Network executives have reportedly been left scrambling after a sh*t-ton of influencers quit reality TV shows at the 11th hour, leaving it’s future in jeopardy.
Much to the chagrin of fans, reality TV shows in the likes of Married at First Sight and Love Island rely heavily on casting influencers to draw in viewers.
However, a casting agent now claims that even the influencers are turning their nose up at these offers.
Why? Because they “no longer consider reality TV a safe space“, per Yahoo Lifestyle.
“Over the past few weeks, there has been a high volume of selected cast turning around and saying they have changed their mind and are no longer interested in taking part in these shows,” the insider told the outlet.
“It was a mass walkout and it was across all of these shows, which is a sign there is a real shift in power as producers had been relying heavily on picking up talent on Instagram and TikTok.”
Reality TV shows are no longer ‘sought after’ by influencers
Reality shows still put out casting calls to the general public. However, talent scouts also slide into the DMs of potential contestants they find on Instagram or TikTok.
Yet according to one insider, a bunch of influencers scouted for some of Australia’s most popular shows pulled out when they received their final contract.
“It’s been a real turn of the tables, and the opportunity to appear on TV is no longer as lucrative or sought after,” the source admitted. And no wonder, when you can make big bucks as a social media star!
Influencers lash out at reality TV show gigs
One influencer who was contacted to appear on Love Island 2024 told Yahoo Lifestyle that she declined the offer because it “doesn’t make sense” for her to sign on.
Having organically garnered 75,000 followers on the ‘gram in just seven months, the anonymous woman didn’t want her TV contract to hinder her online income.
Meanwhile, an ex-reality star told the outlet that it’s not a surprise that people are turning down reality TV. Particularly when it’s expected that you hand over your entire social media identity to producers.
“Surrendering your brand to someone else is one thing, but a few of these shows also require you to hand over your passwords and read everything in your personal inbox,” they explained to Yahoo Lifestyle.
“It is an invasion of creative control, and that has turned people off taking part in these social experiments.”
They added: “There is kind of a point where if you already have a certain amount of followers you have organically grown by yourself, then you have priced yourself out of the need to do these shows if you are aiming for a lucrative career in influencing.”
What is the future of reality TV shows if influencers decline to appear?
Given casting agents’ main tactic of hiring influencers as reality TV contestants is falling through, an insider says networks will need to change tact within the next year.
They said, “This isn’t a black hole that the networks want to fall into again.
“Twenty years ago, reality shows could make radio stars out of these everyday Australians. In the last ten years, they have established a slew of social media influencers.
“Free-to-air was transforming nobodies to somebodies overnight, and hundreds and thousands of applicants were literally begging to get onto these high-rating shows.
“It would seem without influencers to rely on, television casting executives are going to need to work a lot harder.”
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