Ariana Madix entered into her Andy Cohen era as host of the Love Island USA Season 6 reunion. The sit-down was highly anticipated after Season 6 became this summer’s must-watch TV. Fans had many questions for our Islanders as to how their relationship dynamics, both romantic and friendly, have been affected after leaving Fiji. Thankfully, Ariana was determined to get to the bottom of all of it.
Kendall and Nicole go head-to-head
Photo Credit: Jocelyn Prescod/Peacock
Kendall Washington and Nicole Jacky’s relationship has been up in the air since the Love Island USA finale. Sure, they may have exchanged “I love yous” before the show ended, but it wasn’t so easy after they stopped filming. Kendall also dealt with a very private NSFW video getting leaked online almost immediately after he left Fiji. Apparently, the horrible event led to some serious relationship problems between the finalists.
Essentially, Nicole was upset that Kendall initially lied about the origins of the video. He claimed it was sent to an ex-girlfriend from years ago, but Nicole discovered that Kendall had sent the video from his hotel room in Fiji prior to filming to a random person on a dating app. Kendall said that because of how overwhelming the situation was, he didn’t feel like he could be honest at the moment.
“I couldn’t even talk to my family about it I didn’t know what to tell you,” Kendall said. “I’ve literally never been in that position in my life.” Kendall did take accountability, apologized and essentially begged to fix things with Nicole. Even his fellow Islanders defended Kendall for trying to make things work with Nicole.
However, Nicole took the defensive route and it’s unclear if their relationship can survive. Ultimately, the Love Island USA Season 6 cast and Ariana reassured both parties that they are there to support whatever decision they make in their relationship. Based on the looks of it, reconciliation seems like a long road away.
Aaron seals his fate with Kaylor
Photo Credit: Jocelyn Prescod/Peacock
Alongside Kendall and Nicole, Aaron Evans and Kaylor Martin’s relationship status after leaving Fiji was one of the biggest mysteries. It was shocking that they even ended up leaving the villa together after all of the drama they went through this summer. “I’m not going to shed a f*cking tear because I did that enough this summer,” Kaylor said before the start of the reunion. As any fan might bet, that wasn’t really the case.
Kaylor spent her time after filming watching the show to see everything Aaron did behind her back. Additionally, she was around her strong support system of friends who reminded her not to take nonsense from a man. Aaron decided his best course of action was to reveal to Kaylor on stage a major lie he told during filming. He basically blurted out that he and Daniela Ortiz-Rivera had “lots of romantic connections” during Casa Amor and that he put his hands down Daniela’s pants at the time.
“I can’t believe I wasted my entire f*cking summer on you, Aaron,” Kaylor said. “I never want to speak to you again. You’re disgusting.” Everyone, including the audience, had to applaud Kaylor for finally standing up for herself. Aaron tried to talk himself out of it, but Kaylor wasn’t listening. Finally, Kaylor did what everyone wanted her to do for weeks in the villa – tell Aaron off once and for all.
The Andrea of it all
Photo Credit: Jocelyn Prescod/Peacock
After plenty of back and forth on TikTok and beyond, Andrea Carmona and Rob Rausch finally came face to face for the first time since the villa. Rob made it clear that Andrea’s over-active behavior on social media after getting voted off was his final ick, and he had no interest in pursuing things further. “It was shocking to me because the Andrea I knew wasn’t really like that. She was really calm and really put together,” Rob explained.
Andrea talked in circles trying to defend her actions. Thankfully, Leah Kateb and JaNa Craig, who was armed with a packet of receipts, weren’t letting her get away with it. They brought up all of the mean things that Andrea said about leaving upon leaving the show. Andrea tried to apologize, but Leah didn’t look like she thought it was that genuine.
As always, JaNa was the voice of reason. “Just keep Leah’s name out your mouth. Boom. Done. That’s it. Ari, next question,” JaNa said. Icon behavior.
The infamous unseen footage shown during the Love Island USA Season 6 reunion
Photo Credit: Jocelyn Prescod/Peacock
Of course, the conversation about Andrea led to the group talking about that infamous fire pit scene when the girls sent her home. Both Leah and Liv Walker made as many jokes about the word “backseat” as they could before Ariana rolled unseen footage of the girls deliberating before the decision.
Ultimately, the footage proved that it was a group decision. The girls didn’t even consider JaNa an option for going home because as spokesperson Liv said, “She’s our mother.” Leah definitely wasn’t pushing for Andrea to go home, but she did reveal an interesting truth to the group about why she was leaning toward keeping Nicole. “Certain things that Andrea has said to the girls have made her feel like she may or may not be here for the right reasons, as in the Love Island money,” Leah whispered in the group. Now that’s some tea.
After the entire lengthy clip, the group of Islanders agreed that the massive feud regarding Andrea’s banishment was nothing but a misunderstanding. The majority of the crew was able to kiss and make up, but that’s clearly not the case for everyone. Now, it’s officially the end of an era with the wrap of Love Island USA Season 6. We already can’t wait for next summer.
