What happens on Love Island USA does not stay on Love Island USA

Grab your Factor 50 and put all your eggs into someone else’s basket, because a new season of Love Island USA just landed on Neon.  Love Island is the ultimate reality show about strangers finding love on the telly, and this season comes with a shocking twist: they’re not on an island.  It’s news more … Read more

The Spinoff’s guide to all the most binge-worthy TV on Neon

Some of the best shows on Neon will take between a day and weeks to get through. Here’s a guide to the classics you’ve been holding off on, how long they take to watch, and why you should watch them. It’s a scientific fact that there’s too much TV and nobody has enough time. There’s … Read more

Netflix’s Too Hot to Handle is the horniest social distancing you’ll ever watch

Imagine Love Island without… the touching? Netflix’s new reality show Too Hot to Handle hits a little bit close to our distanced homes, writes Sam Brooks. When it starts, Too Hot to Handle seems like another escapist log on the reality show pyre, upon which many an attractive, abominably-blessed human has been set alight. Waves … Read more

MAFS NZ to cut entire storyline of the groom accused of domestic violence

A shocking Herald story alleging serious violence by of one of its grooms has forced an unprecedented move from MediaWorks. After further details emerged around the alleged behaviour of Chris Mansfield, a groom on the upcoming third season of Married at First Sight NZ, Three has made the unprecedented decision to cut his storyline entirely. … Read more

The Real Pod: Mourning the death of Love Island NZ

The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. Light a candle and say a prayer, for Love Island NZ is no longer coming to our screens in 2020. At least the Celebrity Treasure Island NZ promo is out, and Matty McLean’s shins are in it … Read more

The Real Pod: The fiery return of Gizzy Hard to The Block NZ

The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in reality television and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. There’s a lot of Real News to get through this week as bakeries around the country lose their marbles completely. From the shouty pie women in the south and skimpy ham sammies in the north, our team … Read more

Kids shouldn’t be watching Love Island (and not because of the bikinis and sex)

The latest season of British reality show Love Island is set to hit TV screens at the unconventional tea-time hour of 5pm. Jihee Junn explains why the decision is troubling.  Update, 1 October 2019: The Broadcasting Standards Authority has ruled that the edited version of Love Island that ran at 5pm on Three earlier this … Read more

The Real Pod: Drinking literal tea with Survivor NZ’s JT

The Real Pod assembles to dissect the week in New Zealand pop culture and real life, with special thanks to Nando’s. In this Very Special Episode of The Real Pod, we’re joined by Survivor NZ legend JT Muirhead to look back at what was a flaming hot second season. How bad were the tribal toilets? What … Read more

Love or Heartbreak: has TVNZ ripped off the UK’s biggest summer reality hit?

A lazy knockoff or a legal maelstrom in waiting? Jihee Junn delves into the details of Love Island vs. Heartbreak Island. Amy Winehouse once crooned that love was just a losing game. But for reality TV producers all around the world, love – in its broadest sense – has been a winning one. Over the past year, … Read more

I joined that dating app Attractive World and it’s even worse than you thought

Because dating isn’t already horrible enough, an app named Attractive World recently launched in New Zealand aiming to make it worse. Current members decide whether prospective members are hot enough to be allowed in. Lucy Zee went undercover to see if it was as shitty as it looked. Last month, Attractive World was launched in … Read more

Set sail for the anthropological reality TV paradise of Love Island

Tara Ward washes up on the shores of Love Island, the British reality sensation that has been compared to the works of Chaucer and Shakespeare. I am late to the Love Island party. I am Jessica, sauntering in with my pleather swimming togs, ready to board the love train after every other bastard has already coupled … Read more