Welcome to the first annual Reality Tea Awards! In this installment, we’ll be applauding some of the biggest reality TV stars of 2024. The Reality Tea staff voted for four nominees, along with our winner for 2024.
And let me tell you, narrowing down this list was a daunting task. Whether these stars made you laugh, sigh, or shake your head at their antics, they are all valuable players in the reality TV landscape.
Some of our selections come from the Real Housewives world. One is a newbie housewife, while the other is a seasoned veteran who had a tough year.
One pick survived and thrived after enduring a scandal that rocked, well, the whole world. And another jumped from one type of reality TV to join competition shows. I think that our candidates have something appealing to everyone.
So, let’s take a look at our nominees, and the winner, of our Reality Tea Awards 2024: Reality TV Star of the Year!
Nominee: Bronwyn Newport
Lisa Barlow introduced her friend, Bronwyn Newport, as the newest housewife on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Bronwyn can be fun and silly. Who else wears full costumes (like a shark) in the airport to pick up her husband? And she is rivaling her co-stars for the title of fashionista of the group.
However, Bronwyn has no trouble defending herself. She feuded with Heather Gay and decided to exclude her from a girls’ trip. As for Lisa? Bronwyn didn’t appreciate being stuck in a separate villa from her buddy Lisa in Puerto Vallarta. And she let all the RHOSLC ladies know about her discomfort.
Plus, you have to admire a newbie who isn’t afraid to get messy. Bronwyn also sparred with Angie Katsanevas after Angie told her to shut up repeatedly. And she has zero problems repeating someone else’s comments. Of course, this freshman housewife delights in stirring the pot, and that’s why she is already a fan favorite.
Nominee: Shannon Beador
Real Housewives of Orange County star Shannon Beador had a rough season. She had a DUI arrest, which led to a falling out with her friend, Tamra Judge. Tamra wanted to judge Shannon’s drinking habits, which Shannon didn’t think was fair.
Plus, her former boyfriend, John Janssen, is dating her RHOC co-star Alexis Bellino. Then, to pour more fuel on the fire, John sued Shannon for $75,000, claiming that it was allegedly a loan for Shannon’s facelift. According to Shannon, the money was a gift. Eventually, Shannon paid John $60,000 to settle the matter.
As if that weren’t enough, Alexis claimed that John had Ring camera footage of Shannon from the night of her DUI. Well, even after enduring this emotionally draining season, Shannon soldiered on. At the Season 18 reunion, she and Tamra made up.
After filming such a heavy season, Shannon still seems like she is ready to continue filming Orange County. Just not with Alexis. Also, Shannon wants viewers to see how much she has grown and changed.
Nominee: Alan Cumming
The Traitors welcomes a group of contestants to a castle in the Scottish Highlands to engage in a game of deception and strategy. And they found the perfect host in Alan Cumming. First off, I need to mention all the fashions that Alan gives us. His looks are fantastic, and I would watch the show just for that.
Second, he toys with the players, issuing witty and cryptic clues and making hilarious observations. At the beginning of the game, Alan secretly selects two Traitors. They will choose a Faithful to murder every night. Meanwhile, the group will gather and banish one player each night, hoping to eliminate a Traitor.
The group also competes in challenges to add money to the prize pot. If only Faithfuls remain at the end of the game, they split the cash. However, if a Traitor has made it to the finish line, they win all the money.
The show would suffer without Alan at the helm, guiding the players and entertaining viewers. Long may he host this exhilarating series!
Nominee: Ariana Madix
Vanderpump Rules alum Ariana Madix became instantly famous after her longtime boyfriend, Tom Sandoval, cheated on her with their friend, Rachel Leviss. The resulting drama, aptly titled Scandoval, gave Ariana a bunch of opportunities, and she seized them.
She competed in Season 32 of Dancing with the Stars, coming in third place. Next, she played Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway. Then, she became the host of Season 6 of Love Island USA, which is one of her favorite shows. Recently, she sang The Cardigans song, Lovefool in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
And let’s not forget that Ariana is also a businesswoman. She and VPR co-star Katie Maloney opened a sandwich shop called Something About Her. So, now that Pump Rules is returning with a brand-new cast, I’m sure that Ariana isn’t stressing. After all, she can spend more time with her boyfriend, Daniel Wai, who lives in New York City.
Winner: Phaedra Parks
Phaedra Parks is our winner for Reality TV Star of the Year for several reasons. First of all, she crushed it on The Traitors. She was a Traitor and was eliminated from the game, but not before unleashing some blistering reads at the round table.
Plus, Phaedra has been appearing on Married to Medicine, and also recently returned to the Real Housewives of Atlanta. She was a cast member from Season 3 through Season 9. In 2017, Phaedra was fired from RHOA after spreading a terrible rumor about co-star Kandi Burruss. Well, now she is back, and reclaiming her peach.
In addition, Phaedra was a contestant on Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars. She danced with Val Chmerkovskiy, and they were eliminated on Disney Night. And let’s just say that Phaedra’s flirty personality was on full display. While she didn’t have any prior dance experience, she made up for it with confidence. All in all, Phaedra had a stellar year in the world of reality TV.
TELL US – WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE REALITY TV STAR OF 2024?
