What happens when people stop being polite and start getting real? For nearly thirty years, audiences have tuned into MTV’s The Real World to find out. The concept is simple: take seven strangers, stick them in a house, and let the cameras roll. The result is reality tv magic, filled with romance, disagreements, and sometimes, seriously poignant conversations.
After appearing on The Real World, the cast members went in different directions. Some venture into showbiz, others go on season after season of The Challenge, and some just go on to live normal lives. Many of the show’s alum have gone grown impressive Instagram followings over the years. Here’s some of the most followed from the former castmates.
Sean Duffy – 14.4k Followers
Sean Duffy appeared in 1997’s The Real World: Boston. The following year, he competed in Road Rules: All-Stars. There he met his current wife, Rachel Campos, who’s also an alumnus of The Real World. She pops up on his Instagram pretty regularly.
Sean had a significant career shift following his appearances on MTV. He became a district attorney in his home state of Wisconsin. In 2010, he announced his bid on the Republican ticket for the United States House of Representatives. He won, and he represented Wisconsin for nearly ten years. Now that he’s no longer serving in office, he makes appearances on Fox News as a contributor.
Trishelle Cannatella – 27.3K Followers
Trishelle Cannatella was a cast member on The Real World: Las Vegas, which aired from 2002-2003. After her time on the show, Trishelle went on to model for Playboy, and she’s popped up in a few acting gigs. Many fans know her for appearing on various seasons of The Challenge. She’s stepping back into the competition this year with the Paramount+ series, The Challenge: All Stars.
On Instagram, Trishelle has 27.4k followers. She mainly uses Instagram to post pictures of her good times with family and friends
Paula Meronek – 88.1k Followers
Audiences first met Paula Meronek back on The Real World: Key West. Fans probably remember that season as the one with the hurricanes that kept pushing the cast out of their residence. Following her season, Paula held a regular presence on MTV. She went on to compete in ten seasons of The Challenge, winning two.
These days, Paula is married, and she goes by Paula Beckert. She and her husband have three kids, who she frequently shares on Instagram. Last year, she took to her platform to share that she reached seven years of sobriety.
Emily Schromm – 287k Followers
Fans were introduced to Emily Schromm during her time on The Real World: DC, which aired in 2009. Since then, Emily has competed on several iterations of The Challenge, even winning the competition twice. Outside of reality tv, Emily is a fitness influencer. Women’s Health named her 2014’s Next Fitness Star.
In 2019, Emily published her first book: The Process. On Instagram, she shares videos of her workout routines and promotes her podcast, Meathead Hippie.
Johnny Bananas – 824k Followers
Johnny Devenanzio, also known as Johnny Bananas, entered The Real World house during the seventeenth season in Key West. Johnny has stayed on television consistently since his time in The Real World house, which is why today, he has 824k followers on Instagram and counting.
Johnny is the host of NBC’s Celebrity Sleepover and 1st Look TV. He has been a mainstay on The Challenge, competing in twenty seasons. Over the years, he has won over $1 million in prize money.
Jamie Chung – 1.4m Followers
Fans first met Jamie Chung in 2004’s The Real World: San Diego. She followed up with one season of The Challenge, and from there, her acting career took off.
Jamie has landed dozens of acting roles over the years, from Sucker Punch to Big Hero 6. Most recently, Jamie appeared in HBO’s hit series, Lovecraft Country. There, she played Ji-Ah, the cinema-loving nurse with a monstrous secret.
Cameran Eubanks – 1.3m Followers
Cameran Eubanks might be finished with reality tv for good, but her time on screen has helped her grow an online following of 1.3 million followers. She got her start on MTV’s The Real World: San Diego back in 2004 when she was just 19 years old.
Cameran went on to be a main cast member in Bravo’s Southern Charm, where she starred alongside the likes of Craig Conover and Shep Rose. She left the series after six seasons. Earlier this year, she published a memoir: One Day You’ll Thank Me.
Karamo Brown – 2.8 million followers
Karamo Brown appeared on The Real World: Philadelphia in 2004. After his time on the show, Karamo worked as a social worker for years before eventually making his way back in front of the camera for various television appearances.
But Karamo’s biggest claim to fame, and the reason why he has so many followers, is is his breakthrough gig on Netflix’s Queer Eye as the “culture expert.” On Instagram, Karamo mainly posts selfies and behind-the-scenes moments from his various tv gigs.
Tami Roman – 3.1m Followers
When audiences were introduced to Tami Roman, it was 1993. She went by Tami Akbar, and she was just a 22-year-old entering The Real World house for the show’s second season. Outside of The Real World, Tami has had a consistent presence in reality TV. Her biggest claim to fame has been Basketball Wives, where she starred for seven seasons.
On Instagram, Tami posts many selfies, but she also has another account called “The Bonnet Chronicles.” There, she comedically rants about life and chats with fans about pop culture’s latest trending topics. That account has over 2 million followers. Her newest endeavor is the launch of her very own show called Get Into It With Tami Romanon FOX SOUL.
The Miz – 3.2 million followers
When Mike Mizanin entered The Real World house during its tenth season, he was just a 19-year-old ball of energy with an alter-ego known as “The Miz.” Fast forward to today, and he is now a 40-year-old WWE superstar and father of two.
Thanks to his fame as a professional wrestler, The Miz is the most followed former cast member from The Real World with 3.2 million Instagram followers. He hasn’t totally walked away from reality television either. He has a show along with his wife called Miz and Mrs, and the new season airs on the USA Network on April 12, 2021.
