two female leads). For every happy camper — like Trista Sutter or Hannah Brown, who have both defended the show against various critiques — it seems like there are just as many former “Bachelorettes” who have spoken out against the franchise that made them famous. Andi Dorfman is one such person, speaking bluntly about the franchise’s larger issues with sexism and racism, as well as poking fun at her own experience on the show. 

Speaking to Cosmopolitan in 2016 about her time on Season 18 of “The Bachelor, she shared that during filming she’d thought, “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever been a part of.” To be fair, the former attorney still chose to return for Season 10 of “The Bachelorette.” That second go-round was in 2014, and Dorfman has since stopped mincing her words in interviews. For instance, in 2021, she told Entertainment Tonight that she felt the franchise poorly handled the online bullying faced by Rachel Lindsay following her bombshell interview with Chris Harrison. She was similarly outspoken about Season 19’s double-lead twist, which she said was disappointing. “I’d like to see two men go at it. I don’t know. It gives me a little sexist vibe there that I don’t really love,” she told Entertainment Tonight in June 2022.

Kaitlyn Bristowe berated Bachelor Nation’s practices

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

What, did you think we were done taking aim at “The Bachelorette” already? Not so fast, as we have one more former star who has a beef with the show’s producers. Always quirky and often unpredictable, Kaitlyn Bristowe was a fan favorite when she popped up on Season 19 of “The Bachelor.” She did not win the final rose from leading man Chris Soules but got something better — the chance to star as “The Bachelorette” in Season 11 (after defeating Britt Nilsson, who was also up for the job, when the suitors took a vote on the first episode). 

Bristowe has for a long time remained relatively loyal to the franchise that made her famous, even co-hosting “The Bachelorette” alongside Tayshia Adams for Seasons 17 and 18, so we were surprised when she started throwing grenades at producers. One of her biggest claims has been that she felt persuaded to lust over contestant Nick Viall because producers kept pushing him as a hot conquest. Bristowe’s final rose ultimately went to Shawn Booth — though she is now with “Bachelor Nation” alum, Jason Tartick — but Viall was her runner-up, as he had been on the previous season with Andi Dorfman. “They really sexualized Nick to me,” Bristowe said on the podcast “Not Skinny But Not Fat.” “… They really, like, put them on a pedestal to me.” In a 2023 episode of “The Quitters” podcast, Bristowe accused creator Mike Fleiss of sexism and claimed that producers were biased toward the show’s male alum.

Caleb Johnson hated his American Idol winning song

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

“American Idol” has been on the air for decades, and megastars like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are proof it can produce tangible success stories. In the early days, even also-rans had a shot at real fame — just look at Jennifer Hudson, Chris Daughtry, and Katharine McPhee — but in later years of the show, true success was hard to come by for contestants. While winners like Trent Harmon, Candice Glover, and Nick Fradiani barely have careers, they have seemingly not spoken badly about “Idol” or its production. Caleb Johnson, however, has had some stuff to say about “American Idol” in the years following his Season 13 win.

The season aired back in 2014, and the singer has since released three albums that went largely unnoticed by the show’s fandom. So, we get why he would be a bit miffed, even if he’s in the same boat as many others who have not bit the hand that fed them. Johnson’s biggest beef is with the song “As Long As You Love Me,” which he told Insider he fought not to sing. “I knew that, by de facto, if you won you had to sing the song, and the song was just utter crap,” Johnson said. “Like it was just the worst song ever.” But look, if Kelly Clarkson can still sing her winning song “A Moment Like This,” then Johnson should be able to croak out the track he called a “cheesy piece of crap” to the 15 people at his concerts.

