Top 10 Craziest Reality TV Casts of All Time

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Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re playing back some of the wildest moments from the most unhinged casts in reality TV history. So grab your popcorn and maybe a glass of pinot, just in case you feel compelled to throw it.

#10: Love is Blind: Season 9

Love may be blind, but the casting producers certainly had their eyes peeled when they put together this bizarre batch of romantics. Like, honestly. What is this man doing? There’s Sparkle Megan, who’s match Jordan offers a truly debaucherous confessional line. There’s also Madison, who reveals she’s actually going blind. Kacie dumps Patrick once she sees him. A number of participants ghost each other in the pod. Nick thinks being gay is a fad, and finds humor in kids getting hurt. Is there anyone to root for this season? What these couples lack in likability, they make up for in sheer insanity. No seriously, what is going on with Edmond?

#9: 90 Day Fiancé: Season 4

TLC, the exploitation network, absolutely hit it out of the park with “90 Day Fiancé,” a show that brings together international couples who may or may not be using each other for visas. Season 4 has the most deranged band of characters, like thrice divorced Matt, and Pedro with his brawling, scamming family. Highlights include pretty much any scene Anfisa and Jorge were in. Because she was so openly using him for his money, it was hard not to reach through the screen and shake the poor guy. Granted, Jorge was also a compulsive liar, so he perfectly rounded out the dysfunctional cast.

#8: The Real World: Denver

One of the first of its kind, “The Real World” drew eyes by placing everyday people from all walks of life in the same house and forcing them to co-exist. However, the Denver season pushed the pressure cooker to its logical conclusion with the casting; like putting a deeply religious, admittedly homophobic, black man under the same roof as a gay, white man who made it a habit of calling his housemates racial slurs. There were scandalous love triangles, moments of brazen infidelity, and multiple housemates struggling with alcohol use disorder. It certainly felt like MTV had hired a group of people who were not in the right state of mind to have cameras thrust in their faces. But maybe that’s kind of the point!

#7: Dance Moms

Lifetime had the brilliant idea of taking a bunch of karens who were overly invested in their children’s dance careers and creating a reality TV series about all their manic follies. While there’s a number of wildly entertaining seasons, the second really hits its stride. Abby Lee Miller hadn’t fully evolved into a reprehensible villain yet. The women had a frenzied, but funny dynamic. And the kids still kind of seemed to enjoy dancing and filming. Okay, maybe not. Overprotective stage moms Christi and Melissa repeatedly clashed over the perceived favoritism in the studio. Kelly was guaranteed to bring the drama, even getting into a physical altercation with the head of the troupe later. Oh, and remember that Season 2 moment where the moms took to the stage to provide a number only matched by the likes of Napoleon Dynamite?

#6: House of Villains: Season 1

When a task force of antagonists from across reality television is assembled to produce the most supervillainous show ever—you know it’s gonna be batsh*t! A number of players in this meta-parody of the genre debuted on shows in this very list, meaning Season 1 was stacked with agents of chaos. Outside of the usual subjects, “Love & Hip Hop: Miami’s” Bobby Lytes added a ton of messiness for the sake of messiness. Omarosa, the difficult-to-work-with shrew from “The Apprentice” proved she could still push people's buttons. “The Challenge” god Johnny Bananas flirted and connived through every round, while “Survivor’s” infamous snake, Fairplay, whined his way through the competition. And, of course, “Bad Girls Club’s” Tanisha brought out her pots and pans to disrupt the peace once again. Segue!

#5: Bad Girls Club: Season 15

This season was composed of sisters who had issues beyond comprehension. The show introduced a life coach in Season 12, but nothing could have prepared her for the waterworks (and fireworks) of Season 15. There was the dysfunctional pair of Kristina and Angela, who’s massive fight had to be almost entirely censored. And Victoria and Amanda, twins who shared the same husband, and who got jumped before even making it fully into the mansion. Plus, Olivia, who both lied about having cancer, and being related to her faux-sister in the house, Diamond (who was actually her ex). This season was full of twerking, beatdowns, and unresolved family trauma that introduced a new layer of carnage to the chaotic club.

#4: The Real Housewives of New Jersey

The Bravoverse has put out many turbulent reality shows, but the “Real Housewives” franchise stands above the pack. And the series that has produced the most unhinged housewives is none other than New Jersey. From Teresa flipping tables, to Danielle snatching hair, and Caroline’s “whirlwind of stupidity,” the cast never disappoints. When Melissa was introduced as Teresa’s foil, she brought a ton of family baggage with her, and remained the center of rumors and gossip. Even ladies who became main cast years in, like Margaret and Jen, have added amusing one-liners and controversial rivalries. With a lot of Housewives series, it feels like the women spend greater parts of the season making snide remarks, overreacting, and dragging the passive aggressive energy toward an inevitable reconciliation. But the ladies of the Garden State never bite their tongues.

#3: Big Brother: Season 9

For a show that records and streams its contestants every word to the internet 24/7, it’s a given that “Big Brother” would produce some insane seasons. Season 15 gets an honorable mention for being so problematic that a warning screen had to be permanently affixed to the CBS live feeds. But today, we’re talking about Season 9: the experimental, winter, dating-show-hybrid-season that was full of bad gameplay and sloppy fights. Let’s recap! Joshua took aim at house pariah Amanda, weaponizing her father’s death to low blow her in an argument. Chelsia angrily smashed the easter eggs designed by Natalie, who was eerily obsessed with her pairing Matt. Crazy James was subject to a number of blowouts. Two houseguests passed out simultaneously due to unrelated medical emergencies. Oh, and the winner, Adam, used his prize money to start a drug ring. There’s a reason this season is forgotten, even if the cast was completely insane!

#2: The Flavor of Love: Season 1

The landscape of reality TV looked very different in 2006. Unconcerned with today’s social media backlash, participants were more unabashedly outrageous. “The Flavor of Love” cast members delivered a truly delectable first season. Most of this calamity was cooked up by Tiffany “New York” Pollard, who has enjoyed a long career in reality TV as a result. Pumpkin gave us the spit felt around the world. Hottie blessed us with the microwaved chicken moment (she also scored a cooking show because of it). And Smiley was eliminated after being exposed for still talking to her ex. On top of all this, you have the over-the-top personality of Flavor Flav, who was trying to pick his perfect bachelorette out of this sea of buckwild hopefuls. To no surprise, none of the winning women from any of the 3 seasons lasted.

#1: Jersey Shore

It’s the series that made guido culture mainstream in the early 2010s. Most reality TV around this time was trashy, exploitative shlock. And while we aren’t saying “Jersey Shore” is above that standard, it stood out in a number of ways. The biggest of all? The cast! Producers struck gold when they compiled characters like Snooki, JWoww, and Mike “The Situation.” Even the less interesting housemates like Ron and Sam brought their own brand of disorder to the show. Everyone played their role, and played it well, inspiring parodies, halloween costumes, and numerous spinoffs. Whether they were hooking up, fistpumping in the club, or fighting in the club, the “Jersey Shore” cast was magnetic. Iconic catchphrases, drunken arrests, scandalous notes, and pickle juice abound!

Which reality TV cast did you find to be the most out of their minds? Comment below!