Photo Credit: Rico Torres/USA Network via Getty Images
Buckle up y’all, because USA Network just dropped our newest obsession, The Anonymous. Each week, we’ll be covering all of the deceitful drama, because trust, there’s plenty of it. What better way to start than with a bumper, three-part Anonymous premiere?
Produced by the brilliant minds who brought us The Circle and The Traitors, this new competitive reality show is like a mashup of all of our favorite social strategy games.
Part of the game is played in the real world, while the other half is played in “Anonymous Mode.” With the help of DANI (Digital Anonymous Networking Interface), the sassy AI host, they compete in challenges to increase the cash pot each week. The goal is to be the most anonymous player in the game because that person gets to delete someone from the competition. Got it?
Clearly, NBCUniversal is expecting this to be a hit — they simulcasted the three-episode premiere across USA Network, Bravo, and even the SyFy network. Thank goodness they did, because we need as many eyes on this as possible. It’s chaotic, it’s catfishy, and we got some real gamers in the mix ready to stake their claim on the $100,000 prize. Here’s what went down during the three-part premiere of The Anonymous.
Meet the cast of The Anonymous
Photo Credit: Rico Torres/USA Network
For the debut season of The Anonymous, the casting team managed to get some major personalities. We have Survivor alum Nina Twine, who just happens to be the daughter of the legendary Sandra Diaz-Twine. There’s also Big Brother winner Xavier Prather, who comes into the house ready to secure another reality show win.
At first glance, you might think that the gamers would have an advantage over the rest of the normies in the cast. However, in Episode 1, we quickly learned that each of these players brought their own unique skills to the game, and they all have secrets. Plus, they’re instructed to pick anonymous avatars so they can wreak chaos in Anonymous Mode. Here’s a quick rundown of the players and the avatars they chose in the first episode.
Marcel Cunningham / Dollar Sign: A professional video game streamer looking to bring his gaming skills to reality TV.
Sydney Dorsey / Wizard: A former pageant girl whose boyfriend gave her permission to flirt her way through the competition.
Dillian Frelow / Alien: A real-life influencer competing to be the Phaedra Parks of the show.
Lilly Jenkins / Pizza: A girl who says a total of five words in the entire three-episode premiere.
Andy King / Butterfly: A Fyre Fest organizer who became a meme thanks to a Netflix documentary.
Robbi Jade Lew / Dice: A professional poker player who tries to keep her cards close to her chest.
Kacie Mize / Shark: A self-proclaimed “wild child” with a sweet, Southern accent.
Xavier Prather / Fish: The first Black winner of a regular Big Brother season who wastes no time telling everyone that he won Big Brother.
Christopher Shulstad / Donut: A charming outdoorsman who claims to want to play an honest game.
Tyrenna Tolbert / Truck: An innocent-looking lady who is actually a senior enlisted advisor in the United States Army.
Nina Twine / Popcorn: The daughter of a Survivor legend trying to fly under the radar.
Jack Usher / Football: A professional board game player, because apparently, that’s a thing.
Welcome to the Anonymous
Photo Credit: Rico Torres/USA Network
There’s a lot to take in with The Anonymous. The house looks like it’s straight out of a sci-fi movie. They have underground hideouts, and DANI is watching their every move. It looks like the had a major production budget, and on top of all of that, the gameplay moves quickly. Right off the bat, DANI warned the players that someone would go home every day, and she wasn’t bluffing.
In the first episode, the competitors were challenged to a memory game to help add money to the prize pot and earn safety from elimination. The tricky part: each player had to choose their level of difficulty for the game, meaning some people would get off easy while others had to memorize super long sequences.
Andy opted for the easiest difficulty, which immediately put a target on his back. On the other hand, Robbi had all eyes on her because of how well she crushed the challenge. Although she didn’t want to tell anyone about her poker career, her performance in the challenge revealed to everyone that she’s got a photographic memory. She could be a threat.
Entering Anonymous Mode
Photo Credit: Rico Torres/USA Network
After their first challenge, the players entered their hideout and went into Anonymous Mode, to chat about the game as their secret avatars. These scenes look and feel like they were plucked right out of The Circle. Similarly to that show, it took approximately three seconds before the group chat started getting messy.
Immediately, everyone started calling out Lilly for being too quiet throughout the first day of gameplay. Andy and Sydney got dragged because they weren’t good at the challenge.
After hashing things out, DANI had each contestant nominate someone for elimination. Most people voted for Sydney, because of how she performed in a challenge. Nina said she just simply didn’t like her vibe. Either way, Sydney felt completely blindsided that the majority of her competitors voted for her to leave first.
Fortunately for Sydney, she wasn’t the only person who got votes. Lilly scored a couple of votes for being too mousey. Dillian got a vote from Marcel, seemingly for being too loud. Then, Jack nominated his buddy Andy to confuse everyone about his secret identity.