Mackenzie and Ryan Edwards called out Teen Mom’s fakeness

Instagram

Many “Teen Mom” franchise cast members have had their struggles, but it is rare for the show’s stars to blame production for their various issues, or even producers for airing their very real drama. After all, that is what they signed on for, and MTV is not responsible for addiction, assaults, and arrests. However, occasionally you get a disgruntled former “Teen Mom” star who wants to take down the producers in any way possible — most often, once said star is fired from the show. Enter Mackenzie and Ryan Edwards — the latter of which was charged with stalking and harassing the other in April 2023, and was sentenced to a year in prison, per In Touch. They had begun divorce proceedings a month earlier. 

Ryan was an original cast member of the first season of “16 and Pregnant,” when he fathered a baby, named Bentley, with Maci Bookout. Their contentious relationship was documented on the show, so when he got together with Mackenzie, she too became a cast member. The pair were fired in 2018, and Mackenzie told E! News that it was because the network did not want to show her husband recovering from addiction. “So they’re writing us out of the show right now and making it seem like we dipped out on our baby, on Bentley, and on everyone. And that’s just not the case,” she said. On Instagram Stories, she also accused the show of manufacturing a fake family scene after she was fired.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Carmen Carrera took aim at transphobia in RuPaul’s Drag Race

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Carmen Carrera appeared on Season 3 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and though she did not become America’s next drag superstar, she has gone on to establish herself as a bonafide model. She has also become a vocal critic of the show, particularly in relation to how it discusses and handles gender diversity. Carrera identified as a gay man on her season, but transitioned shortly after filming and quickly became a voice for the transgender community. Alongside Laverne Cox, she famously schooled journalist Katie Couric on the invasiveness of the questions often lobbed at transgender individuals during a 2014 episode of Couric’s talk show, “Katie.” She has also taken on RuPaul and co.

Though “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has many transgender alumni, the vast majority of them only publicly came out following the show. And sure, the show has featured a few openly transgender folks — including Season 15’s winner Sasha Colby — but it has also been accused of trans-erasure by a number of alumni, per The Advocate. Before its usage was stopped in 2014, Carrera also called out the show for using the pun “She-mail” as the title of a segment — a play on a clearly offensive transgender slur. “Drag Race should be a little smarter about the terms they use and comprehend the fight for respect trans people are facing every minute of today,” she wrote on Facebook, noting the pivotal role of transwomen within the drag scene. “They should use their platform to educate their viewers truthfully on all facets of drag performance art.”

Bryce Ruthven said Married at First Sight ruined his career

Instagram

The premise of “Married At First Sight” is pretty simple — and also, totally bananas. Two complete strangers are paired together by relationship experts and they marry in front of their friends and family despite having never met before. The remaining season follows their new marriage for six weeks, during which time they decide whether to divorce. Bryce Ruthven is a rare “MAFS” contestant who actually remained with his TV partner, Melissa Rawson, and the pair even walked down the aisle “for real” and welcomed twin boys together after appearing on the Australian version of the show. 

However, 15,000 viewers signed a Change.org petition urging the show’s network to apologize for failing to protect Rawson from what they perceived to be clear signs of abusive behavior from Ruthven. “She is being subject to emotional manipulation, isolation, and countless other textbook signs of a controlling relationship,” the petition claimed. A spokesperson from Nine Network assured B&T magazine that the relationship wasn’t deemed as having any characteristics of domestic violence. 

Meanwhile, Ruthven accused the show of having edited footage of his relationship to look like something that it wasn’t. “What came out on screen was not how our relationship played out at all, so to us they have deliberately gone out of their way to manufacture a relationship that reflected domestic violence, which it never did,” he told the Herald Sun. He also claimed that his portrayal as a manipulative abuser destroyed his career in radio.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Kate Stoltz has nothing nice to say about Return to Amish

Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images

From the start, “Breaking Amish” was a controversial reality television show, in that it featured Amish and Mennonite individuals busting out of their communities and into the bright lights (and big dangers) of the big city. The TLC show ran for four seasons, after which it was transitioned into “Return to Amish,” which brought people back from city life to their Amish communities. “Return to Amish” has been on the air since 2014, and the original hoopla around the Amish angle has long settled. But at least one of the show’s former stars feels that the franchise had a negative effect on her life, and she has expressed major regrets about appearing on it at all.

