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November 16, 2025 7 mins

# The Reality TV Rabbit Hole: From The Biggest Loser to Wicked Fit

Step into our nostalgic journey through the golden age of reality television! From emotional home makeovers to bizarre medical fascinations, we dive deep into the shows that defined a generation. Our hosts reminisce about everything from MTV classics like The Real World and The Challenge to the problematic yet captivating shows like The Swan that would never make it to air today.

Did you know one of our very own has a reality TV connection? Discover the surprising revelation about a host's wife who starred in her own show "Wicked Fit" as we explore how reality television evolved from guilty pleasure to cultural phenomenon. Plus, catch an unexpected detour into a celebrity sighting opportunity as Charlie Day makes his way to Boston this weekend.

## Timestamps & Highlights:
- 0:00 - Introduction to iconic reality shows like The Biggest Loser and Extreme Makeover Home Edition
- 3:15 - MTV's reality empire: From Real World to The Challenge
- 5:30 - The problematic era: Shot at Love, Next, and The Swan
- 8:45 - Caller contributions: Laguna Beach and The Hills
- 10:20 - The surprising revelation about a host's wife starring in "Wicked Fit"
- 12:30 - Breaking news about Charlie Day's Boston appearances this weekend

## Key Takeaways:
- Reality TV created an entire industry that continues to thrive decades later
- Early 2000s reality shows pushed boundaries in ways that wouldn't be acceptable today
- Local connections to reality TV are more common than you might think
- The genre spans from competition shows to lifestyle documentaries

Can't get enough reality TV talk? Listen to the full episode to hear our hosts' hilarious takes on the shows that shaped pop culture and discover which forgotten gems deserve a rewatch. Whether you're team Kardashians or team Traders, this episode will have you reminiscing about your favorite guilty pleasure shows!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We were going down the rabbit hole of reality shows
of all time, and how could we forget like The
Biggest Loser, Extreme Makeover Home Edition.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
The Buss when they moved the bush, it was legendary,
so emotional. Man. Yeah, is that show still on? I
don't think so. No.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
American Ninja Warrior where they go out on the obstacle
course and that's another reality queer eye for the straight guy.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Oh yeah, Carson Kressley was on that Project Runway.

Speaker 4 (00:31):
I never watched that either. My wife's a huge trash
TV reality show person. But now it's funny now that
she's gotten a little bit older, she watches a lot
of HGTV, Like she was devastated about Jonathan Scho getting canceled.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
The Farmhouse Show, The farmhous Show, Jonathan Knight.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Do you guys watch Doctor Pimple Popper?

Speaker 2 (00:50):
I can't know, it's disgusting.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Oh yeah, And then you've got those shows like My
ten Thousand Pounds Sister and.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, My Strange Obsession, Yes, guys on the it's so
many good ones. Oh yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:04):
How can you talk about MTV's reality TV but not
talk about the best competition show The Challenge going on
for over thirty seasons now, definitely one of the best.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
Yeah. So you had the Real World and then you
had the Challenge. Yeah I remember that.

Speaker 4 (01:20):
Sorry, you had the rail World and you had Road
Rules where they would take him on the road, and
then they put them together and picked contestants from each
show and had the Challenge.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Which is still on.

Speaker 6 (01:31):
I just never watched that.

Speaker 4 (01:32):
Oh it's so good. There's a local guy that's been
on a bunch of them CT he's local. And then
don't forget Ashley down the Hall was on the Rail World.

Speaker 6 (01:38):
That's right, you are Oh, that's right.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Yeah, she was.

Speaker 6 (01:41):
There and they had a Boston season.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
They did, they did I think early on. Yeah, they did.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Oh my god, because we had one of the guys on.

Speaker 6 (01:49):
I just thought of that.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
My wife, Michelle was in a reality show.

Speaker 4 (01:53):
What reality show?

Speaker 2 (01:54):
I forget the name of it. Oh, we need to
find this out.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
Yeah, she was on a reality show, both she and
her sister. Really yeah, on the early days of reality TV.
But when you think about the industry that reality TV became,
I mean it's massive.

Speaker 6 (02:08):
Listen to all these shows.

Speaker 2 (02:10):
There's so many.

Speaker 4 (02:11):
I mean I have so many talkbacks and so many
shows that I completely forgot about.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
Do you guys remember Shot at Love with Chila Tequila?

Speaker 5 (02:17):
Yeah, that show was wild.

Speaker 4 (02:20):
I remember that Tila Tequila. There was a local contestant
on that show too, from my city in Malden. Really yeah. Yeah,
they were like completely unhinged these shows.

Speaker 7 (02:29):
I just want to make a note of how absolutely
unhinged early two thousands reality TV was. I don't know
if anybody remembers that show Next on MTV, and it
was like somebody would get off the bus and then
their date would be waiting for them and they'd take
one look at them and be like no. And then
they were like really problematic shows like The Swan where

(02:50):
they were essentially like this woman is so ugly, we're
getting her extensive plastic surgery to change her life.

Speaker 6 (02:56):
Yeah, that was so messed up.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
I remember it was like one season and then it
just became like a horror show. Remember Joe Millionaire and
then we found he came in and then we found
out that he wasn't a millionaire.

Speaker 6 (03:07):
Yes, it was a complete fraud.

Speaker 3 (03:10):
Fraud, yeah, and they were all vying for the millionaires love.