The Anonymous premiere claims its first victim
Photo Credit: Rico Torres/USA Network
The final phase of Anonymous Mode is the test, where DANI challenges each player to try to match an avatar to a player, Whoever gets the least amount of correct votes becomes the Anonymous, which is basically like getting Head of Household on Big Brother.
In Episode 2, we learned that Jack became the first Anonymous and got the power to vote out one of the at-risk players. During the dramatic elimination ceremony, DANI revealed that Sydney AKA Wizard, had been kicked out of the competition.
After all of those nominations, that probably wasn’t too surprising. Either way, it’s a bummer for Sydney, because she hardly had a chance to even play the game. However, she can always say she was the first person ever eliminated from The Anonymous. Wear that badge with honor, Sydney.
“I don’t say mean things, but to the Anonymous, you can kiss my ass,” Sydney said upon being eliminated.
“I came into this game, and I told you guys that I was single, but I have a lovely boyfriend waiting back at home for me,” Sydney then revealed, to zero reaction from her competitors.
Is Jack gaming a little too hard?
Photo Credit: Rico Torres/USA Network
As cliché as it sounds, things got very real for the players after Sydney got the boot. Anyone could go home for any reason without any in-game repercussions for the Anonymous.
With that power, Jack took it upon himself to kick his game into overdrive. He’s talking strategy a mile a minute like Dan Gheesling on Season 2 of The Traitors. It’s a lot, and he might end up talking himself into a corner, just like Dan.
For now, Jack’s strategy in Episode 2 was all about shifting the focus away from him and onto somebody else. Unfortunately, that person was Marcel. Somehow, everyone started looking at him with suspicious eyes even though he really hadn’t done anything noteworthy.
Meanwhile, Jack continued to solidify a friendship with Fyre Fest Andy. Poor guy had no idea that Jack was the main one working against him! The knife is firmly planted in Andy’s back and he has no idea.
It’s also worth noting that Jack was the only person who noticed that Nina resembled Sandra from Survivor. He’s onto her secret, and everybody needs to be watching their backs with this guy.
Balls to the wall
Photo Credit: Rico Torres/USA Network
For the second challenge, the players had to throw a bunch of colorful balls into a giant goal. Whoever sunk the most balls would win immunity, but there was a catch. DANI explained that some of the goals had players’ names written on them. Sinking a ball into those holes meant that player would be blocked from having immunity. Messy.
Once the results were revealed, it turned out people were getting blocked left and right. Some of the players didn’t want to admit to blocking their competitors, but the cameras caught it all! Ultimately, Xavier won the immunity.
Later that night in Anonymous mode, the players nominated Lilly, Andy, Kacie, and Marcel for elimination. Jack’s plan to throw Marcel under the bus worked, and he wound up with the most votes. Meanwhile, Marcel cast the sole for Kacie, which seemed completely out of left field. What did she do to deserve that?
Jack’s wrath continues, and an alliance forms
Photo Credit: Rico Torres/USA Network
In Episode 3, it’s revealed to us that Jack won the Anonymous for the second week in a row. He chose to eliminate Kacie, which was surprising to everyone. She only had one nomination, so how did she end up getting kicked out? Blame it on Jack and his expertly duplicitous strategy.
“In the real world, y’all know me as Kacie, but in Anonymous Mode, I was Shark,” Kacie dramatically revealed before leaving the competition.
The rest of the cast looked flabbergasted, and Xavier decided to shift into strategy mode. The other players already respect him because he’s an experienced gamer, so he became the ringleader of the show’s first alliance. He recruited Robbi, Nina, Chris, and Jack, and devised a plan to vote together to force people out of the house. For some reason, they decided that Tyrenna would be their first target.
Meanwhile, you couldn’t help but feel bad for her because she looks so sweet. The camera cuts to her just eating pizza and minding her own business while all of these gamers conspire against her. Tyrenna, you in danger, girl. Or is she?
Although everyone at home knows Robbi is the Dice, for some reason, everyone in the game becomes convinced that it Tyrenna was actually hiding behind that avatar. So, when they got into Anonymous Mode the following day, the chat lit up with accusations connecting Dice to Tyrenna.
Tyrenna chose to lean into it. If everyone matches her with the wrong avatar, then the alliance might mess around and vote Tyrenna in as the Anonymous.
Tyrenna comes face-to-face with elimination
Photo Credit: Rico Torres/USA Network
In Episode 3’s Anonymous Mode, the players once again chose to nominate Andy and Lilly for elimination, along with first-time nominee Chris. Marcel wound up on the chopping block thanks to votes from Andy and Dillian, and then of course, Tyrenna got nominated by the alliance.
With literally half the remaining cast up for elimination, the stakes were already high, but then DANI challenged them to a face-to-face competition where their bluffing skills would come into play. They talk a big game in Anonymous Mode, but what about when they’re forced to make eye contact?
