Everything you need to know about The Reality of Reality TV with Fleur East podcast

Fleur East, who has been on a number of reality TV shows herself, takes us behind-the-scenes with her new podcast The Reality of Reality TV with Fleur East, which you can listen to now.

Each week {{fleurEast}} chats to a well-known face in reality TV to find out how much is real, and what really happened...

What is The Reality of Reality of TV?

It is podcast with Fleur East, who has appeared on The X Factor twice and I'm A Celebrity, and will speak to some of the biggest names around in the reality TV world, including RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner - The Vivienne, Alison Hammond who has appeared on Big Brother, Strictly Come Dancing and Celebs Go Dating, and many more.

Speaking about her podcast, Fleur said, “I’m obsessed with reality TV. I did the X Factor twice, and I’m a Celeb too. I always get asked how much of my experiences were real."

Fleur continued, "Even my family, who watch behind the scenes the whole way through, still ask did that really happen? So, what is real?

"In this podcast I’ve loved swapping notes with other reality TV veterans. Asking what it was like for them, in a bid to uncover the reality of reality TV."

How can I hear The Reality of Reality TV with Fleur East?

All of the podcast episodes that have been released are available now from the MFR website, through Apple podcasts, Spotify, and all mainstream podcast providers.

Speaking to us about her new podcast, The Reality of Reality TV with Fleur East, Fleur answered some questions about her experiences on reality TV and how it helped her relate to her guests...

What can we expect from The Reality of Reality TV podcast, and which guests will be joining you?

My mission is to uncover the true reality of the crazy world of reality television. I reveal some surprising truths and some hard-hitting realities. Reality TV is so popular and there are many people from the younger generation that look up to the stars and are keen to build a career via reality TV. It is important for them to be aware of everything that comes with that. I uncover all of the highs and lows of being on reality TV and reveal some fascinating stories.

My guests include; The Vivienne (Ru Paul's Drag Race), Amber Gill (Love Island), Vicky Pattison (Geordie Shore, I'm A Celeb), JB from JLS (The X Factor, Strictly), Alison Hammond (Big Brother), Vas J Morgan (TOWIE), Janet Devlin (The X Factor), my jungle mate Harry Redknapp and more to come!

How long is each episode and when is each episode released?

Each episode is roughly 40 minutes long and will be released every Tuesday!

What topics and themes are covered in The Reality of Reality TV ?

We cover fun topics such as secrets behind the various shows, how it works behind the scenes etc. We talk about the reality of famous reality TV moments that we all know and love. Each guest brings to the chat a few things they have found to be true after being on a show, which makes it very personal to them. As well as this, we cover serious topics including suicide, eating disorders, drugs, race, various mental health topics and the dark side to being on reality TV. It's a well-rounded insight into the world of reality television.

Why do you think people are fascinated with watching reality TV?

I think it fascinates us to watch people and draw similarities with our own lives. It's a comfort to know that we are not alone in our feelings and the way we react to situations. Also, it is fun to look into the lives of celebrities or people we may aspire to be like. We like to be nosey and we also draw inspiration from seeing others succeed and find relatability in the failure of others.

What were your reasons for going on reality TV and how did it change your life?

My reason was because I always wanted to sing and have a career in the music industry. Long before The X Factor I was working hard to forge a career in music through various different avenues and The X Factor came long at the right time and gave me the platform I needed to make it happen. It changed my life tremendously!

I will forever be grateful to that show and what it did for me and my family. I can now go to work doing what I love everyday which is amazing! The Jungle came as a result of the profile The X Factor created for me and that show also changed me as a person in so many ways.

Did you ever feel you were edited to come across differently and did you ever experience something huge in a reality TV show that was cut from the final edit?

I think what everyone has seen, on the whole, is a true representation of me as a person and my personality, particularly in I'm A Celeb I would say. But it really is difficult to know someone from a small chunk of footage that is edited down. There were so many moments of my auditions on The X Factor that didn't see the light of day and showed the many songs I had to sing and different challenges I faced in the process.

In some ways it was a lot harder in reality, compared to what anyone saw. There are also so many different aspects of my personality that have never been shown on reality TV as it's almost impossible to capture someone's complete character on an edited TV show.

WATCH: Fleur East sings Bruno Mars & Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk (2014)

How did your own experience on reality TV help you relate to others in this podcast?

It helped massively! I experienced things from my time on reality TV that my guests had also experienced and so we could bounce off of each other and go in depth on those shared emotions. But, at the same time, there were many differences when it came to the 'scripted reality' shows that I couldn't relate to completely and I dug deeper to learn so much more about other shows. On the whole, I could sympathise with a lot of the feelings and reactions of the majority of my guests and it was quite therapeutic talking through our experiences.

Why is it so important to give listeners this exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what reality TV is like?

I feel it is a duty in a way to show all sides of the genre. We watch it for entertainment, but a lot of people are judged unfairly based on a clip on a show or are seriously affected by their experiences and no one realises that. It's important to be informed and I think we are living in a time where a lot of younger people have a dream to 'be famous' and look to reality TV as a vehicle to achieve that goal.

I feel it is crucial that they understand what they are walking into and they are educated on the real experience before they make that decision. It ultimately will change your life completely and not always for the better. So, in that sense, people need to be made aware of the risks. It's also fascinating to know how it all works as a genre for all the reality TV geeks out there. It's fun and educational at the same time.

And finally, would you make a return to reality TV?

I wouldn't rule it out if an opportunity came along that looked like something I would enjoy. I love a challenge and so if it was a chance to learn a new skill or test myself in a way I haven't been before, I would naturally be intrigued. Also as a huge fan of reality TV shows, it's always amazing to be given the chance to be on a show that you've watched yourself for years!

Now take a look through Fleur East's career highlights:

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