Arabic version: تعلّق جمهور تلفزيون الواقع يضع النجوم السابقين على منصات عالية

According to The Guardian, social media users have expressed shock and betrayal after fitness influencer and former Bachelor Australia star Sam Wood was charged with domestic violence offences. Wood’s lawyer said in court on Thursday that he denied the allegations, and said he intends to defend against the charges.

Dr Rebecca Trelease, a senior lecturer at Auckland University of Technology’s school of communication studies, said romance reality television encourages viewers to invest in a central figure’s journey. Trelease, who took part in The Bachelor New Zealand during the first year of her PhD, said participants put their face and voice to a character over which they have limited control.

She described the competing roles of participant, audience and story producer, saying all three angles must align for a show to appear believable. Trelease said viewers do not see production arrangements behind conversations and interviews, including cameras, crews and lighting. She contrasted that setup with Love Island, where surveillance cameras and microphones worn around the clock may make recording easier for participants to forget.

Trelease said that when a programme centres on falling in love, a participant’s presentation can stay with audiences for a long time. She recalled viewers telling her who she was and receiving messages from men who believed she would be their perfect partner based on what they had watched. A season can amount to 40 hours of viewing, she said, leaving audiences invested in what they believed they saw.

In romance reality, producers position a leading man as the hero of an entire season and present him as worthy, romantic and desirable, Trelease said. She described that as a “really massive pedestal” for viewers to place someone on.