Who makes reality TV: its stars or its producers? In recent years, the public have become more aware of the guiding hand of the producer as it nudges its participants towards conflict or drama. Rather than understanding reality TV as driven by the faces of shows like Love Island, Big Brother, Real Housewives or even The Traitors, the credit has been increasingly attributed to the production staff, who manipulate story lines and edit footage to make a show more entertaining.
Reality stars are sometimes seen as disposable puppets fame-hungry enough to allow their stories to be written by those behind the scenes. Perhaps this belief has allowed for those who appear on reality shows to be mistreated over the last 20 years. Networks and production companies have evaded labour laws and working regulations that would require them to treat stars as respected members of staff. Instead, many claim they have been exploited, underpaid and offered little support during and after production, as bosses happily profited off their personal lives.
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