In the game, each of the at-risk players had to grab a box. One box had a ticket to immunity, whereas the rest of the boxes left the players at risk. The players could steal each other’s boxes, so the goal of the game was to lie to each other about the contents of their box. It’s like a horrible game of Secret Santa.
After a few minutes of back-and-forth and bad advice from the players on the sidelines, we learned that Marcel had the box with immunity, so he’s going to live to see another day.
That was great news for Marcel, but bad news for Tyreena. Now, her only hope for survival is to win The Anonymous. It’s very possible. All she has to do is continue to convince everyone that she’s the Dice. If she wins the power to eliminate, then Xavier’s alliance might be in trouble.
The Anonymous continues with new episodes, Mondays on USA Network at 11/10c. It’s also streaming on Peacock starting August 26.
TELL US – WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE SERIES PREMIERE OF THE ANONYMOUS? WHO DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO BE THE THIRD CONTESTANT ELIMINATED? DO YOU THINK XAVIER’S ALLIANCE IS GOING TO WORK OUT?
Photo Credit: Fred Jagueneau/Bravo via Getty Images
Welcome to the Below Deck Mediterranean Season 9, Episode 12 recap! In this week’s episode, called “The Perfect Storm,” Joe breaks his date with Ellie. Bri pumps the brakes when she realizes he’s just playing with both of them, and Nathan takes Gael rock-climbing. There’s a leak in the forward crew cabin, as a huge Medicane storm keeps the boat on the dock. Here are some of the highlights from Below Deck Med Season 9, Episode 12.
Joe Bradley backs out of the date with Elena Dubiach on Below Deck Mediterranean
Photo Credit: Fred Jagueneau/Bravo
Picking up from where we left off last week, Joe is explaining to Ellie that he really doesn’t want to go on a date with her, even though he already said yes.
“It’s just too much pressure,” he explains. “I don’t want to date.”
Even though she says she just wanted to get to know him better, she assures Joe that it’s all fine. They don’t have to go on a date.
Whew! Joe is relieved, but it remains to be seen how Ellie’s going to handle this unexpected disappointment.
After Joe leaves her cabin, Ellie interviews, “He liked me enough to make out with me a few days ago. But now you don’t like me enough to get to know me as a person and talk to me?”
“I can understand why some spiders eat their mate after mating,” she adds.
After overhearing Joe explaining his feelings to Nathan, Gael says, “Joe is being a little bit of a d*ck. He is choosing what he wants when he wants it, without considering how it affects the girls. It’s just not nice anymore. I’m losing respect for Joe in that sense.”
Surprisingly, Bri takes Ellie’s side, too. “I’m not surprised that Joe said no [to the date],” she says. “But he should have said no first, instead of saying yes. I feel sorry for Ellie. This is what annoys me: he’ll start something, but he’ll never finish it.”
Bri Muller sees Joe Bradley’s true colors
Photo Credit: Fred Jagueneau/Bravo
Ellie and Bri have a sit down after dinner. Bri apologizes “for the whole Joe thing.”
“Honestly, he really hurt my feelings today,” Ellie responds.
“He’s playing with both of us,” Bri says. “I think he likes chasing.” Bri calls him “a flea” that hops back and forth but is of no consequence.
But when Bri goes to the loo, Joe follows her and starts “chasing” again. “Hellooooooo!” he says flirtatiously.
“Oh, God!” Bri mutters to herself, sounding really drunk.
“Why did your face drop when you seen me?” Joe asks her.
“You picked a side,” she says. “Don’t give me the eyes.”
“I only give you the eyes,” he flirts, “because you’re giving me these eyes, man. And you know how to work them eyes.”
“F*ck off,” she answers. “I want to hook up with you so bad.”
So he goes into the bathroom stall with her, and you can hear him say, “Find a position. Get your f*cking skirt up.” They’ve forgotten they’re miked, and we can hear everything.
When he claims he doesn’t know what he’s doing, Bri adds, “Then I’ll make the decision, if you don’t know. I’m not having this. For real. If you can’t be a man, I will be.” And with that, she kicks him out of her bathroom stall. Good job, Bri.
“In every way possible, Joe is not good for me,” Bri interviews. “It’s feeding into my impulsiveness. It’s not making me a good human.”
When it’s time to go back to the boat, Joe and Bri are sitting at opposite ends of the van’s bench seat. She’s as far away from him as she can get.
“Bri, I’m sorry,” Joe says.
“Whatever,” she replies as he helps her out of the van.
Nathan makes a date
Photo Credit: Fred Jagueneau/Bravo
After dinner, Nathan finally makes his move with Gael. He asks if she’d like to “get off the boat and just do something fun tomorrow?”
“Are we allowed to do that?” she wonders. He says he’ll ask permission from Iain.
