There are countless new and highly anticipated Australian reality series slated for early 2023, but they don’t have the same unhinged vibe as shows from the past two decades.
The Y2K trend has seen not only the dreaded revival of low-rise jeans but also the return of another 00s staple: Australian Idol. Our brains have warped back 20-odd years (a terrifying thought in itself) and oh, what a gloriously simple time it was.
While some of the more problematic reality TV shows should definitely stay in the early 2000s (Toddlers and Tiaras and The Biggest Loser – we’re looking at you!), there’re plenty of former fan faves that have sadly been lost to time.
There were plenty of niche subgenres that thrived over the past 20 years.
Do you remember all of those shows about dating/befriending or impersonating a celebrity (Paris Hilton’s My New BFF and Flavor of Love)?
What about those certified Dad-classics whose entire Discovery Channel viewership refused to acknowledge that the shows were just reality TV (shoutout to Miami Ink, Deadliest Catch and American Chopper)?
To narrow it down, we’ve collated the top five Aussie reality TV shows that you definitely forgot about (and probs need to revisit ASAP) in 2023.
The Shire (2012)
At first, we thought The Shire was too recent… and then we realised that 2012 was 11 years ago. OMFG we instantly feel old…
The reality-drama series clearly took major inspo from The Hills and Jersey Shore, as well as spruiking itself as an IRL Home and Away. But with just one season, it never quite reached the success of spinoffs like Geordie Shore.
Despite The Shire’s short run time, the Network 10 ratings-flop saw plenty of drama – just not the kind anybody had hoped for.
To start, the real residents hated the show’s portrayal of the Sutherland Shire, as it only exacerbated negative stereotypes of the Sydney region.
But the (acrylic) nail in the coffin came when The Shire co-stars Vernesa Toroman and Sophie Kalantzis came to blows with two other women threatening them with a knife outside of a popular cafe chain in Rhodes.
Just weeks later, Daniel ”Folkesy” Folkes was arrested for allegedly urinating on a man, as two other cast members reportedly called the victim homophobic slurs.
Popstars and Popstars Live (2000 – 2004)
Popstars was a short-lived (but totally iconic) singing competition series, which was best known for launching the careers of girl groups Bardot (and Girls Aloud, internationally).
It had a lineup of then-upcoming celeb hosts and judges, including Jackie O Henderson, Amanda Keller and Andrew Denton.
While the OG series finished in 2002, it briefly spawned a spin-off called Popstars Live in 2004, with Molly Meldrum coming on as a producer and judge.
If nothing else, we can all thank Popstars for gifting us with certified Aussie reality TV icon Sophie Monk.
But other Aussie reality stars can also be spotted auditioning and competing on the show, including The Real Housewives of Melbourne‘s Jackie Gillies and My Kitchen Rules’ Arrnott Olssen.
Come Dine With Me (2010 – 2013)… and Four Weddings (2010)
We’ve combined Come Dine with Me Australia and Four Weddings Australia into one because it’s basically the exact same format, with slightly different fonts. Prove us wrong!
Both shows follow participants hosting the other contestants for a party (whether it be a dinner party or a wedding). After each event, the guests rate their experience in various categories.
They basically always gave painfully low scores with the most half-hearted reasonings ever.
Don’t get us wrong; the UK version of Come Dine with Me is beyond iconic and Four Weddings also had some deliciously brutal reality TV moments. In fact, CDWM UK is still going strong!
But in a long line of UK hits that Australia poorly attempted to adapt (read: the absolute travesty that was The Great Australian Bake-off), our versions didn’t last the test of time. RIP.
It probably didn’t help that My Kitchen Rules launched the exact same year and did a way better job at delivering the dinner party competition format for Aussie audiences.
Meanwhile, Four Weddings Australia was hosted by Fifi Box and only saw a meagre 13 episodes released before it was unceremoniously thrown in the bin along with the food scraps.
Australian Princess (2005)
In the same vein as American Princess and I Want To Marry “Harry”, Australian Princess “shaped” 12 Aussie women into worldly, sophisticated young royals.
The major draw of the show came from good timing, after Australia’s homegrown princess, Mary Donaldson, married Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederick in 2004.
Princess Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell appeared on Australian Princess as the show’s royal expert, as the contestants took classes and competed in challenges fit for a queen.
Move over Netflix’s Harry & Meghan special!
