Vote: What is the best reality show on TV right now?

Reality TV is hands down the best category of TV going. You can take your documentaries, dramas and sitcoms and dump them in the trash.  Nothing quite beats settling down to watch a bunch of z-list celebrities and wannabe influencers slag each other off or attempt to fall in love in the hope of winning a PrettyLittleThing contract.

They are full of shocking arguments, hilarious moments and the occasional touching storyline. They create household names who go onto be millionaires or people chasing five minutes of fame. The tension between them all is addictive. But of all the reality TV shows currently on TV which is officially the best? Is it Love Island, full of eight weeks in the same villa with people talking about their type on paper? Or is it Selling Sunset with the battle of the blondes competing for airtime and million dollar listings?

These are the best reality TV shows and it’s your chance to vote for the best:

Love Island

via ITV

Number of seasons: Seven

Any spinoffs?: Countless international versions including Love Island Australia, Love Island USA and Love Island France

A classic for a reason, nothing quite sums up British dating culture like Love Island. The characters it produces, the lingo and the occasional epic shouting matches are uniquely British. In what other reality show would you have a contestant refer to themselves as a polar bear and offer to rap to lift the mood?

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Sure the newer seasons aren’t as good as some of the early ones, we’ll pretend winter Love Island just didn’t happen, but it is still pretty decent. The ultimate joy of watching Love Island is the bizarre camaraderie you get watching it with everyone else. Come June every night at 9pm for eight weeks the entire population disappears from the pubs and logs on to Twitter to share their thoughts on Love Island.

Nothing else is spoken about for the entitreity of summer, and for that reason alone it will always have a place in my heart.

Too Hot To Handle

via Netflix

Number of seasons: Three

Any spinoffs?: Nope

Netflix offered up Too Hot To Handle as a sort of competitor to Love Island and it definitely hit the mark.

However Too Hot To Handle does a few things differently and could I say, even better than Love Island? First of all the show brings cast members from around the world so you’re getting a whole host of international fitties. Secondly the unique concept of the show is restricting said fitties from engaging in sexual activity otherwise they lose a big chunk of a mega prize fund.

It’s a simple concept and worked so well in the first series mainly because of the novelty. The workshop scenes where the contestants learn more about themselves was also a deeper addition to the usual surface level TV category.

However by the third series, the contestants didn’t seem to care about losing the money and just started kissing all the over the place. I’ll confess I didn’t even finish the most recent series.

That said, the drama between the cast is next level, who could forget Haley, Francesca and Harry from season one?

Below Deck

via Bravo

Number of seasons: Nine

Any spinoffs?: Below Deck Mediterranean, Below Deck Sailing Yacht and Below Deck Down Under

Below Deck is perfect reality TV for people who claim they don’t like reality TV. The Bravo series focuses on the crew working on mega yachts and the often obnoxious millionaire guests they serve.

It’s been so popular for its relatability- dealing with difficult colleagues, working hungover and bickering with mates over boys. But it’s also so popular because of its unreliability. The incredible scenery, the demands of millionaires and the occasional life risking accident.

You’re probably never going to experience being shouted at by a chef whilst on a multi-million dollar yacht but at least you can watch it on Below Deck. Also Captain Lee is a babe and just deserves all the awards.

Love Is Blind

via Netflix

Number of seasons: Two

Any spinoffs?: Love Is Blind Brazil and Love Is Blind Japan

For a show that’s only had two seasons Love Is Blind is definitely one of the best reality shows going. It’s got everything you could want from a reality show – shock, confrontations, the occasional sweet moment and plenty of memes.

The series sees a group of men and women try and find their future husband or wife, without ever seeing them. Instead they conduct dates in pods and only communicate with their voice. Once proposals have happened they’re allowed to meet their new partner and go about planning their wedding and meeting friends and family.

Whilst the show has only produced a handful of matches, they’re couples who seem genuinely in love which is sweet to watch. And for the couples that don’t get on they bring all the drama on and off screen. Jessica and Mark? Gigi? Shake? Shayne? I now cannot imagine TV without them.

The Only Way Is Essex

via ITV

Number of seasons: 28

Any spinoffs?: Nope

It’s wild to me that TOWIE is still going on 12 years later but clearly someone is watching it. The OG series were classic.

The TOWIE cast put Essex on the map and created a cultural phenomenon. Vajazzles were put of our common language, the show introduced us to the GC and “Essex Girl” even ended up in the dictionary.

Over the years the drama has felt a bit more stagnant and set up, however in the first few series the arguments felt very real, partly because they would film and then put the show out within days of the drama happening. They even broke the fourth wall by watching themselves on TV on the show.

Cast members like Mark Wright, Sam Faiers, Amy Childs and Joey Essex were original and captivating and you could tell we were watching people’s real relationships start or breakdown on screen. Now it’s full of influencer wannabes with the occasional pinch of drama.

Made in Chelsea

via E4

Number of series: 22

Any spinoffs?: Nope

On air for nearly as long as TOWIE, Made in Chelsea has become a staple fixture of British reality TV.

I’ll admit I don’t watch anymore as like TOWIE the drama feels more and more fabricated but that’s not to say the earlier series weren’t classic TV.

Jamie Laing, Spencer Matthews, Louise Thompson, Lucy Watson and Millie Mackintosh created some iconic moments of TV. Remember the bridge scene? And Millie’s toast to friendship?

Even if you weren’t majorly into the drama watching Made in Chelsea was always worth it for the aesthetics and seeing how the other half lived. In the early days MiC really played into its poshness and the scandalous behaviours the upper class love to engage in.

The Apprentice

via BBC

Number of series: 16

Any spinoffs?: The Apprentice: You’re Fired!

Yes The Apprentice counts as a reality show. The shade Karren Brady throws? She could definitely be a Real Housewife.

Despite the show technically being about competing for a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar the main focus of The Apprentice is the interactions between the contestants.

The tasks are legendary with emotions running high. They always argue, constantly throw each other under the bus and occasionally shag in the million pound house Lord Sugar puts them up in. What’s more reality TV than that?

Selling Sunset

via Netflix

Number of series: Four

Any spinoffs?: Selling Tampa

Netflix has a real skill in creating quality reality TV shows and Selling Sunset could probably be considered the best of them all.

Set in Los Angeles, the series follows the lives of the real estate agents at the Oppenheim group. But they’re not selling two bed semis, oh no they’re all about the million dollar listings.

As well as showing off enviable mansions, the main focus of the show is the drama between the estate agents on and off camera. The feud between Christine and Chrishell, Maya’s one liners and the over the top parties are the stuff of reality TV dreams. You can pretend all you want you don’t like reality TV but the minute Christine comes in in six inch heels ready to start some drama you’re hooked.

Celebs Go Dating

via E4

Number of series: 11

Any spinoffs?: Nope

I’m sorry but if you vote for this show I’m worried about you. The early days of Celebs Go Dating were fun. Seeing celebrities take commoners like us out on dates was a revelation and made for some classic TV moments.

Gemma Collins walked out of a date four minutes in, Jonathan Cheban dated a Kim K lookalike and Ferne McCann refused to split the bill on one of her dates. And when the celebrities secretly dated each other it was cute. Seeing Frankie Cocozza and Charlotte Dawson get a telling off was great TV.

However a few seasons in and no real matches made, it’s honestly a surprise it has kept going on this long.

So which is your favourite show? Vote for the best reality TV series here:

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