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It’s not really...real -

While there’s no script, there are still writers behind wildly popular reality shows who craft plot lines and tweak footage to create conflict and shape stories.

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It doesn't pay very well -

Producers try to get as much talent as possible with the least amount of money, and apparently 99% of the people on reality TV just get their expenses covered and maybe a daily stipend.

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There’s a lot of redos - On 'Biggest Loser,' the contestants have to walk up to the scale about five times so the producer can capture all the angles on camera.

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There’s a lot of redos -

According to Cosmopolitan, the cast of 'Love Island' usually has to shoot multiple takes during challenges.

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TV magic at its best/worst - Different clips are often edited together to sound like one conversation, sometimes drastically changing the meaning or even creating complete sentences from scratch. It's so common it's called “frankenbiting.”

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Telltale sign of frankenbiting? - If you see someone talking and then the camera cuts away to a shot of something else but you still hear their voice, that's likely frankenbiting.

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Producers have more power than judges - In most competition shows, a clause in the contract says the producer—not the judges—has the final say in who's eliminated.

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So if you're confused about how that one contestant remained… - While the judges usually make the picks, producers can step in and say that they want to keep someone on the show if they're drawing in viewers.

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They bend time - Reality shows often lie about the amount of time it took to complete a job. So don't feel bad when you can't redo your bathroom in 24 hours—it probably took a whole crew weeks.

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Reality TV loves weaknesses -

If you ever want to apply to be on a reality show, highlight your weaknesses, your dislikes, and your fears. Producers love having potential drama at their fingertips.

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Celebrities love scheming -

When there are celebrity versions of a reality show, the players are reportedly always on the phone with each other beforehand making deals. But some break their alliances before the game even starts!

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Nothing is off limits -

Big shows do an extensive background check on all prospective stars, including calling friends and family, doing substance and STD tests, and psychological and physical exams.

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"Real" is relative - Not all reality shows are the same, and some are heavily staged. On 'House Hunters,' some of the houses toured on camera were reportedly friends' homes that weren't even on the market.

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It's never a coincidence - If someone shows up unexpectedly to an event, or an accident happens on-screen, it's very likely that those dramatic moments were staged by producers.

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Cast members will alter their personalities - If a sweet, gentle soul is cast by a producer as a villain, for the sake of good TV and not getting booted off the show, cast members often play the part.

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Masters of manipulation - On-camera interviews usually involve getting into the stars' heads, nudging them to think a certain way or telling them something that will change their tune.

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Leading questions - One tactic is by asking a cast member, “Wasn't so-and-so rude last night?” and when they agree, they'll ask them to say that in a full sentence because that will make it easier to edit.

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"Soft-scripted" is a thing - On shows like 'The Hills,' while they're not told what to say specifically, the producers tell cast members what to talk about.

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Unscripted doesn't mean much -

'The Only Way Is Essex' for example has admitted that while there's no script, the show is heavily structured and conversations are arranged by the crew.

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Reaction shots are usually unrelated -

Those sassy or shocked reactions reality TV loves so much are usually spliced in from unrelated moments, but when you throw dramatic music over top, you would never know.

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Location = Budget - The quickest way to judge the budget of a show is to see where it's filmed.

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You're seeing a fraction of a fraction -

Besides the whole “reality” part being blurry, you're also only seeing a few minutes of what was hours or days worth of action.

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You're seeing a fraction of a fraction - 'The Biggest Loser' has 11 cameras running eight hours a day, seven days a week, which is 616 hours of video for just one week's episode, allowing so much room for creativity.

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Crafting reality for on-screen currency - Allegedly, a writer for 'The Only Way Is Essex' has stated that some characters actively seek out relationships for more airtime.

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'Storage Wars' might be fake -

According to a lawsuit filed by Dave Hester, from the hit A&E show where people bid on unseen items in abandoned storage units, 'Storage Wars' is rigged!

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'Storage Wars' might be fake - Though the show insists his claims are false, Hester blew the whistle on the show for planting valuable items in the storage units. He also said the interviews and auctions were scripted.

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Schedules of 'Geordie Shore' -

One cast member revealed that the producers of this Newcastle-based show usually scheduled their bedtimes and their daily activities.

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And a double-check on consent -

The Daily Star reported that producers and security check the IDs of any fans who go home with the cast during filming, to make sure they are the correct age, that they consent, and that they are sober enough.

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'House Hunters' have already found their home -

A woman who appeared on the show told EW that the producers changed her story about why she wanted to move, and she admitted that she'd already chosen a home prior to filming!

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'Man vs. Wild' or man vs. room service? - In 2007, it was revealed that one of the Discovery Channel's biggest stars, Bear Grylls, who was supposed to be surviving unaided in the “h***holes of the world,” actually survived in hotels.

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Crew vs. Wild -

It was also said that the raft he seemed to have made himself was built by a crew, and that the wild horses he encountered were brought in from a trekking station.

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On-screen auditions are hardly the first - On shows like 'American Idol,' there are actually several auditions with producers beforehand, so all those bad singers had been specifically chosen to move forward.

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Ingredients are hardly ever a mystery - Contestants on shows like 'Cupcake Wars' and 'Iron Chef' are supposed to come up with a recipe on the spot with surprise ingredients, but they're often given the theme and/or ingredients ahead of time.

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There is never any spontaneous sneaking - On shows like 'The Bachelor,' there may seem to be a spontaneous hot tub dip, but on TV every scene has to be properly lit and set up, and the stars are "strongly suggested" to be in certain places.

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There are no losers in Judge Judy's court -

Regardless of the outcomes on 'Judge Judy,' both parties to a case emerge as winners, as the show pays for the arbitration award and the litigants' airfare and hotel expenses.

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'Big Brother' bias -

The show has been accused of being biased towards certain contestants when it comes to deciding which moments to show. A leaked clip on YouTube also shows a scripted scene from the show.

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Made up in 'Made In Chelsea' -

'MIC' cast member Tina Stinnes told the Daily Star that the popular series is fake, and that the production crew directs the cast members' dialogue and arguments.

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Not-so-raw talents on 'Britain's Got Talent' -

Prankster Simon Brodkin revealed in an interview that he was given directions on how to act and what to say, and that he was asked to film many emotions so that they could easily build a narrative.

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No canned cheers on 'The X Factor' -

According to Digital Spy, crowds outside have to cheer for two hours for the camera crew to get the shots of people in line.

Check out these celebrities who love reality TV more than you.

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