The 25 best reality stars of the 2000s 

Nothing quite captured the early 2000s like reality television. It offered us an inside look at the dating world, the dancing world, the singing world, the lives of renowned friends/couples/families, and the lives of not-so-famous people… some of whom were really into fist pumping. It gave us competition, drama, love, drama, comedy, and did we mention drama?

That’s precisely why Entertainment Weekly is celebrating what just might go down as the golden age of reality television with our Reality Rewind Issue, topped off with EW’s ranking of our 25 favorite reality stars of the era.

Quick disclaimer: We confined our choices to one person (or duo) per show. We also excluded hosts of any kind from this ranking. But don’t worry, we made sure they had their moment too.

25) Matt Kennedy Gould

Matt Kennedy Gould on ‘The Joe Schmo Show’.

Spike TV

Before there was Jury Duty, there was The Joe Schmo Show. And before there was Ronald Gladden, there was Matt Kennedy Gould. Gould thought he was competing in a Big Brother-type elimination program titled Lap of Luxury. In actuality, everything — unbeknownst to him — was ridiculously staged in a pitch-perfect reality TV parody, as comedy improv actors like David Hornsby and pre-Saturday Night Live Kristen Wiig would put Gould smack dab in the middle of absurd situation after absurd situation. The results were hilarious, but Gould also won hearts as the affable (if a bit gullible) victim of the ruse. In a world full of cutthroat competitors with questionable morals, this likable and generous everyman struggling with how to react to over-the-top reality TV behavior had viewers rooting him on every step of the way. —Dalton Ross

24) Sig Hansen

Sig Hansen on ‘Deadliest Catch’.

Discovery Channel

There’s threatening, and then there’s deadliest. Captain Sig Hansen has been showing us how not only to survive, but thrive on the Bering Sea since Deadliest Catch premiered in 2005. Over two decades, we’ve watched Sig’s family — and the family business — grow, including his daughter Mandy’s marriage to deckhand Clark Pederson in 2017 and the birth of their daughter, Sailor, in 2021. Sig’s high-seas antics on the Northwestern even earned him a spinoff series, The Viking Returns. The captain’s love for pranks and teasing his crew from his perch in the bridge endeared him to viewers of the popular series, which many credit with helping launch the “dirty jobs” genre of TV. —Ashley Boucher

23) Natalie Nunn

Natalie Nunn on ‘Bad Girls Club’.

Oxygen

Natalie Nunn had Bad Girls Club fans everywhere saying they “run L.A.” Whether it was because they loved her or were mocking her, there was no doubting the season 4 standout’s impact as her catchphrase spread well beyond the Real World-style reality series that made her renowned. Natalie flaunted her Los Angeles lifestyle in front of her housemates, turned on them to make great TV like she was on a competition series, and was at the center of most of the season’s substantial physical fights. No wonder she was the only “Bad Girl” to return season after season and also appear in various spinoffs. Natalie may or may not run L.A., but she certainly ran the Bad Girls Club.  —Alamin Yohannes

22) Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Mel B on ‘Dancing With the Stars’.

Kelsey McNeal/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty

Ballroom dancing is about having a pageant-worthy presentation of your precise footwork, which is why Maksim Chmerkovskiy made such an impact when he joined Dancing With the Stars in season 2 back in 2006. The Ukrainian immigrant always rebuked his nickname as the “Bad Boy of the Ballroom,” but his antithetical vibe in the ballroom — his fiery clashes in rehearsal with his celebrity partners and on live TV with the judges — brought a much-needed energy to the predominately squeaky-clean competition. It also didn’t hurt that, in the words of his season 4 partner Laila Ali, “He’s hot.” Fans were enthralled by his broken engagement to fellow DWTS pro Karina Smirnoff, and subsequent rumored and confirmed romances with his partners. Bonus points for capping off his caddish persona by marrying DWTS pro Peta Murgatroyd in 2017 and becoming a dad three times over. —Patrick Gomez

21) Charla Faddoul & Mirna Hindoyan

Charla and Mirna on ‘The Amazing Race’.