The whole time they’re talking, I can’t keep my eyes off the Acropolis in the background, all lit up at night. It’s gorgeous!
The next morning, Nathan asks Captain Sandy if he could get permission to take Gael off the boat “to do a wee activity” in the afternoon. “I’ve been enjoying her company, so I just thought it would be nice if we could get off the boat and have a little distraction.”
Sandy’s a sucker for love, cause she says sure without hesitation. “Of course,” she smiles. “Enjoy yourself. As long as the work is completed.”
They go to a rock-climbing facility later that afternoon. Nathan is suddenly afraid of heights, but Gael is a natural. She scrambles up the wall and rappels down without any problem.
They have a wonderful time and return to the boat happy.
Taking on water
Photo by: Fred Jagueneau/Bravo
At the preference meeting for the next charter, Sandy tells Aesha, Jono, and Iain that the weather is going to be bad tomorrow. They’re not going to be able to get off the dock for at least the first day. The wind’s going to blow at 40+ knots.
“In the States, this would be called a hurricane,” Sandy interviews. “Since we’re in the Med, it’s called a ‘Medicane.’ High winds, lots of rain.” She’s hoping the weather will move through quickly, and they can get off the dock the second day.
The rain begins with a vengeance just as the provisions arrive. When Sandy’s down in the crew mess, she hears water dripping. Turns out it’s in the forward cabin (I thought she was going to get that fixed?).
Somehow Sandy determines that the water is coming from the bosun’s locker, which is just above the forward cabin. When she goes to check it out, she discovers, “We’re taking on water.”
If the boat takes on too much water, it could sink. “We can’t go to sea if we’re taking on water,” she says.
Apparently, the bosun’s locker is full of water. Sandy radios the chief engineer and tells him the windows and doors are all closed, as is the hatch. She doesn’t know where the water is coming from. He says he’ll be right there.
He discovers that a plug has popped off a water line and is spewing water. The good part is that they finally figured out why the forward cabin was leaking. Sandy pulls out the wet mattress and says to get some fans into the cabin to dry it out.
Water, water everywhere on Below Deck Mediterranean
Photo Credit: Fred Jagueneau/Bravo
Since they won’t be able to leave the dock, Jono is planning some really fancy food to distract the guests. As they’re enjoying their snacks and drinks at the bar, Sandy breaks the bad news that they won’t be leaving the dock today.
“You would hate me and be scared for your life,” she tells them.
To make up for not being able to take the boat off the dock, Aesha has plans to take them to one of Athens’ oldest wineries for winetasting. It’s 17 kilometers away. Will they make it in the pouring rain?
As the guests leave with Aesha to go winetasting, Sandy checks on the weather again. “30 inches of rain today?” she says. What?! Is that even possible? I live in California. We don’t get that much in a year.
As the guests are rethinking their winery outing and the deck crew is frantically trying to get the deck cushions out of the rain, suddenly an alarm goes off.
“I think we’re leaking again,” Sandy says in dismay. “Oh, this is bad.”
She sends Iain to check if the forward cabin is still leaking. He climbs up into the infrastructure. We can’t see him, but we can hear him swearing, “Oh, f*ck!”
Whatever it is, it can’t be good. But we won’t know until next week, because they leave us hanging. Damn you, show!
TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK OF BELOW DECK MEDITERRANEAN SEASON 9, EPISODE 12? DO YOU THINK ENGINEERING WILL BE ABLE TO FIX THE LEAK AND SAVE THE CHARTER?
It feels like Alexis returned to The Real Housewives of Orange County with a vendetta. It’s not about her meshing with the rest of the cast. She’s completely focused on clearing her boyfriend’s name. And it seems that part of that process is to release unflattering video footage of the Real For Real founder.
Alexis Bellino offered to show Tamra Judge the videos of Shannon Beador, but she declined
Tamra teased just how bad it could be for Shannon during a recent interview with Page Six’s Virtual Reali-Tea podcast.
“From what I’ve heard — and I haven’t seen them [the videos] — they’re extremely damaging to Shannon,” the RHOC veteran revealed. Extremely.”
According to the Bravolebrity, her former bestie “does some things … that are not good” in the footage, which is apparently a compilation of Ring camera footage.
During the recent RHOC episode, Alexis suggested that she’s considering whether to “pull out the videos.” The reality TV star revealed frustration with Shannon for speaking ill about John, and feels releasing the footage would vindicate them. The couple allegedly have “a lot of” videos that could “ruin [Shannon’s] life.”
In a confessional interview, Alexis told producers that the videos of Shannon were so bad that after viewing them, she “couldn’t go back to feeling the same about her.”
Tamra had the opportunity to see the “months and months and months” of footage, but she declined Alexis’ offer.
“She told me I could see them if I want to. I have not seen them. They’re actually Ring footage cameras from John’s house inside and out,” she revealed.
