What does the UK really think about reality TV?

Reality TV. Maybe you love it, perhaps you hate it, and you definitely watch it, even if it’s in secret. From villa love triangles to tense bake-offs and awkward dinner party showdowns, reality TV shows have dominated our screens and memes for years.

But in 2025, how does the UK really feel about it all? Are we still obsessed, or has the gloss started to wear off?

To find out, we ran a cheeky little survey to get the nation’s unfiltered thoughts on all things reality TV. The questions covered everything from which shows we’re bingeing, to which ones now have more red flags than a dating app.

So, let’s stir the pot, spark a few debates, and maybe even make you question your own telly choices.

The UK’s favourite reality TV shows

When it comes to the reality TV shows that the British public watch regularly, we’re talking Love Island (55%), I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here (51%), and of course, The Great British Bake Off (46%). From romance to tarantulas, all topped off with a delicious Victoria sponge, we’re nothing if not predictable.

Big Brother (46%) and Married at First Sight (40%) are also very popular, and even though Geordie Shore (13%) and RuPaul’s Drag Race (12%) have lower scores, their fans are nothing if not unfalteringly loyal.

Which shows are losing steam

Despite Love Island being number one in terms of popularity (65% of people 18-24 can’t get enough of it), with Big Brother and I’m a Celebrity following close behind, people say that these are the three shows that have declined in quality recently (39%, 37%, and 27% people agreed with this respectively).

Whether that’s due to a similar format being used for such a long time or the public’s ever-changing tastes is hard to say, but what we can tell you is that only 14% of people think The Traitors has declined in quality and Married at First Sight scored lowest (in a good way) at only 13% viewer fatigue.

Viewer fantasies and aspirations

We then asked which reality TV show people would most like to appear on if given the opportunity. Four shows share the top spot with 14% of people choosing them as their favourite: Love Island, The Traitors, Big Brother, and The Great British Bake Off. Now let’s make it interesting, as we also asked them what they would be willing to do for the chance to appear on their favourite show. Believe it or not, 30% of people would stay in total isolation for a week, which might sound nice at first, but it would get boring fast.

Unsurprisingly, 27% said they would relocate to another city (who doesn’t love a mini break?) and 25% agreed that they would undergo a dramatic makeover (how fabulous!).

Other options were to give up social media for a year (25%), get a tattoo (22%), and make a drastic career change (19%), although only 16% were willing to shave all their hair off, and just 11% would sell their car in exchange for TV fame.

Us Brits really do love our mullets and motors!

Reality or scripted?

A major factor in the quality of reality TV shows is whether or not they’re actually real. If a show is scripted, it can seriously spoil the fun due to lack of authenticity.

So, we asked the public how authentic or fake they think reality TV shows are, with only 31% saying completely or mostly authentic and 32% saying completely or mostly fake.

What do you reckon? Has someone in your favourite reality TV show said or done something that’s a bit too weird, convenient, or just plain cringe? If they have, let’s hope they were reading from a script!

Fame at what cost?

We’re getting into even deeper territory now, as we asked people if they would let reality TV producers script their whole life if it meant they’d go viral and be famous.

Think about it for a minute – you’re on the screen as yourself, but you’re not being your genuine self. Surely very few people would be up for that, right? Well, as shocking as it may seem, 50% of people would let a producer tell them what to say on a reality TV show, particularly those aged 25-34 (56%) and 35-44 (52%).

However, there’s also the element of compensation. Some reality TV shows are sweet and fun, but others demand a little (or a lot) more from their guests.

If you want to appear on Naked Attraction, for instance, you’re going to have to bear more than your soul. With that in mind, it’s understandable that only 3% of people would go on the show for free, and 22% would want to be paid a cool million quid or more.

We then have those who are shy or simply don’t like the idea of getting their bits out, as 25% of people say that no amount of money would convince them to air their nether regions on the telly. Still, when it comes to overall figures, 54% of men and 27% of women would appear on the show if it meant instant fame.

On a side note, 46% of people (and 50% of those aged 25-34) would pretend to be single to get on Love Island. And they say romance is dead.

Reality TV habits

Anyway, let’s get back to things that people do when watching reality TV shows, rather than what they’d sacrifice to actually appear on them. Binge watching a favourite show is common behaviour and we’ve all done it at some point, but would you stay up later than planned to cram in more episodes? A whopping 72% of people say they would, which isn’t so bad to be fair, but what about delaying showering?

Surprisingly, 39% would stay stinky to keep watching their show (in fact, 47% of young people aged 18-24 would do this). Also, 34% would ignore phone calls and messages, and 25% would cancel social plans in favour of more TV time. Do we really love our reality TV that much or are we just getting more unsociable?

The game show factor

And of course, we simply had to ask our survey participants which game shows they believe they could realistically win.

This is where people got a bit cocky, as 43% think they could win Deal or No Deal. Meanwhile, The Chase (34%) and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (32%) were also pretty high, but people were more down to earth when it came to University Challenge, as only 13% believed they could win it.

We’re very much still a TV nation

From missing out on sleep to delaying showering, from pretending to be single to meeting strangers in the buff, the British public will go to great lengths to appear on a reality TV show, or even just to watch one.

We’re a nation hooked on drama, romance, adventure, glow-ups, general knowledge, competition, deceit, and yes, even sponge cakes. It’s good to watch, great to chat about with friends, and even better if you get to be one of the contestants or guests.

The real question is, what would you do to appear on your favourite reality TV show?

Methodology

The data is based on a nationally representative survey conducted among UK adults, aged 18–54, who watch UK reality TV. Respondents were asked about their viewing habits, opinions on reality TV authenticity, willingness to participate in shows, and sacrifices they would make for fame. Results were segmented by age, gender, and region/city to uncover key demographic trends.

We used 3Gem for the survey. The sample definition is “People aged 18-50 who watch reality TV shows”. The survey was taken between 10th-14th April, and the sample size was 1,250 people.