Reality television first emerged in the early 1990s but became well known in the early 2000s after shows like Big Brother and Idols became global franchises. Today, reality TV is a big part of mainstream pop culture and the entertainment industry at large, and while reality shows come in different forms, it goes without saying that some are pretty scripted and others are definitely not.
For the more scripted ones, it is not uncommon for actors, singers, and maybe even comedians to make guest appearances or even to appear as a part of the main cast. With comedians, fans can always expect different twists and turns which makes the shows all the more enjoyable for viewers. No doubt, comedians play an important role in modern day reality TV. So who are some of these comics who are not shy to bring their own spin to the reality TV scene? Read on to find out.
10 Jeff Dunham
Through all the seasons of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Caitlyn Jenner was rarely seen palling around with a buddy. That changed, however, in episode 18 of season 8 when Caitlyn started spending a lot of time with comedian Jeff Dunham. The pair's friendship had fans glued to their screens and all thanks to the E! cameras, we never missed a minute of fun.
For Jenner, having a friend outside of her family was nothing short of amazing, mostly because they share very similar interests. The two were often seen driving old cars and flying drones and doing many more fun activities. Since a large part of Keeping Up With The Kardashians feels very scripted, Jeff sure was able to bring his own twists and humor which fans clearly loved.
9 Steve Harvey
In season 15 episode 5 of Family Feud, Steve Harvey handled a contest between the Kardashians and Kanye West's family. The version aired on CBS and was clearly very edited, and therefore very different from the behind the scenes look we saw on Keeping Up With The Kardashians. On KUWTK, fans saw a more chaotic production process mainly caused by the Kardashian-Jenner's inability to decide who would be their fifth player.
Initially, Mary Jo, the family matriarch, said she was not sure if she could make it to the show, causing Kim to call her friend Jonathan Cheban to come in as the fifth player. Things however took a turn when Mary Jo showed up after Jonathan's arrival. Expectedly, this brought about a debate about who would have to be kicked off the team but to make matters easier, Steve Harvey went against the rules. For the first time in the show's history, Harvey allowed six players on a team. A really nice spin if you ask us!
8 Joel Dommett
Comedian and presenter, Joel Dommett is the anchor of the popular reality show, The Masked Singer UK. The comedian has also featured in other reality TV shows like, Live in Chelsea, Imperial Jokers UK, and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! where he makes sure to bring plenty of his unique comedic twists and spins.
7 Joe Lycett
Joe resumed his role as host of the much-loved reality competition, Great British Sewing Bee in 2019 and time and time again, we have seen the 33-year-old incorporate his own humor during his hosting duties on the BBC One show. He also did the same exact thing on every other reality shows he appeared in or hosted.
6 Kevin Hart
American comedian and actor, Kevin Hart was cast as a guest star on the business reality TV show called Shark Tank which features entrepreneurs from various fields attempting to secure finance investments for their business ideas. On the show, Kevin, of course, incorporated his comedic personality that viewers clearly enjoyed.
5 Olga Koch
UK comedy fans will recognize Olga Koch. Along with multiple appearances on shows like QI, and Richard Osmond’s House Of Games. Olga has also been on the stand-up circuit for many years and was nominated Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Fringe for her show Fight. Her reality show appearances are always something to remember.
4 Michelle Buteau
The American standup comedian and actor Michelle Buteau hosts the hit reality show, The Circle. Her clever quips and banter about contestants are always spot on and have remained one of the biggest highlights of the show. Michelle is no doubt one of the best in the game, and she's brought a brand new style of hosting to the world of reality TV.
3 Chris Rock
In the second season of Real Husbands of Hollywood, Chris Rock appeared, replacing singer-songwriter Robin Thicke. The show is a fully scripted parody of reality TV shows, and it plays on the competitive relationship between all of the guys in the cast. A few episode saw Rock have a face-off with star Kevin Hart.
2 Sara Pascoe
The English comedian has appeared on reality television shows such as QI and Taskmaster. Pascoe is also going to be replacing Joe Lycett soon as the presenter of The Great British Sewing Bee. She'll surely bring her own unique twist to the show, but fans can rest easy knowing they are in for an entertaining season ahead.
1 Eli Matthewson
Comedian Eli Matthewson is an occasional panelist on Have You Been Paying Attention?, a game show that has become quite popular, in part thanks to the unique humor of comedians like Matthewson. Eli has also won the New Zealand International Comedy Festival’s Fred Award for Best Comedy Show for Daddy-Short-Legs.
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