TONY ESPARZA/CBS

In an age where reality TV producers would make spectacles of anyone different, Charla Faddoul was a beacon of positivity and strength. Born with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, Charla never let her 4-foot stature be a hinderance as she raced around the world with her cousin Mirna Hindoyan on The Amazing Race 5 in 2004. In many ways, the pair were perfect foils to each other: Charla the ever-positive go-getter who took over the task of carrying a 50-pound slab of meat on her back when her cousin couldn’t continue; and Mirna always the doubter, speaking English with a tinge of the accent of whatever country they happened to be in at the time. It was no surprise producers invited the cousins back for All-Stars in 2007, where they entered a bitter rivalry — and ultimately bested — Survivor legends Boston Rob and Amber. —P.G.

20) Tammie Brown

Tammie Brown on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’.

Logo

Making sense of drag queen Tammie Brown’s wacky mind is a fool’s errand — and yet, RuPaul casting her to support launch the inaugural season of Drag Race seems an obvious choice, in hindsight, within the Drag Race fantasy. Filled with her own self-branded colloquialisms that often made no sense to anyone but her (“jiggy and wiggy,” “get down to the booty-scooty,” “walking children in nature,” etc.), Tammie hit TV screens as a fresh presence, with no blueprint for her unpredictable quips and off-kilter takes on fashion and comedy, not to mention the season 1 challenges themselves. She didn’t last long (eliminated on episode 2), and yet her standout demeanor feels constant within the Drag Race canon, thanks to her delivering some of the franchise’s most iconic moments (her All Stars 1 admission that, “My father f—ed Marlene Dietrich” is a favorite among EW staff). Her enduring status as a cult icon continues to expand, as Tammie is a regular fixture on niche TV shows (The Browns, Drag House Rules) and partakes in repeated collaborations with fellow alums Kelly Mantle and Trixie Mattel. But her approach to the art form hasn’t changed much from the OG Drag Race season, reminding us that her legendary exit line — “See you in the magazines!” — was more of a promise than a drag dreamer’s wish. —Joey Nolfi

19) Bret Michaels

Bret Michaels on ‘Rock of Love’.

Scott Odgers/VH1

Bret Michaels’ reality dating series Rock of Love, which aired on VH1 from 2007 to 2009, felt like it took place in the 1980s, when he and his band Poison were in their heyday. The highly quotable rocker — who asked contestants not to accept his rose, but to stay there and continue to rock his world — was more earnest and, therefore, more entertaining than The Bachelor. His would-be paramours were tasked with mostly music-themed challenges, such as posing for an album cover or making their own music videos, but also with getting soiled in his annual Mud Bowl. And Michaels didn’t seem to have any shame in that. You got the sense that this wasn’t very different than the way he would’ve acted if there weren’t any cameras at all. And, really, reality TV doesn’t get any better than that. —Raechal Shewfelt

18) Aubrey O’Day

Aubrey O’Day on ‘Making the Band’.

George Napolitano/FilmMagic

As soon as Aubrey O’Day stepped on the stage to sing “Leave (Get Out),” it was clear she was meant to be a pop star. Making the Band 3 was about bringing together a group of people to be the next substantial music sensation — but with each performance, confessional, and episode, the singer made Danity Kane’s three-season journey more and more the Aubrey Show. Her former band is spoken of fondly to this day, but Danity Kane may have never reached stardom in the first place without Aubrey drawing in viewers in and turning them into fans. (Just recall her sauntering around the group’s apartment when two very attractive exterminators paid them a visit.) Since Danity Kane’s debut on MTV in 2004, the public has learned a lot of demanding truths around Aubrey’s and her bandmates’ introduction to the public. But looking back on those years, there’s no way we’d ask Aubrey to leave, or get out. —A.Y.