Fashion designer Kate Stoltz was a cast member of “Breaking Amish” from the beginning, and the show documented her attempts at modeling before she decided to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. After appearing in the first two seasons of “Breaking Amish,” Stoltz returned to TLC for the first three seasons of “Return to Amish.” But in 2016, she went off on the show in since-deleted posts on Twitter, right before the premiere of its third season (which she was on). “Doing a reality show was one of the worst decisions I made in my life. Everything on the show is so edited and out of context,” she wrote. In another tweet, she claimed that producers kept her in a room for hours on end to get the statement they wanted captured on camera.

Leah Messer felt betrayed by Teen Mom 2

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Due to the astronomical success of “Teen Mom” (renamed “Teen Mom OG” for later seasons), MTV has continued to create spin-offs stemming from their “16 and Pregnant” franchise, though not all of them have stuck the landing. Still, “Teen Mom 2” was a huge hit for the network, airing for eleven seasons before the decision was made to integrate the cast of the show with that of “Teen Mom: OG” to create “Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.” Leah Messer was one of the original cast members of “Teen Mom 2,” and she remained on the show through the entire course of its run — from 2011 to 2022 — so it was not surprising when she earned a spot on the new series.

Her return for Season 2 of the show would be more surprising, though — not because Messer is not a fan favorite (she is) or that her narrative is not interesting (she had a big cheating scandal last season), but because she has alluded to leaving the show on social media. Even In Touch speculated that she may want her own spinoff. Messer’s relationship with the franchise has continued despite her talking poorly about the show back in 2016. In March of that year, she accused the show of editorial manipulation, tweeting, “It hurts to feel betrayed by the ones I thought I could trust with my story.” She took to Twitter a month later, to add, “Oh, how I love this fake a** TV show. #SoOverIt.” Turns out, she wasn’t over it at all.

Christine Quinn claimed Selling Sunset was a sham

lev radin/Shutterstock

When “Selling Sunset” made its debut on Netflix in March 2019, it became just about as close to a watercooler show as one can get in the streaming era. Everyone was talking about it — the luxury homes, those two little twin brothers, and the roster of leggy real estate agents who towered over them. Two cast members became immediate fan favorites: sunny newbie Chrishell Stause and office villain Christine Quinn, though for very different reasons. Wherein Stause was likable and relatable, Quinn stood out for her combative personality, quick wit, and unique style. Love her or love to hate her, she helped to put “Selling Sunset” on the map.

Quinn remained on the series through the end of Season 5, but that last season was so tough for her that she skipped the reunion with claims of COVID-19 (which some alleged she fabricated). Right before Season 5 premiered, it became fairly clear she may not return for another one when she tweeted, “Enjoy the new season and all of its 5,000 fake storylines!” During a May 2022 episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, she further claimed producers manipulated footage and fabricated storylines, like the one about her bribing a potential client.

She continued to slam the show on “Access Hollywood,” “Watch What Happens Live,” and anywhere else she could. So much so that she claimed to “This Morning” (via Daily Mail), that executive producer Adam DeVillo had attempted to silence her, alleging, “He has given me so many letters.”

Chrishell Stause also took aim at fake storylines

DFree/Shutterstock

Let’s move on from “Selling Sunset’s” prime villain to its — if we are being truly honest — central character, Chrishell Stause. She was arguably the only person in the cast who had any real name recognition prior to the start of the show. That was partially because of her work on soap operas like “All My Children” and “Days of Our Lives,” and partially because of her high-profile marriage to “This Is Us” zaddy Justin Hartley. But even without any previous notoriety, we think Stause would have shone through as the star, given her engaging personality and girl-next-door charm. We rooted for her to find her footing as the new realtor at The Oppenheim Group, and cried with her when her divorce from Hartley was documented in real-time in Season 3.