But the former CUT fitness owner thinks that Alexis is holding back, for now. The videos could impact Shannon’s three daughters.
“Alexis has said over and over, ‘I don’t think it’d be a good idea for any of these videos to come out because it can affect her children,’” Tamra explained, “and things like that.”
TLC’s newest reality show Forbidden Love is off to a crazy start! Forbidden Love features four couples with extreme differences in religion and culture. Each of the couples is facing a unique challenge that is putting their relationship to the test. While some of these couples have a good shot at making things work, other relationships are in jeopardy. Here is our official ranking of the Forbidden Love couples from the most solid to WTF!
Lindsey and Elmer – The Most Solid on Forbidden Love
Photo Credit: TLC via YouTube
Lindsey and Elmer are by far the most solid couple on Forbidden Love so far. Elmer left his Amish community to pursue a relationship with Lindsey, after falling for her during a work project. As a result, Elmer’s family shunned him and are not in contact with him anymore. Lindsey and Elmer are now expecting a baby, but Elmer is still struggling to adjust to the non-Amish world.
Despite some concerns from Lindsey about Elmer’s adjusting to the English world, the couple still stands strong. Lindsey has been patient with Elmer, amid his addiction to porn and excessive technology use. Furthermore, Lindsey is making efforts to bring Elmer’s family back into his life, so that they can meet their grandchild. Lindsey and Elmer have some issues, but they are on the right track to overcome them all.
Ashley and Mohammed – Somewhat Solid on Forbidden Love
Photo Credit: TLC via YouTube
Ashley and Mohammed already have an interesting storyline this season. The couple first met on a dating app and got married not long after. Ashley is Catholic, while Mohammed is Muslim. Mohammed has had a difficult time winning the approval of Ashley’s family and feels like they don’t respect his Islamic religion. Mohammed is facing a particularly hard situation with Ashley’s sister, who allegedly called him a terrorist.
While Ashley and Mohammed are struggling to overcome certain differences, their relationship has a good shot at being successful. Mohammed wants Ashley to convert to Islam, which she is open to. Ashley’s family has concerns about Mohammed having control over her, although Ashley has assured them that isn’t the case. They were also wondering why he didn’t find a Muslim girl from his culture instead of choosing her. However, Ashley and Mohammed’s love seems genuine, and the two really care for one another.
Laurie and Eli – Not So Solid
Photo Credit: TLC via YouTube
Laurie and Eli seem like a wonderful couple this season, but their relationship is complex. They met at an AA meeting and instantly fell for each other, Laurie is a Catholic, while Eli is an Orthodox Jew. To make their relationship work, Eli told Laurie that she would have to convert to Orthodox Judaism. While Laurie is doing her best with the conversion process, she is having some challenges with it.
At a dinner with Eli’s family, Laurie’s mom called to say she was sad that she wasn’t coming home for Christmas. Eli’s mother was frustrated by this and felt that it meant Laurie wasn’t taking the conversion process seriously. After the dinner, Laurie felt worried as she felt like Eli’s parents didn’t understand how much work she had been putting into converting. Eli and Laurie’s relationship is on a rocky road, as Laurie will have to sacrifice a lot to make it work.
Kris and Lensa – WTF
Photo Credit: TLC via YouTube
Kris and Lensa are by far the most complicated couple this season. Kris is the son of a Pentecostal preacher, whereas Lensa is a dedicated Muslim. Lensa was previously in two arranged marriages, and her relationship with Kris marks the first time she is with a man of her choice. Kris, on the other hand, comes from an extremely religious family, and his father is determined to make Lensa accept Christianity. This isn’t ideal for Lensa, as she is hoping that Kris will convert to Islam instead.
When Kris asked his parents if marriage could work with two different religions, his mother emphasized that “a house divided will not stand”. Kris and Lensa are the only couple this season who are both very dedicated to their respective religions, which makes their situation difficult. It would be surprising if their relationship worked out, as there are already so many obstacles coming between them.
TELL US – WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE COUPLE ON FORBIDDEN LOVE? WHICH COUPLES DO YOU THINK WILL LAST?
The Survivor New Era is one of the show’s best. The New Era has six seasons so far, with Season 47 premiering this fall. There have been several changes to Survivor game play in the New Era, including different challenges, new advantages, and an overall shorter game. Furthermore, the New Era has featured a diverse range of cast members, who have been enjoyable to watch.
While all six New Era seasons have been entertaining, some have been more interesting than others. Here is our official ranking of all six New Era seasons, from our least favorite to the absolute best!
6. Survivor Season 41
Photo Credit: Robert Voets/CBS via Getty Images
Season 41 was the first season of the Survivor New Era. While Season 41 was still fun to watch, it ranks last on our list for several reasons. As it marked the start of the New Era, Season 41 featured several new advantages that viewers didn’t exactly love. These included the hourglass and do-or-die twists. At times, it felt like these new advantages did more harm than good, and didn’t help the contestants to play a strategic game.
