Hello, and welcome to the first annual Reality Tea Awards! Today, we will review our top heroes who made 2024 a fantastic year for reality television. We will start by naming our top four nominees, followed by our winner, as voted on by the staff here at Reality Tea.
But first, what is a hero? Well, heroes are those who make things better. This world is messy and broken, and the weight of it all sometimes feels heavy. Therefore, whenever someone comes along who gets in our feelings, gives us hope, or even makes us laugh, we cannot help but cheer them on.
From making us laugh to making us well up with tearful showings of pride for their strengths, we salute these reality television heroes of 2024.
Nominee: Ariana Madix
Vanderpump Rules introduced us to Ariana Madix many moons ago. Over the years, her popularity increased by a lot. But when Season 11 wrapped, her name was all we could speak.
Following the messy Scandoval storyline, Ariana unleashed her wrath a few times on her ex-who-shall-not-be-named. But then, she dipped out from this dumpster fire and created solid boundaries with her “friends” on this cast. Her star has continued to rise ever since.
Starting in January, Ariana made her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre in Manhattan. This run ended on March 24, 2024. However, Ariana’s fans showed up in droves to watch her living out her dreams, so the theater gave her a second run, which she happily agreed to undertake.
Ariana’s hosting gig on Love Island USA also aired this year. She slayed. Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, her sandwich shop with Katie Maloney finally opened, and the lines for this girly-infused sandwich shop are consistently wrapped around the block, packed with fans who love Ariana and avocados.
A handful of weeks ago, news arrived that VPR would see a reboot. Ever the strong hero, Ariana once again refused to crumble. Instead, she hopped on a float to sing and wave at her fans via the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, refusing to let the shadows stomp out her sunlight. For her ability to continually swim through life’s suckiness, Ariana was an easy nomination for our 2024 Reality TV Hero of the Year award.
Nominee: Guerdy Abraira
Guerdy Abraira gives us life here at Reality Tea. This Real Housewives of Miami star has been through the thick of it. But in 2024, our girl Guerdy Guerdyfied her life’s lemons and made the best picture of lemonade possible.
After kicking cancer’s ass in 2023, Guerdy rose as a powerful advocate for her fellow Black warriors in the cancer community. During her treatments, Guerdy realized that very few images existed of Black radiation treatment patients. So, she documented her journey, knowing full well that representation matters.
Then, Guerdy filmed rawly and honestly about her life post-cancer during Season 6 of RHOM. She even tossed her wig onto the ground, revealing herself in all her bald glory to one of her costars. This costar cared little, but we here at Reality Tea loved it.
In all seasons of life, Guerdy soldiers on. For her ability to look cancer in the eyes, kick its ass, and then come back swinging on Bravo for her fellow fighters, Guerdy is a solid nominee for our 2024 Reality TV Hero of the Year award.
Nominee: Tiffany ‘New York’ Pollard
Tiffany Pollard is the hysterical hero that this world needs right now. Although Tiffany has starred in many different reality television series, her 2024 appearance on House of Villians was next level, making us fall in love with her all over again
When Tiffany told Teresa Guidice she always respected her hairline, we died. We sank further into our graves as Teresa slowly blinked away her dig. Then, Tiffany was nominated for the chopping block, facing a possible elimination, so her hysterics sounded again. She read this costar for filth, telling him that he looks like an uncircumcised chicken fetus, which makes zero sense, but it was still the heroically hysterical highlight of this episode.
From labeling assholes as “putrid” to going in hard on anyone who steps in her path, Tiffany has made Season 2 of House of Villians one of our greatest guilty pleasures. Tiffany is a strong nominee for our 2024 Reality TV Hero of the Year award, and we hope to see more of Ms. New York in 2025.
Nominee: Bronwyn Newport
Bronwyn Newport is a newbie on Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. But already, her antics and her fashions are aiding in the storylines of 2024. Not only is Bronwyn funny, but she is also organically interesting, eccentric, and beyond unafraid of confrontation. These traits are currently serving her well in Season 5 of RHOSLC.
But there is a softer side to Bronwyn that we cannot help but want to protect. When she spilled her entire guts out about her daughter’s father, we wept. She has also tried to get her costars to stop bickering, but her efforts failed. Money can’t buy them class, not even on her “goddamn credit card.”
From picking up her husband at the airport while decked out in costumes to directly saying what she means without any BS, Bronwyn is a storyline hero on RHOSLC.
Last but not least, as RHOSLC airs, Bronwyn takes to her Instagram page. All season long, she has been using her platform to spotlight a different non-profit each week via her stories. She even provides a link for her followers (and lurkers) to click on, allowing them to donate directly to each cause. For her aired and unaired heroic efforts, Bronwyn is a strong candidate for our 2024 Reality TV Hero of the Year award.
Winner: Aesha Scott
Aesha Scott is a hero many times over. We covered her heroic actions in 2023, where her full leadership abilities finally shined. But then, Aesha had another great year in 2024, which we will focus on now.
Returning to her original series, Aesha excelled as the Chief Stew on Below Deck Mediterranean Season 9. Throughout this season, Aesha was her typically openhearted, hysterical, precious self, and her presence alone helped save this series from sinking into the murky depths of the Mariana Trenches (if you ask us).
In seasons past, BDM was on the struggle bus. The ratings were weak, and the fans were starting to tune out. But when Aesha returned, the Season 9 premiere saw an increase of 200K viewers over the premiere episode for Season 8, proving that some heroes wear lapels, not capes.
Likewise, in a series known for its toxicity, Aesha offered us the opposite. She twerked, led with fairness, and, yes, talked about her poo. But we loved every second of this season, as Aesha helped to restore our faith in BDM. For these reasons and more, Aesha is the winner of our 2024 Reality TV Hero of the Year award, and we cannot wait to see where she pops up in 2025.
These heroic stories, as told on Real Housewives of Miami, Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Vanderpump Rules, House of Villians, Below Deck Mediterranean, and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, are all available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US – DO YOU AGREE WITH OUR NOMINATIONS AND EVENTUAL WINNER OF THE 2024 REALITY TELEVISION HERO OF THE YEAR? IF NOT, WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU MAKE?