“Selling Sunset” felt much more like an ensemble in Season 5, but Stause still had plenty of scenes, and she was always depicted relatively well in relation to her co-stars, who were at times presented as mean girls. But that positive edit may be changing, if we are to believe Stause’s Instagram Stories posts shared during filming for Season 6. “The way reality TV producers twist and manipulate things to create a narrative,” she wrote in her story alongside snake and garbage can emojis. “[It] sucks to not be able to be proud of what you’re working on.” In another post, she urged producers, “Scrap this fake narrative … Viewers do not want manufactured drama.”

Lucky for Kat Odell, few remember Eat Drink Love

Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images

Of all the reality shows referenced on this list, “Eat Drink Love” is absolutely the most obscure. The show was a one-season wonder that aired on Bravo in the late summer and early fall of 2013. It centered on a group of female friends who all worked in the Los Angeles culinary scene, either directly with food or behind the scenes as a marketer, editor, or publicist. The series was about more than just work and food, since it followed the women’s personal lives as well, but next to the “Real Housewives” and “Married to Medicine,” it was a total snooze fest. None of its stars have remained in the public eye, but it is unclear whether that was a purposeful choice.

Back when (a few) people were talking about “Eat Drink Love,” one of its stars, Kat Odell, spoke up about how she felt unfairly portrayed. She was so alarmed by her depiction that she did not even wait until the end of the season to make her concerns known — it took only three weeks for the culinary journalist to complain to The Wrap. At the time, Odell was an editor of Eater LA, and she was upset that the show made her appear unprofessional. “When you’re actually in it and you see how things are edited, it’s frustrating,” Odell later told Life & Thyme of her characterization. “… I am very serious about my job and I’m really serious about food and dining which wasn’t portrayed on the show.”

Genesis Moss Keefer trashed The Real World

Instagram

We are going to go way back with this entry on our list — not all the way back to the 1973 docuseries “An American Family,” but to one of the shows it inspired, MTV’s “The Real World.” The influential show began in 1992 — its original season took place in New York City — and it’s diverse cast and unique premise opened up cultural conversations about a number of social and political issues. The show went on to air 32 seasons, and its legacy cannot be understated, even if some seasons were more watchable than others. Here, we are interested in Season 6, “The Real World: Boston.”

The sixth season of the series came out in 1997, and it had the usual seven cast members living together in a shared space. By today’s standards, the most significant cast member was Sean Duffy, who went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives before becoming a Fox TV personality. However, he only became an important figure years later. His fellow cast member, Genesis Moss Keefer was important from the get-go, as she memorably came out as a lesbian at a time when there were few depictions of LGBTQ+ people in media (which is actually part of the reason she tried out for the show, per MTV). Years later, Keefer dissed her franchise by comparing newer seasons to “Jerry Springer.” “I haven’t watched that s*** for 10 years,” she told TMZ in 2010.

Jade Cline called out Teen Mom: Family Reunion’s editing

Rich Polk/Getty Images

The “Teen Mom” shows can get confusing because they all have similar titles, and there is cast overlap between many of them. So, do not feel bad if you are not familiar with “Teen Mom: Family Reunion,” despite it being one of the franchise’s current offerings. The show was created in 2022 and features cast members from “Teen Mom: OG,” “Teen Mom 2,” and “Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant.” We are not quite sure why MTV needs both “Family Reunion” and “The Next Chapter” versions of the show — especially since the majority of the cast is the same on both — but we long ago learned not to question this franchise’s choices.

One of the show’s stars, Jade Cline, had a problem with the way the show’s crew edited her story in Season 2, which aired in early 2023. After having appeared on both “Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom 2” for years before being cast on “Family Reunion” (and “The Next Chapter), you would think Cline would understand reality TV editing practices. But she took it personally when producers cut a pivotal scene featuring an emotional trust therapy session between herself and her mother, with whom Cline has had a rocky relationship for years. “The show is so focused on the drama it loses what’s most important,” she proclaimed to a fan in an Instagram Q&A. “… The show was supposed to be about growth and therapy. That’s why I came on.”