In addition to the confusing twists, Season 41 didn’t have a standout cast. While there was nothing wrong with them, there weren’t any cast members or alliances that stood out to fans.
5. Survivor Season 42
Photo Credit: Robert Voets/CBS via Getty Images
Season 42 can be considered stronger than Season 41 because of the differences between cast members. This season, cast members were more adapted to the strategy of games and were more likable than the Season 41 cast. Many factors made Season 42 worth the watch, like the winner Maryanne Oketch, who viewers felt deserved the win.
While Season 42 was better than Season 41, it included many of the same frustrating advantages. As a result, Season 42 was only a few steps up from Season 41.
4. Survivor Season 43
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Season 43 was a big improvement from Seasons 41 and 42, but it didn’t match up to later seasons of the New Era. With the elimination of the hourglass and do-or-die twists, Season 43 returned to a more original game play which many fans appreciated. Season 43 also featured a diverse cast, with Jesse Lopez standing out in particular for his strategy.
The winner of Season 43 was Mike Gabler, which wasn’t a surprise to some viewers. However, Mike earned a lot of respect when he donated all of his winnings to charity. This was a sweet ending to Season 43, which will go down as one of the most genuine moments in Survivor history.
3. Survivor Season 45
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Season 45 was enjoyable overall, earning it third place on our list. From start to finish, Season 45 was unpredictable which made it so fun to watch. Dee Valladares was the winner of Season 45, which felt like the right ending. Her romance with runner-up Austin Li Coon also added a spicy new element to the season, as relationships on Survivor are rare.
While Season 45 is one of the better seasons of the New Era, it included new twists that made things confusing at times. New advantages such as the Advantage Amulet were frustrating for some viewers, although others enjoyed the changes.
2. Survivor Season 44
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Season 44 was one of the New Era’s best seasons, although it does not top Season 46. While some viewers may have found Season 44 less engaging due to its relatively predictable gameplay, its cast made up for that. Players like Carolyn Wiger and Yam Yam Arocho made the season worth the watch. Season 44 didn’t introduce many new twists, which some fans appreciated.
Season 44 had its strengths, which earned it a spot at the top of the New Era rankings. From start to finish, Season 44 was extremely entertaining to watch.
1. Survivor Season 46
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Season 46 of Survivor’s New Era ended up being a fan favorite. The cast brought something unique to the game which made it highly entertaining. Season 46 featured several standout contestants, including Charlie Davis and Q Burdette. One of the best parts of Season 46 was the social dynamic, as many of the players had a strong social game.
If the Survivor New Era continues on this trajectory, it could easily be remembered as one of the show’s best Eras. Season 46 was filled with emotion, great contestants, strong game play, and memorable moments.
TELL US – WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SURVIVOR NEW ERA SEASON?
Jenn Tran’s journey for love on The Bachelorette Season 21 is starting to get serious. With only seven men left, Jenn is closer than ever to finding the one. At this point in the season, viewers are starting to wonder who the next lead of The Bachelor will be. Well, ABC let the cat out of the bag early this year. So let’s take a look at the other men who would have made a great Bachelor.
Devin Strader would make a great Bachelor
Photo Credit: Disney via Ricky Middlesworth
Devin Strader has been a front-runner on Season 21 from the start. Since night one, Devin has been unapologetically himself and confident. During every conversation he has with Jenn, Devin listens to her and always embraces her opening up. Furthermore, Devin has handled challenges with the other men in the house gracefully. Devin’s personality is more eccentric than most other men’s, making him stand out this season.
Currently, Devin has one of the strongest connections with Jenn. There’s a good chance that he may get engaged to her in the end, but if not, he should have his own season of The Bachelor. Devin would be fun to watch as the lead and would make the women feel comfortable and heard. A season of The Bachelor led by Devin would certainly be worth the watch!
Grant Ellis won the spot on The Bachelor
Photo Credit: Disney via Ricky Middlesworth
Grant Ellis is the next Bachelor. From the jump, Grant had had his eye on Jenn. Grant received the first group date rose of the season, and was one of the first men to form a strong connection with Jenn. During his one-on-one date in New Zealand, it was evident that Grant cared for and showed kindness toward Jenn. He asked her how she was feeling after her difficult group date the day before, which showed that he has a big heart.
While Grant could potentially end up with Jenn, it seems that several other men have stronger relationships with her. Nonetheless, Grant has a great personality and it’s clear that he puts others first. Grant is an all-around likable guy, which many viewers often look for in a Bachelor lead. If Jenn isn’t the woman for Grant, then he deserves another shot at love on The Bachelor.
Jonathan Johnson would have been a great option for The Bachelor
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Jonathan Johnson has been a breath of fresh air this season and could make an entertaining Bachelor. On night one, Jonathan showed up in a hospital gown and covered his face with bandages. This made him stand out from the crowd, which helped both viewers and Jenn to remember him. Jonathan has a funny personality and exudes confidence.
