Top 10 Shocking Reality Show Secrets

This one will probably come as no surprise, but when producers are making the final casting choices for their shows, they tend to lean towards contestants who are, let’s just say...interesting. There are many sources that say that shows like “The Bachelor” do psychological testing of contestants before they’re actually put on the air, but considering some of the insane reality TV moments we’ve seen, we’re betting that this process isn’t the most thorough on every show. TV is all about keeping viewers engaged, so of course producers are going to pick people who they think will stir up trouble.

One of the reasons reality TV has taken off is that it can be so inexpensive to produce. Unlike traditional shows where talent has to be paid high salaries, reality show participants often appear for free. But one easy way to get a sense of the budget is location. While productions like “Survivor” and “The Bachelor” shoot on location and fly their contestants around the world, any show that simply follows people living their own lives can be produced for next to nothing. When your shooting locations are free, you don’t have to worry about high overhead costs for making a show.

While some reality show participants can end up making some serious bank – example, the Kardashians – for the most part the people you see on your favorite shows are probably making way less money than you think. One producer said that they can make as little as a simple daily stipend to pay for food and other expenses. Even though people who appear on competition shows often have to leave their jobs and families behind, they can come out of it empty handed if they don’t make it to the final rounds.

As much fun as they are to watch, we all know that most of our favorite reality TV shows aren’t exactly “real”. Scenarios are contrived, lines are scripted, and the drama is amped up with crazy amounts of editing. What you might not realize though is that this is true of most reality shows, not just the ones with big stars and high budgets. Some people have alleged that even shows like “Cake Boss” create unrealistic situations for the cameras. And competition shows like “Last Comic Standing” have been known to use editing to make the comics seem way less funny than they actually are.

House hunting shows can be totally addictive and easy to binge – especially when you fall asleep with the remote in your hand, which you've almost certainly done! – and the most fun part is trying to guess which home the participants will eventually choose. Through the years, however, reports started to surface that there was more than standard editing trickery at play here. In fact, many of the “hunters” had already found homes by the time they started filming, and everything that appeared in the episode was just for show. Even knowing this, we doubt that we’re going to stop watching it!

Shows like “Storage Wars” are based on the excitement of finding out what’s to be discovered behind the door when participants bid on storage lockers. Sometimes they’re disappointed, but sometimes there are hidden gems to be found that will make them huge profits. Unfortunately though, at least one person has reported that after attending a filming of an episode of “Storage Wars”, it was obvious that producers were planting items in the lockers in advance to ensure an exciting result. Kind of defeats the whole purpose of the show!

Seeing a rundown house magically transform into a designer dream home is one of the most satisfying things you can see on television. But, there’s always a portion near the end of the episode where there’s a sped up montage of all the work being finished, capped with the family getting the reveal of all the work that has been done. On at least one TLC favorite, “Trading Spaces”, there are way more people involved than it may seem. According to one person who appeared on the show, it wasn’t just the couple doing the work, but a whole team of unseen employees.

While some cooking shows like “The Great British Bake Off” make it clear that the contestants are given the outline of their challenges in advance, many other make it appear as though they’re only learning what recipe they have to make in that very moment. One competitor from the show “Cupcake Wars” confessed that they were actually told what their “surprise” ingredients would be months before the airing actually took place. This let them test and prepare recipes in advance, and kind of shatters the illusion the show is trying to create.

One insider secret that you probably didn't think about is lighting, glorious perfect lighting. Just like on any other TV show, lighting setups for reality TV can be complicated and require extensive equipment to achieve. So when a character on your favorite show spontaneously decides to stop by a friend’s place to confront her about something, you can bet that it’s all arranged in advance. The person’s house has to be professionally lit, which could take hours to set up. Keep that in mind next time you see something happen “out of the blue” on a reality show.

Do you ever wonder why the Bachelors and Bachelorettes sometimes keep giving a rose to someone who is clearly crazy week after week? That’s likely because their antics are bound to bring in big ratings, so the producers have requested that they be kept around. A reality TV producer revealed to Reader’s Digest that while the judges on many shows do really pick who is eliminated each week, the higher ups will often come in to make the final calls on whether they want someone to stay or go. True love doesn't conquer much when it wasn't in the room to begin with.