Australia’s Next Top Model (2005-2016) and Make Me a Supermodel Australia (2008)
Australia’s Next Top Model may not have had as many iconic one-liners as its American inspo, but it had its fair share of legendary moments.
Nothing was more iconic than host Sarah Murdoch announcing Kelsey Martinovich as the winner in 2010, before realising she said the wrong name.
“Oh my God, I don’t know what to say right now. I’m feeling a bit sick about this,” Sarah said during the live broadcast; before passing the metaphorical crown to Amanda Ware.
But one of our personal fave moments was the cycle seven contestants appearing in a Short Stack music video in outfits that looked like they came out of the Supre bargain bin. If that isn’t peak 2010s Australian pop culture, we don’t know what is?!
There are plenty of reality shows that see contestant-success taper off in later seasons, but AUNTM was certainly not one of them. You could probs walk into a David Jones store RN and spot a few alum nailing a high fashion LEWK!
Givenchy model Aleyna Fitzgerald won cycle 10 (which ended up being the final season) and NGL, cycle eight winner Melissa “Liss” Juratowitch‘s Wednesday vibes walked so Jenna Ortega could run.
S8 runner-up Duckie Thot modelled for Rhianna’s Fenty, among other major international names. She didn’t even win!
Former Playboy cover model Simone Hotznagel who has appeared on SAS Australia and First Dates, came third to Montana Cox in cycle seven. The latter recently debuted her acting chops on Neighbours.
Not to be outdone, Make Me a Supermodel saw Jennifer Hawkins hosting its single season (before she transitioned to AUNTM) and saw THE Shanina Shaik coming in second place to winner Rhys Uhlich.
Playing It Straight (2004)
We have absolutely saved the worst for last with Playing It Straight… Mostly because we’re completely torn between cringing at how biphobic and problematic it was, while simultaneously noticing some major similarities to the upcoming Fboy Island.
Playing It Straight followed an (assumed) heterosexual bachelorette as she tried to navigate finding love with 12 male suitors. The catch was that half of the men identified as gay and were trying to “trick” her into choosing him.
If she chose one of the “gay” contestants, he would win $200,000 but if she matched with a fellow-het’, they would split the money.
Unsurprisingly, one of the “straight” guys (named Chad) won and they split the cash.
Playing It Straight was obvs not renewed, but still boasted a longer run time than the US version, which aired only three episodes.
Australian Idol (2003 to present?!)
There are now countless talent shows at our fingertips these days, so it’s easy to forget how much of a national phenomenon the OG Australian Idol really was.
Seriously, how many other competition shows boast such a staggeringly long list of household names that have maintained public stardom for nearly 20 years?!
The first season saw Guy Sebastian take out the win 2003, but to this day, Aussies still joke that runner-up Shannon Noll was robbed.
Meanwhile, one of Australia’s most famous drag queens, Courtney Act, didn’t even make it to the top 10!
Season two shot Ricki-Lee Coulter, Anthony Callea, Em Rusciano and winner Casey Donovan to country-wide success.
Not to mention, Australian Idol made Osher Gunsberg one of the most sought-after hosts in the ‘biz.
And don’t forget the banger songs released by Australian Idol alum. Wasabi anybody?! The nation thanks you, Lee Harding.
But Australian Idol wasn’t without its fair share of controversies that wouldn’t fly in 2023.
Judge Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson told season one contestant Paulini Curuenavuli, who was just 21 at the time, to “choose more appropriate clothing and shed some pounds”. BIG YIKES!
Dicko (who could not have a more accurate nickname) at left the show after 2004, with Kyle Sandilands as his replacement. Yeah, we can all retrospectively guess how that was going to go!
He too was dropped from Australian Idol in 2009 after a controversial and triggering segment on the Kyle and Jackie O Show, where a minor was forced to talk about their sexual assault experience while using a lie detector device.
Seriously, how does this guy still have a career at all?!
We’ll see if Australian Idol 2023 lives up to its predecessor, whether it be with more scandals (having already received backlash over its judge lineup) or if it will discover new icons in the making…
Want even more goss? Listen to the latest episode of the So Dramatic! Daily podcast with Megan Pustetto below!
Know something that we don’t? Spill the tea here! Get the tea first!
Follow So Dramatic! on Instagram and tune in on Tuesday to get your reality tea fix with the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto.