During his one-on-one date with Jenn, Jonathan showed both his silly and serious sides. He enjoyed a playful date with Jenn at a vineyard but opened up about his past later in the night. Jonathan does have a good connection with Jenn, but it’s unclear how much further their relationship can grow. However, Jonathan has a standout personality, which makes him an excellent candidate for the next Bachelor.
Could Sam Nejad be a Bachelor contender next season?
Photo Credit: Disney via Ricky Middlesworth
Sam Nejad entered Season 21 with strong values that he tried to integrate into his relationship with Jenn. Sam opened up about the fact that he had never been in love before and explained that his family takes relationships very seriously. Compared to the other men, Sam N stood out for his confidence and charisma. Throughout his time on the show, Sam’s words conveyed positive energy to Jenn and the viewers.
Unfortunately, Sam didn’t find the lasting love with Jenn he had hoped for. After asking to kiss Jenn, Sam was sent home as she didn’t see a future with him and didn’t want to lead him on. However, Sam would be a great fit for the next Bachelor. As a “love virgin”, Sam’s season would be interesting to watch. Sam also has a lot of maturity and respect and would be enjoyable to watch in the role.
TELL US – WHO ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AS THE NEXT BACHELOR?WHO DO YOU THINK WILL END UP WITH JENN?
Reality dating shows have increased in popularity in the last decade. The genre has become more competitive as streaming services like Netflix and Peacock have begun releasing their own unscripted programming. Now that the genre has become crowded, it can be hard to keep track of all the new shows. If you need some help, we have you covered.
Here are the Best Reality Dating Shows of 2024:
Love Island USA – Season 6
Love Island USA stole reality TV fans’ hearts this summer. The series, a spinoff of the original UK version, was a slow burn. The first few seasons paled in comparison to the OG version and it struggled to break into the mainstream. Season 6 finally got people talking. The all-star cast and constant stream of drama helped make the show a mega success.
The cast had undeniable chemistry. Not only were the romantic connections plentiful but the friendships were like nothing we’ve seen before. Host Ariana Madix told The Washington Post that the female friendships in the Villa made the show stronger.
“That [closeness] makes the stakes high when you’re watching dramatic moments, or if a recoupling is happening, and you’re not sure who’s going home, it really matters to everyone there,” she said. “I think that feeling translates to the audience feeling like all of these things really matter when you’re watching them.”
There is no denying that this cast’s popularity soared above previous Islanders. To prove this point, look no further than their Instagram followings. Season 6 winner Serena Page currently has 1.3 million followers, while Season 5 winner Hannah Wright stands at 213 thousand. Serena isn’t the only Season 6 Islander who has amassed an impressive following, Fan favorite Leah Kateb has 2.6 million followers and JaNa Craig isn’t too far behind with 1.2 million.
The show’s transition to Peacock may also be responsible for its increased popularity. The move gave the show permission to be raunchier, away from the watchful eye of network television. I think we would’ve enjoyed Season 6 less if Kaylor Martin wasn’t yelling, “F*CK AARON,” every five minutes.
Love Is Blind – Season 6
Season 6 of Love is Blind premiered in February 2024 and it didn’t disappoint. The Netflix series always manages to find the perfect balance of genuine people and fame-thirsty troublemakers and it’s honestly impressive. The online content surrounding the show was plentiful, from debates about whether Chelsea Blackwell resembled Megan Fox to fans engaging in investigative reporting to decipher which couples were still together.
Perfect Match – Season 2
Season 2 of Netflix’s Perfect Match was a hot mess but we still loved it. I guess that’s what happens when you put a bunch of hot, emotionally unavailable people in a Villa together. It had all the ingredients of a perfect reality TV show. There was lying, gaslighting, and too many breakups to count.
The Bachelor – Season 28
The Bachelor has long been regarded as the best reality dating show. After all, it’s been on the air since 2002. However, the once-beloved series has faltered in recent years. According to Forbes, viewership has been steadily declining since Season 17, “with the exception of Season 23.” The genre has become crowded and the franchise has lost control of the market it once dominated. The show appeared to be in trouble after Zach Shallcross’s season struggled to entice fans but Season 28 turned it around. Bachelor Joey Graziadei was the first swoon-worthy leading man the franchise has had in years and viewers tuned in to look at his pretty face.
Too Hot to Handle – Season 6
Season 6 of Too Hot to Handle premiered on Netflix on Friday, July 19. The new season has been out for two weeks but it’s already generated a lot of internet buzz. The new cast is hot, messy, and not afraid to break the rules. This season also featured some unique twists that made life in the Villa more challenging for the Singles. All ten episodes are currently available on Netflix. Run don’t walk to check out the new season! You won’t be disappointed.
TELL US – DO YOU AGREE WITH OUR LIST? WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DATING SHOW OF 2024?
