Reality television has become a popular genre and has introduced audiences to some of the most shocking contestants and moments in TV history.
Reality TV is no stranger to surprising moments, with Netflix's The Ultimatum being heralded as one of the most shocking reality shows in genre history (per Vanity Fair). Whether it's break-ups on The Only Way Is Essex or strangers struggling to cope with one another in Big Brother, reality TV contestants have offered some of the most-watched clips online.
Britain has produced some of the best shows of the genre and with it, they have introduced and created new celebrities for fans to root for or boo against. And these same shows have also given audiences some of the most shocking contestants to ever grace television sets, some of whom never quite shook off their shameful moments.
Come Dine With Me is a British cooking competition show that sees four people serving up a three-course dinner at their home with the chance to win a £1000. With four very different strangers meeting each other for the first time, the show has served up many entertaining highlights over the years.
But it also created some shocking moments too that have become sparked online discussions and memes. One of them was Peter Marsh, a man who blamed one of the contestants for sabotaging his night for his chance to win the prize money. During his rant against his dinner guest, he stated that she had "all the grace of a reversing dump truck without any tires on it."
Despite the original series running for only 2 seasons back in the 2000s, Love Island was revived in 2015 and has become one of the most popular British reality television shows. The show revolves around different contestants who live under video surveillance in a Mallorca villa from the rest of the world, having to couple up with one another to win £50,000.
While some may have been in it for the money, others were hoping to find love too. In season 5 of the revival, Amy coupled with Curtis and developed feelings for him, but he didn't feel the same way and instead wanted to be with Maura. His attitude and selfishness created one of Love Islands' most dramatic love triangles.
For 18 years, the UK version of Big Brother had some of the most shocking contestants in British reality television history. The Big Brother house saw strangers living together, competing in a series of tasks as the public voted for the winner.
Among the multiple contestants who got the nation riled up, one of the most shocking was Kinga Karolczak from season 6. Her appearance didn't exactly see her make Reddit's most likable Big Brother contestants list. Despite the series of outrageous moments she caused during her stay in the house, easily the most talked-about was when she used a wine bottle in the most unexpected way, giving viewers plenty to talk about the next day.
For the uninitiated, Kim Woodburn became a celebrity after appearing on How Clean Is Your House? alongside Aggie MacKenzie as they attempt to clean and restore homes to their former glory. But unfortunately for her, she became famous more recently after her controversial behavior on Celebrity Big Brother.
A spin-off to Big Brother, this version of the UK series was on the air for nearly as long and saw many celebrities making themselves at home. When Kim Woodburn came onto the scene, her ludicrous behavior sparked lots of criticism online and despite appearing on talk shows to defend herself, she took it out on the presenters who were asking for her side of the story. She should learn a thing or 2 from the USA version of Celebrity Big Brother's most unexpected friendships.
Fans of the hit series The Only Way is Essex will instantly recognize the name of one of its popular stars: Gemma Collins. Since she left the series, Collins has made countless appearances on chat shows, game shows, and even competed on Dancing on Ice, even after she received negative comments online about her weight.
While she too was another housemate who shocked audiences on Celebrity Big Brother, her 3-day stint on I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! created enough of their own hilarious and surprising moments. In the first episode of season 14 alone, Collins couldn't hold it together in a helicopter before it took off, crying and being terrified even before setting foot in the jungles of Australia.
The UK version of The Apprentice stars Alan Sugar, one of the most successful businessmen in England, as he tasked a group of potential business partners to complete numerous challenges with the goal of earning the most sales and profit. The series eventually returned earlier this year after a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Susan Ma may not be the most controversial contestant to have appeared on the show, but she did shock Lord Sugar's assistant Karren and the audience in the most unexpected way. While looking at a range of products, Susan asked a series of questions about France. However, these questions were ridiculous and were seen by some as offensive as she asked "Are the French fond of their children?" and "Do the French go camping?"
For nearly fifteen years, The X Factor was the stage for potential singers to compete and win the chance of becoming the next breakout star in the music industry. While One Direction, Little Mix, and Leona Lewis have become huge successes from it, some have become infamous in a very different way.
One of the worst auditions was from the duo AbLisa in a moment that can rival American Idol's funniest auditions. In addition to not being the finest singers to ever grace the audition stage, the pair swore, punched one another, and even insulted the audience for booing them.
Gordon Ramsay is one of Britain's most successful celebrity chefs. Famous for his potty mouth and hard demeanor, he has starred in many television shows over the years, one of which was Kitchen Nightmares.
With someone as intimidating as Ramsay, not many can say that they have the confidence to stand up to him, and yet the series has plenty of waiters and cooks bellowing back at him. One of these was the chef Dave from Clubway 41, who demonstrated that he didn't quite have the skills for the job. To make matters worse, Dave shouted at Ramsay after revealing to him that he's never cooked a mussel, creating one of the most watchable and intense arguments in Kitchen Nightmares history.
The contestants of The Circle can't meet one another as they must communicate virtually via the show's unique social media system to win over their fellow competitors. The show offers many twists and turns as they use it to decipher each others' secrets and vote for who stays.
In season 3, Manrika was visited by "Gemma," who turned out to be British bodybuilder James Crossley, famous for his appearance as "Hunter" on the iconic '90s show Gladiators. Her reaction and his last interaction with her before Crossley left the series didn't exactly end well. Her reveal of voting "Gemma" out even made him flabbergasted, as did her whole devious game plan. Manrika's ability to turn on those who considered her a friend was shocking throughout, but her meeting with James was the stand-out moment of the season.
In 2021's British version of Married at First Sight, Nikita easily took the top spot of most shocking contestant in reality television history. During her time on the show, Nikita admitted to writing her vows while on the toilet and argued with her new husband Ant relentlessly during their honeymoon, even verbally abusing him.
However, her most shocking moment came during a dinner party with the other married couples, where Nikita shouted at everyone and ruined what could have been a lovely moment for the series. Despite what was shown on screen being shocking enough, the incident reportedly escalated off-camera and Nikita was subsequently removed from Married at First Sight (via BBC News), although she did return for the season's reunion episode.
