Celebrity Traitors is obsessed with the past
The show’s line-up seems to have been selected from a decade ago. But that’s nothing to fret about
ByReality TV
The problem with “open secrets”
Also this week: Netflix tackles the Corby toxic waste scandal and polyamory admin.
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The paradox of Molly-Mae Hague
The influencer can post hundreds of pictures of her life online, and still avoid sharing her real self.
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I love the Traitors – but hate its cliffhanger endings
The show’s teasing, abrupt credit rolls just make me feel cheated. In the age of streaming, the TV cliffhanger should…
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The complaint that could change reality TV
The National Labor Relations Board’s case against Netflix series Love is Blind could have significant impacts across the industry
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The dark heart of Strictly Come Dancing
The show, once celebrated for its wholesomeness, is now emblematic of an uncomfortable truth in TV entertainment.
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The decline of wedding reality TV
The highly anticipated release of Love Is Blind UK has met a surprisingly tepid response. Is this the death of the…
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The reality TV rehabilitation machine
Controversial celebrities from Matt Hancock to Alec Baldwin are turning to the genre to transform their public image. Is it…
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The Jury: Murder Trial and the misogyny of the British public
This disquieting Channel 4 series reveals the shocking way some men still talk about women.
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Is The Traitors really “ethical reality TV”?
All reality TV is just fun and games – until it isn’t.
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The problem with The Rehearsal and Jury Duty
An emerging genre blurs the lines between reality TV and scripted comedy. But who is the butt of the joke?
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The rise of reality star documentaries
Former cast members from Love Island or Made in Chelsea have a new route to relevance – presenting “serious” factual…
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How Alison Hammond charmed Britain
The new Great British Bake Off presenter’s greatest strength is that she never seems to be presenting at all.
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Even Claudia Winkleman can’t make The Traitors watchable
The BBC’s latest stab at a reality show, with a murder mystery-style twist, is a convoluted extravaganza of tedium.
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The pandemic was a communal trauma, and we need culture to help us process it
I loathed the idea of lockdown novels or TV. In its own tragicomic way I’m a Celebrity has changed my…
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Matt Hancock is sanitising his image on I’m A Celebrity. Everyone watching is complicit
Hancock is shamelessly deflecting from his political record by cheerfully eating worms on camera – and the British public are…
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Matt Hancock joins “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!”… and loses the whip
The disgraced former health secretary was running for chair of the Treasury Select Committee just 24 hours before.
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How Married At First Sight became the biggest reality franchise in the world
Why the TV show is a breakout hit in 14 different countries.
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Will this be the most feral Love Island yet?
For years, we have lamented Love Island as commercialised and insincere. But after the past 15 months, who actually cares?
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The secrets that make The Circle the best reality show on television
On paper, The Circle shouldn’t work. So how did it become TV’s most unique reality series?
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