Dr. J’Tia Hart thinks Survivor has a race problem

Instagram

We have already spoken about how “The Bachelor” franchise has mishandled issues related to race and diversity, and now it is time to talk about how “Survivor” has been critiqued for creating a similarly poor atmosphere for people of color, both on set and in the audience. In 2023, Season 28 contestant Dr. J’Tia Hart started a Move On petition urging executive producers of “Survivor” to take action in combating a harmful lack of diversity behind and before the camera. Prior to that point, more than a dozen other Black contestants had already spoken out about the way the show draws upon and perpetuates racial stereotypes. Heck, two contestants even had this conversation on the show during Season 42.

Hart’s season was set in Cagayan in the Philippines before the show permanently moved production to Fiji, and it did not portray her well. “What they don’t do a great job with, is telling positive stories and connecting with the multifacets of being African American,” Hart said in an NPR interview. “I have a degree in nuclear engineering from a top engineering school. I’m a mother. I work in national security. I am very well-rounded. And I just got boiled down to a simple trope of a lazy, unintelligent person.” Hart is not alone, as evidenced by a June 2020 episode of Rob Cesterino’s “Rob Has a Podcast,” where 13 other Black alumni alleged experiencing racial harassment from other contestants and fans, and numerous other concerns.

Danielle Ruhl claimed Love is Blind was a toxic workplace

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Netflix took a while to join the reality TV game, but they sure came out swinging when they did, with big hits like “The Circle,” “Selling Sunset,” and the rebooted “Queer Eye.” They also commissioned a number of dating shows, including “Too Hot To Handle,” “Perfect Match,” and “Love Is Blind” — the latter of which is both the most interesting and the most popular. The show places single men and women in rooms where they cannot see each other and encourages them to get engaged within weeks of chatting. They can only meet their suitor face-to-face after an engagement, upon which they head off to a retreat and then an apartment before deciding on whether to marry.

It was only a matter of time until someone took issue with the show’s out-there experiment, but we did not expect it to come in the form of an Insider exposé. Season 2 contestant Danielle Ruhl was one of the contestants interviewed for the piece, and she had scathing things to say about the show. She accused producers of using her weight issues against her and of providing minimal food and inadequate medical care. She added her surprise at being cast given her history of mental illness. When she was experiencing mental instability during filming, she alleged that producers persuaded her to stay. “I kept telling them, ‘I don’t trust myself,'” she said. “‘I’ve tried committing suicide before. I’m having suicidal thoughts. I don’t think I can continue in this.'”

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.

Amber Pike has similarly slammed Love is Blind

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Amber Pike is another “Love Is Blind” contestant who has spoken out about the show, although she did not do so in the bombshell Business Insider profile. However, she did pipe up around the same time the exposé came out, no doubt because of an increased interest in past contestants. Pike was featured on the show’s inaugural season, back when contestants had no idea what to expect. Like Danielle Ruhl, she married her suitor. But whereas Ruhl and her hubby Nick Thompson divorced in under a year, as of this writing Pike and her husband Matthew Barnett are still going strong years after marrying in November 2018 (the season aired in early 2020). In theory, Pike is one of the few contestants who should be happy with the show, based on her final outcome. But she’s not, which is why she is on our list.

Pike’s initial negative comments about the show were in response to a fan on Instagram. When the person asked about her favorite couple from Season 4 of the show, Pike said she did not watch “Love Is Blind.” After pushback implying she should be grateful, she wrote, “We are together in spite of that show not because of it.” Pike also claimed that she’d warned producers to stay away from them, but compared to other “Love Is Blind” alumni, Pike’s comments were nothing. Interestingly, she still lists the show in her Instagram bio, while Barnett does not — though his Instagram handle, Barnettisblind, is an obvious nod to the program.