G’morning, reality fans! Can I pull you for a chat? We’ve got loads to discuss this week thanks to a Golden Bachelorette finale, two Housewife meltdowns and a mysterious exit on The Voice. Let’s dig in.
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‘The Voice’ contestant Tanner Frick (Casey Durkin/NBC)
Reality moment of the week
Fierce as the competition might be, it’s not often that The Voice gets truly dramatic. But this week was an exception. Why did fan-favorite country crooner Tanner Frick leave without warning?
What happened: Frick’s gravely voice scored a four-chair turn less than a minute into his blind audition. But this week, host Carson Daly said he’d left and offered no further explanation. [Entertainment Weekly]
What people are saying: Tanner hinted at his motivation on TikTok, where he teased a new song called “Lonesome Road” with the lyrics “I guess I’m a lone wolf and a stray / Ain’t nobody want me anyway.” [Billboard]
My hot take: It’s obvious, no? Looks like Tanner saw an opportunity to pull a Benson Boone and launch his music career early. Carpe diem, I say! [Us Weekly]
Kinney (left) and her ‘DWTS’ partner (Eric McCandless/Disney)
The recaps
💃 ‘Dancing With the Stars’
DWTS hit a major milestone this week with its 500th episode, and as if on cue, the judges gave singer-actress Chandler Kinney the season’s first perfect scores. NBA alum Dwight Howard, meanwhile, finally went home. [Yahoo Entertainment/GMA]
🏝️ ‘Survivor’
In Week 9, Genevieve proved that Canadians aren’t always so nice by masterminding Sol’s demise. So much for Sol’s Secret Agents, eh? Sol put it best in his exit interview: “They got my ass.” [Entertainment Weekly/GoldDerby]
🌹 ‘Golden Bachelorette’
Joan picked Chock during the finale, leaving Guy to cry in the rain. Her season was sweet, if a little drama-starved, and I’m mostly hoping that Golden alums Susan and Jack hook up after sitting together in the audience this week. [Yahoo Entertainment]
🗽 ‘RHONY’
For a second, it seemed like some actual, bonafide drama had snuck into this snoozefest of a season when rumors flew this week about Rebecca Minkoff’s pregnancy. Alas, it was just a prank. Ugh. Predictably, fans are not happy. [BuzzFeed]
⛰️ ‘RHOSLC’
The episode title says it all: “Revenge Is Best Served in Coach.” Bronwyn had a rare stroke of comedic genius by booking Lisa for a 65-minute flight in coach — effectively plopping a shiny red cherry on top of Lisa’s already fantastic meltdown. [Bravo/Daily Beast]
Monty Brinton/CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Reality trivia
Which former Survivor contestant recently got elected to be Washington state’s attorney general?
Hint: This person competed in the Australian Outback in 2001.
Answer at the bottom.
3 questions
…with Kyndall Cunningham
The world of Housewives was positively buzzing this week, so naturally, I hit up one of my favorite Bravo mavens — Vox culture reporter Kyndall Cunningham — for a quick chat.
Laura: We’re six weeks into RHOP. Who would you say is the season standout so far?
Kyndall: I definitely think Stacey is the MVP. She has the funniest facial expressions and the best confessionals. Plus, she’s dating a sketchy actor who happens to be celibate, and it’s very fascinating!
Laura: We just saw Part 2 of the RHOC reunion. What was your favorite storyline from this season?
Kyndall: I loved seeing Jenn stand up to Tamra after everything she’d done to her the past two seasons. It’s rare you have housewives who are super-nice but can also read someone for filth when it’s time.
Laura: RHOSLC dropped a wild midseason trailer this week. What sets this franchise branch apart from the rest?
Kyndall: It definitely feels more improvised than other shows. These women are very prepared and studied in Housewives-isms. Thankfully, they’re so funny that it works most of the time.
Go deeper: Here’s that $4 million necklace RHOSLC’s Bronwyn got from her husband.
Strawberry Shortcake on ‘The Masked Singer’ (Fox via Getty Images)
Next week’s watchlist
1️⃣ Dancing With the Stars: The semifinals kick off Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Make sure you prepare by checking out everyone’s scores from this week. [Today]
2️⃣ Masked Singer: Wednesday is Miley Cyrus Night, so tune in to Fox at 8 p.m. ET. In the meantime: Meet one of the newest secret singers, Strawberry Shortcake. [Entertainment Weekly/Gold Derby]
3️⃣ Real Housewives of Beverly Hills: Ready to add more housewives to your roster? RHOBH returns to Bravo for Season 14 on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. Buckle up, because it looks like Kyle and Dorit are still feuding after that fiery Season 13 reunion. [Bravo/RealityTea]
✅ Trivia answer: He might’ve finished seventh on Survivor: The Australian Outback, but last week, Nick Brown was elected to become the first Black attorney general in Washington state.
About In Reality: It’s hard to keep up when there’s so much great reality TV. Good thing entertainment reporter Laura Bradley is an expert at staying on top of everything. Every Saturday morning, she shares a roundup of what happened on the week’s top shows. Sign up.
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