17) NeNe Leakes

NeNe Leakes on ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’.

Wilford Harewood/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

NeNe Leakes was made for reality TV. When The Real Housewives of Atlanta debuted in 2008, she was undoubtedly the breakout star. Some might even say she was responsible for putting the Housewives on the map, which is saying a lot considering RHOA was the third installment in the Bravo franchise. Hilarious, quick-witted, and — most importantly — unabashedly herself, the queen of keepin’ it real wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Whether berating frenemy Kim Zolciak about her married boyfriend Big Poppa (“Close your legs to married men!”), telling “Lindsay Lohan’s daddy” to butt out of a fight (“carry yo ass back to Malibu”), or throwing shade at [insert any RHOA cast member’s name], NeNe could always be counted to deliver the perfect clapback or facial expression, which not only made for some unforgettable TV moments but also made her an extremely meme-able Housewife. (Who hasn’t used a GIF of NeNe?) Starring on the show from seasons 1-7 and then again in seasons 10-12, she set the bar high for future Housewives and, frankly, all reality stars who followed. NeNe’s an icon of the genre and will go down in history as one of the best if not THE best Real Housewife of all time. I said what I said — bloop! —Rebecca Detken

16) Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano on ‘Project Runway’.

Barbara Nitke/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

You know you’ve made it when Amy Poehler impersonates you on Saturday Night Live. That’s just how renowned Christian Siriano was after winning season 4 of Project Runway in 2007. His signature catchphrase “hot tranny mess” hasn’t aged well, but his unapologetic queerness made him an icon in a pre-Glee world. And that’s not even taking into account his talent as a designer, inarguably becoming the Bravo show’s biggest success: first designing for Puma and Payless before quickly graduating to dressing the brightest stars in Hollywood. Celebrated for embracing size inclusivity, the designer’s fame has only grown since his time as a contestant — so much so that Project Runway had him take over for Tim Gunn as mentor starting with season 17 in 2019. —P.G.

15) Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson on ‘Newlyweds’.

MTV

Forget that Chicken of the Sea brain fart. Jessica Simpson’s true breakthrough as a reality TV star came in the fourth episode of MTV’s Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, when she stunk up the first-floor bathroom of her Calabasas home. “Baby, what did you do?” moaned her telegenic husband, 98 Degrees singer Nick Lachey. “You should be ashamed of yourself!” Fixing her pretty face in a perfect pout, Simpson wrapped her arms around his neck and cooed, “You love my stinky ass.” Yes, we did. Fueled by Simpson’s comedically calibrated dumb-blonde persona, Newlyweds launched a modern reality TV subgenre —Celebrity couples, they’re just like us! — and transformed Simpson and Lachey from mid-level pop musicians to global superstars. Rather than stay pigeonholed as a ditz, Simpson (who just released modern music for the first time in 15 years) went on to launch her own fashion brand, which hit $1 billion in sales in 2015 and is still going robust today. —Kristen Baldwin

14) Jade Cole

Jade Cole on ‘America’s Next Top Model’.

Jim DeYonker/CBS Photo Archive via Getty

Rarely are reality stars associated with high art, but America’s Next Top Model cycle 6 finalist Jade Cole was cat-walking poetry personified. Not only did she take some of the most breathtaking photos of one of the best editions of Tyra Banks’ modeling competition, she had a penchant for the spoken word, too. From her savage freestyle-rap takedown of Furonda in the Wild ‘n Out acting challenge and profane CoverGirl commercial improvisation to her self-written (and legendary) “Leftover Lady” elimination sonnet, Jade’s impact on the show ranged from villainous to downright absurd — but her presence itself was a work of art. Jade became the template for balancing unhinged, unfiltered reality TV spectacle with camp comedy, and her addition to the cast helped stitch the fabric of ANTM excellence into mainstream pop culture. —J.N.

13) Dr. Will Kirby

Will Kirby on ‘Big Brother’.