Speaker 6 (03:13):
Oh, we're going to be set for life. Nothing nothing.

Speaker 4 (03:16):
Yeah, I remember you telling me that story he came
into the studio. I did, Yeah, yeah, I remember you
tell me that.

Speaker 5 (03:21):
Does anyone remember the show Meets the Barkers with Travis
Parker and channel.

Speaker 8 (03:25):
Mostly his ex wife, and I thought it was the
best show.

Speaker 3 (03:27):
I can't remember what network was on, but it was
one of the first reality shows.

Speaker 8 (03:32):
I actually remember.

Speaker 4 (03:34):
Meet the Parkers. I think I did watch that two
thousand and five ish it was on MTV.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
Travis Parker, Let's go to the phones.

Speaker 3 (03:41):
Kaitlyn has one, Caitlin, what reality show you want to
talk about?

Speaker 1 (03:46):
Good Morning?

Speaker 9 (03:47):
I definitely have to talk about Laguna Beach and The Hills.
Those were definitely one of my favorite men.

Speaker 6 (03:52):
So those were reality shows?

Speaker 2 (03:55):
Yeah, of course, The Hills, Yeah they were, yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah yeah.

Speaker 4 (03:58):
It followed the The Teenagers were the Teenagers? And Laguna Beach.

Speaker 3 (04:02):
Wow, was One Tree Hill a reality show?

Speaker 1 (04:05):
That Dawson's Creek was not real reality show?

Speaker 2 (04:13):
No, well, Bill's only focused on one show.

Speaker 8 (04:16):
Good Morning guys. It's whinny kidding Good Morning guys, especially
Billy listen. If the topic is reality TV shows, there's
only one, and obviously it's a tidy playbooks. It's following
this tunky guy eating food? What's better than that?

Speaker 9 (04:30):
He?

Speaker 7 (04:30):
Oh, right, you would be in that category.

Speaker 3 (04:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
Would that be considered a reality show? I don't think so,
because it's not a competition. No, they don't have to be.

Speaker 5 (04:41):
No.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
I mean, look at the Osbourne's or the Kardashians.

Speaker 3 (04:44):
I guess in some way it could be a reality
show Meet Boston, probably more because we're out on the
streets interacting with people and artists and architects and front
tours and stuff.

Speaker 2 (04:55):
I guess it could be.

Speaker 3 (04:57):
Did you text my wife yet and find out what
the name of I'll busy right now, but I'll find out.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
There's a show out called The High.

Speaker 10 (05:04):
Potential the episode two of season two Aeric last Night.
It is a really great show. I started watching it
because I don't know her name, but she's in. It's
like the blonde girl from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Speaker 4 (05:19):
Oh my god, Oh I have something on this What
I forgot to tell you about this bill? So It's
Always Sunny in Philadelphia. That's a great show. I don't
know if you've ever ever seen. It's been on forever.
It's hilarious. Well, Charlie Day who's the co creator and
star of the show, is going to be in Boston
this weekend for free events.

Speaker 2 (05:35):
You can meet Charlie Day.

Speaker 4 (05:37):
Really yeah, he's got a new whiskey and he's coming
to Boston this weekend to promote it. He's going to
be in Boston Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night
where well, listen up if you are a fan of
It's Always Sunny. He's gonna be at Lucky's Lounge Thursday night,
nine thirty, back Bay Social Friday night at eight and
Saturday a Landsdown club after the Red Sox game between

(05:58):
seven thirty and eight.

Speaker 2 (06:00):
These are free events.

Speaker 7 (06:01):
Wow.

Speaker 6 (06:02):
Lucky by the way, very cool place, great pizza.

Speaker 4 (06:04):
Yeah, so get there early if you want to meet Charlie.
I will be at Lansdown. You're going, I'm going to
meet Charlie da I'm a big fan of Charlie Day.
It's Always Sunny's is a classic. Okay, He's so good,
Danny DeVito, come on, so get there early.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
Sorry, I'm sorry. All right, you're kind of losing it
over Charlie Day. I just well, he's it's a great show.

Speaker 3 (06:25):
All right.

Speaker 6 (06:25):
Do you have three opportunities to meet Charlie Day.

Speaker 4 (06:28):
We do the wrap up at nine. All my it's
always Sonny fans, please chime in and let's educate Billy.

Speaker 2 (06:34):
Thank you very much, Hey.

Speaker 9 (06:36):
Sarah for me. And if you're still not watching The
Traders on Peacock what what what are you doing? That
has to be one of the best reality TV competition
shows ever, especially last season. Boston Rob you guys were
just talking about, was actually on last season and there
is an episode where there's a face off between him

(06:56):
and Bob's the Drag Queen. That has to be one
of the best episodes of TV in history. It is
so good.

Speaker 5 (07:04):
Please go watch it.

Speaker 2 (07:05):
There's a new one you have to check out. Yeah,
I've got my wife's reality show.

Speaker 3 (07:09):
What was it called Wicked Fit.

Speaker 1 (07:13):
It was based on her gym.

Speaker 6 (07:16):
Yes, I think a lot of it took place in
her This is amazing. Yeah, producers came in from California
and it was like a big deal and she was
like the gym owner.

Speaker 3 (07:24):
Yeah, but she would always end up in arguments with
people or something.

Speaker 6 (07:27):
She told me about it over the years. Wicked Fit featuring.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
I'm on the Hunt, I'm Gonna find Her. I cannot
believe you bet this,
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