From the 90 Day Fiancé franchise to several Netflix dating competitions, there were plenty of reality television shows that viewers loved to despise throughout 2022. While reality television is a distinct genre that doesn’t appeal to everyone, viewers enjoy following the personal and professional lives of a variety of stars. Whether series’ featured iconic reality celebrities like Tiffany “New York” Pollard, or ordinary citizens who lived quiet lives before hitting screens, popular franchises have changed the lives of thousands of people over the years. They’ve also made dozens of marks in the pop culture realm, thanks to memorable quotes, scenes, and arguments.
However, despite the massive popularity of 90DF and other reality shows, many viewers tune into certain programs not because they like them, but because they don’t. Whether specific cast members rub people at home the wrong way, or there appears to be blatant manipulation attempts by producers, there are more than a couple of franchises that viewers criticized throughout 2022. Here are some of the most polarizing shows that aired throughout the year, and what viewers may expect to see in 2023.
Teen Mom
While MTV’s original purpose was to provide viewers with safe sex education, the Teen Mom franchise is more famous for its controversial cast members than anything else. Many scandals occurred throughout Teen Mom and Teen Mom 2, before the two shows were merged to form Teen Mom: The Next Chapter in September. While Teen Mom: The Next Chapter was ordered by MTV in an attempt to boost ratings, people have tuned into the program not because they like the featured mothers, but because they loathe them.
Viewers have asked MTV to fire several cast members (Ashley Jones, Briana DeJesus, and Amber Portwood) from the Teen Mom franchise. This was due to the celebs’ behavior throughout 2022, and although the trio are set to appear on Teen Mom: Family Reunion season 2 in January, they shouldn’t expect to receive a warm welcome.
The Kardashians
The Kardashian-Jenner family members are no strangers to drama (especially when it comes to Khloé Kardashian’s relationship with Tristan Thompson), and after an almost 15-year run of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, the “famous for being famous,” socialites returned to the screen when The Kardashians premiered in April 2022. Although Hulu released the first two seasons of The Kardashians back-to-back, many viewers are already uninterested in a third installment, as The Kardashians season 2 failed to impress. While Keeping Up With the Kardashians made its mark on pop culture (there was enough drama between Kourtney, Khloé, and Kim Kardashian to last a lifetime), The Kardashians was criticized throughout 2022. It was called boring, predictable, and an overall shell of the former show that helped to thrust the family into the spotlight.
Married At First Sight
In theory, Lifetime’s long-running series Married at First Sight has all the ingredients that reality television fans crave: blind marriages, entertaining cast members, and of course, ridiculous amounts of drama. In actuality, however, the public’s appreciation of Married at First Sight has significantly decreased over the years. Although the cast of Married at First Sight season 14 was criticized, viewers deemed Married at First Sight season 15 unwatchable as the show unfolded in 2022. This was because of its particularly unlikable cast, unhelpful marriage experts, and general lack of flair, which earlier renditions had possessed. MAFS season 16 will premiere with five new Nashville couples in 2023, but based on how negatively Married at First Sight season 15 was received, Lifetime may find itself with fewer viewers next year.
Sister Wives
TLC’s Sister Wives has entertained viewers for over a decade, but when Sister Wives season 17 premiered in 2022, it soon became apparent that the show might be destined for an early end. Since 2010, viewers have followed the lives of Kody Brown and his four partners (Christine, Meri, Janelle, and Robyn Brown), as well as the plural family’s 18 children. While Sister Wives viewers have criticized Kody for years, it wasn’t until Christine left the family in late 2021 that Kody’s polygamist lifestyle quickly started to fall apart. In December 2022, Janelle and Meri ended their relationships with Kody, although Kody’s legal wife Robyn has remained by his side. With three of the four wives split from Kody, it’s hard to say whether there will be a Sister Wives season 18 in 2023.
The Bachelor
While The Bachelor and its sister series The Bachelorette were both criticized throughout 2022, Clayton Echard’s search for love on The Bachelor season 26 faced particularly heavy amounts of scrutiny from viewers. ABC’s announcement that Clayton would lead The Bachelor didn’t please viewers who tuned into The Bachelorette season 18 with Michelle Young, which was still unfolding at the time. Unfortunately, Clayton’s shaky reputation quickly began to suffer when The Bachelor season 26 kicked off in early 2022, especially after he eventually rejected The Bachelorette season 19 co-leads Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey for previously eliminated contestant, Susie Evans. While Clayton and Susie split in September, Zach Shallcross will be the next Bachelor Nation star to lead The Bachelor season 27 in January.
Love Is Blind
Netflix’s reality television department had an especially busy year in 2022, and released Love Is Blind seasons 2 and 3 back-to-back, but the Married at First Sight-style program is one of the most polarizing shows out there. While Love Is Blind brought some serious drama and entertainment to viewers in 2022, it also featured several controversial cast members. Examples include Shake Chatterjee from Love Is Blind season 2 and Zanab Jaffrey from LIB season 3. Between countless on-and-off camera arguments and dozens of passive-aggressive social media posts, Shake and Zanab aren’t the only stars who have been criticized by viewers throughout 2022. Although Love Is Blind season 4 is expected to premiere in 2023, the Netflix series is popular for more wrong reasons than right ones.
90 Day Fiancé
When it comes to reality shows that viewers loved to hate in 2022, no others came close to TLC’s 90 Day Fiancé franchise. WIth several spin-offs in addition the main program (such as 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days and 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?), plenty of international couples were followed throughout 2022, and some grew more popular than others. While the stars of 90 Day Fiancé know how to bring the entertainment, their copious amounts of drama, especially when family and friends get involved, mean that more cast members find themselves on viewers’ bad sides than good. Although there are plenty of people who rubbed fans the wrong way in 2022, honorable mentions for 90 Day Fiancé villains of the year go to Kim Menzies, Bilal Hazziez, and Liz Woods’ controversial partner, Big Ed Brown. While the 90 Day Fiancé franchise infuriated viewers the most in 2022, it’s hard to say which reality television series will top the polarizing chart in 2023.