Tony Esparza/CBS

Season 1 of Big Brother was one of the worst disasters in reality TV history, so it is no exaggeration to say that Dr. Will Kirby may have almost single-handedly brought the franchise back from the dead when he showed up for season 2 in the summer of 2001. Not only did Kirby become — with apologies to Richard Hatch — reality competition’s first true villain, but he also helped form the genre’s first-ever named alliance in Chill Town. Dr. Will also amazingly used the house’s hatred of him to his advantage: convincing everyone he could never in a million years win, so they should take out other people instead. Naturally, he then did win, taking home the $500,000 after promising that he would not give a single penny to charity. Remarkably, the so-called Dr. Evil was even more entertaining in his Big Brother: All-Stars return in 2006, promising to throw every competition and force everyone to eat slop all season long unless they evicted him because “I hate you all.” Once again, naturally, they kept him in the game. Legend. —D.R.

12) Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian on ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’.

E!

Make no mistake: When Keeping Up With the Kardashians premiered in 2007, the Kardashians were not the moguls they are today. They didn’t own beauty brands, and the word skim was mostly associated with milk. But after the success of The Osbournes, producer Ryan Seacrest decided to explore the idea of following Kris Jenner and her many children. At the center of it all was Kim Kardashian, who was known in the public eye mostly from her friendship with Paris Hilton (she’d appeared as Paris’ assistant a few times on The Simple Life) and from the leak of her sex tape with Ray J. But audiences quickly grew attached to Kim’s ridiculously lavish life, her obsession with beauty, and her complicated family dynamics. There’s a reason she’s still on TV today. —Samantha Highfill

11) Steve-O

Steve-O on ‘Jackass’.

MTV

Johnny Knoxville created Jackass, but Steve-O was the star. Think of the grossest, most painful, and most threatening stunts on the long-running MTV franchise, and Steve-O did them all. The stuntman and clown college graduate never said no to anything, laughed maniacally while getting hit in the testicles (over and over again), being impaled through the cheek with a fish hook, snorting wasabi, getting a tattoo in the back of a violently out-of-control ATV, and launching himself inside a poo-filled porta-potty for the now-infamous “Poo Cocktail Supreme” from 2010’s Jackass 3D. Steve-O gave modern meaning to the skull-and-crossed crutches warning: Don’t try this at home. —Sydney Bucksbaum

10) “Boston” Rob Mariano

Rob Mariano on ‘Survivor’.

Monty Brinton/CBS 

Think about this for a second: Had a limo driver from Queens named Robert DeCanio not been cast on Survivor: Marquesas, there would’ve been no need for Rob Mariano to have his hometown added to his name to support distinguish the two contestants from each other on the reality hit’s fourth season in 2002. And arguably the world’s most renowned reality TV nickname never would have existed. Of course, Boston Rob made his own mark in the game by becoming one of the most savvy and ruthless competitors in the genre’s history — as seen once again recently on Deal or No Deal Island and The Traitors. But the Robfather was at his absolute peak during 2004’s Survivor: All-Stars, when he backstabbed and betrayed his way to the end and married the woman who beat him, Amber Brkich. (NOTE: This reality competition icon may or may not have been dropped two spots in this ranking due to the two-hour televised wedding special that was Rob & Amber Get Married.) —D.R.

9) Ozzy Osbourne

Kelly Osbourne, Jack Osbourne, and Ozzy Osbourne on ‘The Osbournes’.

MTV

The 2000s were inundated with “celebrities are just like us!” reality shows in which once-larger-than-life characters were filmed doing super mundane tasks for our voyeuristic pleasure, but none were as mesmerizing as watching the Prince of Darkness struggle to do basic household chores like taking out the trash. It was all aboard the crazy train when The Osbournes debuted on MTV in 2002, with the show becoming an immediate sensation as viewers got an inside look at the life of Ozzy, wife Sharon, and kids Jack and Kelly. The former Black Sabbath frontman (who later claimed to be “stoned during the entire filming”) enjoyed a highly improbable second act thanks to his seemingly impaired antics. He also transformed into one of TV’s most lovable dads — especially in the category of dads who once bit the head off a bat and snorted a line of live ants. —D.R.

8) Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie

Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie in a promo shot for ‘The Simple Life’.

Sam Jones/FOX

While shows like The Osbournes tried to humanize celebs, The Simple Life falls very distinctly into the type of reality we’ll call, “Celebrities, they’re not like us, but wouldn’t it be funny to watch them attempt to be normal?!” And who better to watch work at a quick food restaurant or — even better — support a cow give birth than socialites Nicole Richie, a.k.a. the daughter of Lionel Richie, and Juicy sweatsuit-enthusiast Paris Hilton? From 2003 to 2007, audiences watched as the friends dipped their perfectly manicured toes into the lifestyles of us normies, all the while making sure their hair looked good. Paris and Nicole never tried to be anyone else, and they never pretended to like the plain life. And that’s sizzling. —S.H.

7) Trista Sutter

Trista Sutter on ‘The Bachelorette’.

ABC/CRAIG SJODIN

On April 25, 2002, more than 18 million viewers watched as Trista Rehn — a 29-year-old physical therapist/Miami Heat Dancer — was sent home by Alex Michael, star of ABC’s The Bachelor. “My life will go on,” said Trista, wiping away tears in the back of the Reject Limo. “I’m okay.” Her poise and strength in the midst of heartbreak cemented Trista as a fan favorite, and ABC quickly made her the star of its equal-opportunity spinoff. The Bachelorette emerged as an even bigger hit. And this time, it ended with a true love story: On Dec. 10, 2003, the modern queen of Bachelor Nation married firefighter Ryan Sutter in a live TV ceremony, with 17 million viewers in attendance. Thanks to Trista, Bachelor producers found a formula (casting a runner-up as the next lead) that still works to this day. She and Ryan remain married 21 years later, which means Trista is also living proof that “lasting reality TV romance” isn’t always an oxymoron. —K.B.

6) Spencer Pratt & Heidi Montag

Spencer and Heidi on ‘The Hills’.

MTV

When Spencer Pratt arrived on season 2 of The Hills in 2007, no one thought his relationship with franchise star Heidi Montag would last. He was a cut-and-dry reality TV villain driving a wedge between her and her best friend Lauren Conrad. Yet here we are almost two decades later, and “Speidi” is still married — with children — and somehow now a beloved celebrity couple thanks to Spencer’s ingenious operate of TikTok to get Heidi’s music back on the charts after they lost their home in the Los Angeles wildfires. While public opinion of Heidi and Spencer has certainly shifted dramatically this year, their reign over pop culture in the early 2000s can’t be denied, since their shameless love of being in the spotlight literally had no limits. Remember Heidi’s shocking plastic surgery reveal? Or how about their disastrous appearance on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here? Speidi always knew how to put on a show — for better or worse. —S.B.

5) CT Tamburello

CT Tamburello on ‘The Real World: Paris’.

MTV

Aggressive, cocky, always getting in fights — from the first moment Chris “CT” Tamburello showed up on The Real World: Paris in 2003, he stole the show. You either loved him, loved to hate him, or were terrified of him, and MTV knew it found a star in the Boston bruiser with the electric blue eyes. CT went on to become one of the best players of all time on the long-running reality competition franchise The Challenge, beginning with his dominant run on 2004’s The Inferno — although it took him nine seasons to actually win, since he was his own worst enemy in those early years, constantly getting kicked off due to fighting. Now a five-time winner, he’s proved time and time again he’s the whole package, from the brains (his political mind!) to the brawn (Bananas backpack!) to the beauty (again, have you seen those eyes?). But it was his bittersweet, unexpected love story with The Challenge sweetheart Diem Brown, beginning on The Duel and continuing all the way until her death in 2014 (from her third battle with ovarian cancer), that showed his softer side and stole everyone’s hearts. This man really can do it all. —S.B.

