<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2hK7ay_0wHX6I7i00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2hK7ay_0wHX6I7i00" width="1752" height="1144" ><figcaption>Students reported their favorite love reality shows through a Kansan Instagram poll on Oct. 16. Wambui Ngunjiri / The Kansan</figcaption></figure>Heartbreaking and juicy reality TV shows about finding love are breaking the internet this year. There has been a noticeable rise in love reality TV craze especially due to the rise of reality TV during the pandemic.University of Kansas students reported some of their favorite love reality shows through an Instagram survey conducted by The Kansan. "Love Island," "Too Hot to Handle," "The Bachelor" and "Love is Blind" were all common responses.Junior Sydney Lieberman said her favorite reality show is "Love Is Blind."“It’s really fun and different that it’s not only a silly dating show, but also a unique social experiment to see if people can truly fall in love without seeing or touching each other,” Lieberman said.Another reality show currently gripping Gen Z viewers is "Love Island." The show originated in the U.K. and premiered its first season in 2015. Since then, the producers have released 11 seasons and created numerous spin-off shows in countries around the world. These include Love Island USA, Australia, Spain, South Africa and more.Love Island USA season 6 blew up during summer 2024, partly because of Leah Kateb and Rob Rausch’s relationship at the show's start. Viewers created a variety of TikTok edits and social media posts which boosted the show’s appeal. By the end of the season, most contestants walked out of the villa with millions of followers, brand deals and enormous recognition. Another show that kickstarted the evolution of love reality TV shows is "Too Hot to Handle." This Netflix original aired in April 2020 and now offers six seasons. The show takes 10 singles to a villa and challenges them with chastity for a whole summer, with a stake of $100,000 on the line. However, the twist is that the contestants who join the show are unaware of the chastity challenge until the second day. This show became extremely popular among viewers after its first season, which featured Harry Jowsey and Francesca Farago who are now prominent social media figures. Senior Madeline Gould said "Too Hot to Handle" is her favorite reality TV show. “It doesn’t take itself too seriously like other dating shows,” Gould said. “It’s fun and it's something I can watch to just turn my brain off after doing homework or studying.” She added that she started watching "Too Hot to Handle" during the pandemic because it gave her and her friends something to watch and text about during isolation. “My favorite season was the first season because now that it has a couple seasons the contestants know what’s coming,” Gould said. With a larger focus on finding a lifelong partner, the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchises are all about finding “the one”. The first bachelor was Alex Michel in 2002. The show now has 28 seasons and its partner show, "The Bachelorette," has 21 seasons. The show can pique the interest of people of all ages as Bachelor Nation tunes into the weekly episodes. The shows contain heartbreak, drama and scandals that tend to rile viewers up while they root for their favorite contestant. More popular reality shows that KU students reported watching include "Vanderpump Rules," "Love on the Spectrum" and "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives." "Love Is Blind" and "Too Hot to Handle" are available to stream on Netflix. Viewers can also stream "Love Island" on Peacock and "The Bachelor" on Hulu.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Love reality shows take students on a rollercoaster of love and heartbreak

Heartbreaking and juicy reality TV shows about finding love are breaking the internet this year. There has been a noticeable rise in love reality TV craze especially due to the rise of reality TV during the pandemic. University of Kansas students reported some of their favorite love reality shows through...