Top 10 Most Intense Reality TV Controversies

“Big Brother” (2000-18)

This was the very first series of the UK version of “Big Brother”, and it remains one of the most contentious parts of the civilian show to ever air. “Nasty” Nick played the other housemates against each other, trying to dupe them into voting one another out so that they DIDN’T vote for him. He did it all for the lucrative prize pool, but he just wasn’t sneaky enough. Not only could viewers at home see what he was up to, but eventually the others got wise. They confronted Nick and finally, the producers stepped in and removed him from the house.

“I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!” (2002-)

The public loved seeing nutritionist Gillian McKeith do the gruelling Bushtucker Trials, even if she was so bad at them that the other celebs suffered as a result. This came to a head when she was voted for yet another trial back during the tenth series and collapsed live on-air. The controversy gained legs and it remains one of the show’s most famous moments, with McKeith excused from that day’s trial. An entire decade on and McKeith broke her silence, still claiming the faint was genuine and saying the producers were to blame because they knew she was under the weather. Did she fake it, or didn’t she?

When you were a kid, you probably dreamt about what would happen if all the adults in your life were to suddenly disappear. No more rules, no more school, and no more bedtimes. In 2009, Channel 4 put together a “social experiment” to see what would happen if a group of girls and a group of boys, all roughly around eleven years old, lived in a house independent of parental guidance. What started out as fun and games ended up with children struggling to even feed themselves. It was lambasted as “child cruelty” broadcast nationally and Ofcom received significant complaints about Channel 4’s real-life version of “Lord of the Flies”.

“The X-Factor” (2004-18)

If we counted down every controversy to hit “The X-Factor”, we’d be here all day, but this faux pas in the finale remains a sore spot in the British psyche even years later. It was the fourth series, with Leon Jackson up against Rhydian Roberts, and Leon was the one who emerged victorious. However, ITV came under fire for voting irregularities, as many Rhydian fans claimed that they tried to vote for him and couldn’t get through. There were almost 2000 complaints against the broadcast and Ofcom was forced to investigate. Ofcom ultimately found no wrongdoing on the part of ITV this time, but many people still haven’t let it go.

“Celebrity Big Brother” (2001-18)

Possibly the final nail in the coffin for “Big Brother”, “punchgate” happened during the very last series and has tarred the show ever since. It all started when Ryan Thomas jokingly punched Roxanne Pallett, and then quickly got out of control. Pallett accused Thomas of assaulting her, though the footage disagreed with her interpretation. She was maligned inside the “Big Brother” house and in Britain, with the scandal affecting her career after leaving the show. Whether Pallett was purposely trying to tarnish Thomas’s reputation or whether the punch did feel significantly worse than it looked, we’ll never know for sure.

“Tattoo Fixers” (2015-20)

This reality show saw people with some of the worst tattoos imaginable having their professional cover-ups paid for by Channel 4, but it was hit with numerous controversies during its airing. Chief among them were allegations directed at Sketch that he was stealing original tattoos from his fellow artists and passing them off as his own, turning the entire show into a joke in the tattoo community. People who have appeared on the show have also complained about it, saying the cover-ups are needlessly large, the studio is freezing cold, and that their tattoos have faded far more quickly and extensively than they’re supposed to.

It was tasteless, exploitative, and regarded by many as “poverty porn”, both before, after, and during its release. The show took television cameras to a particular street in Birmingham where the vast majority of residents were in receipt of various benefits, portraying benefits claimants as dole dossers. Stars of the show said Channel 4 lied to them and portrayed them unfairly, while the public debate went all the way to the House of Commons. Some thought “Benefits Street” showed the reasons why welfare should be further cut, others thought it was a dehumanising and patronising portrayal of an extremely disadvantaged community.

“Celebrity Big Brother” (2001-18)

More “Big Brother”, this fiery controversy in the fifth series was so bad it caused an international incident, got the government involved, and was put on ice by Channel 4 for the next year. After her rise to fame on the civilian version of the show, Jade Goody returned alongside her boyfriend and mother-in-law as celebrities. Also in the house that year was famed, celebrated Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. Goody, her family, Danielle Lloyd, and Jo O’Meara were accused of making racist remarks about Shetty. This meant that then-chancellor Gordon Brown had to condemn the show during a state visit to India in which the scandal was widely protested.

“Love Island” (2015-)

There have been a lot of controversies around “Love Island” since it returned to screens in 2015, like its alleged portrayal of unrealistic beauty standards. However, the show is also tainted by the numerous tragic deaths of its cast members and presenter Caroline Flack. Multiple “Love Island” participants took their own lives in the aftermath of the show, sparking investigations into ITV’s aftercare standards. The public and government ministers wanted to know that enough was being done to try and protect people after they got catapulted to stardom. “Love Island” remains on the air with new measures in place from ITV.

Much like “Benefits Street”, “The Jeremy Kyle Show” was derided throughout the time it was on air for taking advantage of Britain’s lowest economic class. But in 2019, harsh truths about it had to be reckoned with following the tragic death of a man who had appeared on the show. Steve Dymond took his own life just days after failing a lie detector test in an episode that thankfully never made it to air. An inquiry was launched into ITV and Jeremy Kyle himself, with many celebrating the end of the show because of its blatant ethical shortcomings. This wasn’t the only heartbreaking death linked to the show, either, many others came forward to tell their stories.