4) Kelly Clarkson & Justin Guarini

Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini on ‘American Idol’.

Kevin Winter/ImageDirect/Getty

Looking back now, it may not seem like a true clash of the titans, seeing as one went on to be a music superstar and beloved talk show host while the other went on to be… Diet Dr. Pepper mascot Lil’ Sweet. However, the Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini battle to capture the season 1 American Idol crown in 2002 was our country’s first true reality TV fandom civil war, with viewers passionately taking sides. Justin may have set hearts aflutter with his dreamy gestures to the circling onstage camera — inspiring one unnamed EW staffer… cough, cough, Kristen Baldwin… to purchase a Justin Guarini mouse pad — but in the end, it was Kelly’s moment (like this) to shine. (NOTE: This vigorous singing duo may or may not have been dropped two spots in this ranking due to the theatrical experience that was From Justin to Kelly.) —D.R.

3) Snooki

Snooki on ‘Jersey Shore’.

MTV

No amount of gym, tanning, and laundry could have prepared MTV viewers for the whirling dervish that is Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi. Standing at just 4 feet 8 inches, the pint-sized self-identifying “guidette” fist pumped into our hearts as the breakout star of Jersey Shore… and that’s saying a lot, given the deep bench of reality legends she first called roommates back in 2009. Her love of pickles and picking fights — as well as that iconic “bumpit” hair — made her a cultural touchstone at the close of the decade. No other reality star can say they were one of the most popular celebrity Halloween costumes of 2010. —P.G.

2 and 1) Flavor Flav and Tiffany “New York” Pollard

Flavor Flav; Tiffany Pollard.

VH1 (2)

Everyone has their favorite Y2K reality star (as evidenced by the intense debate among the EW staff as we put this list together), but it’s demanding to argue anyone in that era had a bigger impact on the genre than Flavor Flav. The Public Enemy member had been away from the hip-hop scene for a bit when he first entered into the reality space with season 3 of The Surreal Life, VH1’s celeb twist on The Real World, in 2004. He was an instant fan favorite, but it was his budding romance with Brigitte Nielsen that truly endeared him to viewers — so much so that Flav and the model-actress got a spinoff, Strange Love, the following year. Though the show (and their love story) didn’t last long, it opened the door for Flav’s dating show, Flavor of Love, in 2006. Elements of the VH1 series may seem incredibly cringe decades later, but 11 years before The Bachelor would feature its first Black lead, our sweet Flav welcomed a mansion full of diverse suitors. Each woman was given a unique nickname, ranging from the cute (Smiley, Sweetie) to the questionable (Miss Latin, Red Oyster), by their potential Prince Charming. But none would make as much of an impact as season 1 runner-up Tiffany “New York” Pollard.

There is perhaps no one more built for reality TV than New York. Always just the right amount of extra, the “HBIC” (or “Head Bitch in Charge”) was such good television that producers invited her back halfway through Flavor of Love season 2 to liven things up. She ended up in second place yet again, but walked away with a pretty good consolation prize: her own dating show, I Love New York. And VH1 knew fans didn’t just want to watch Tiffany looking for romance. They also wanted to see her try a career in acting (New York Goes to Hollywood)… and a handful of other jobs (New York Goes to Work) before the end of the 2000s.

Beyond their own shows, we have Flav and New York to thank for giving us spinoffs Charm School, Real Chance of Love, and I Love Money (also Frank the Entertainer in a Basement Affair, but they can’t all be winners) — not to mention providing the template for For the Love of Ray J, as well as the aforementioned Rock of Love and its handful of spinoffs.

That ability to spawn an entire reality empire is what ultimately makes Flavor Flav and Tiffany “New York” Pollard our undisputed king and queen of 2000s reality. (Bonus points for “David’s dead,” even though that was outside of our window.) —P.G.