Reality TV recap: Tyler drops a bombshell on ‘Love Is Blind,’ a 17-year-old on ‘The Voice’ gets a 4-chair turn and more

Hey friends! I’m Laura Bradley, an entertainment journalist who’s been hooked on reality TV since [redacted]. I’m so excited to recap what happened in the genre each week with you. We’ve got lots to cover, so let’s get right into the mess.

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Reality check of the week

Love Is Blind dropped its second set of episodes this week, and the honeymoon period is very over. ?? One couple in particular has taken over our social media feeds with a shocking scandal, earning this chaotic show our inaugural reality check of the week.

What happened: The couples returned from their Mexican honeymoons to D.C., where they moved into shared apartments and immediately started bickering. Within that chaos, Tyler somehow forgot to tell Ashley before proposing that he has three whole kids. Oops? [Washington Post]

What people are saying: Somehow, it gets worse the more you dig: Although Tyler told Ashley that he’s just a sperm donor to his kids, TikTok sleuths allege that he’s been actively involved in their lives. Predictably, the internet is in shambles. [HuffPost]

Here's my take: I’m hesitant to buy into TikTok gossip, but the screenshots are pretty damning. Tyler’s got some ’splaining to do at the reunion, and honestly, so does whoever did this season’s background checks.

The recaps

?? ‘The Voice’

We’re five audition weeks into this season with one left to go. I’m keeping an eye out for 17-year-old Shye, whose moving rendition of Five for Fighting’s “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” turned all four judges’ chairs on Tuesday night. Watch the performance. [Yahoo Entertainment]

??? ‘Survivor’

We’re only four weeks into Survivor 47, and already the backstabs are fierce. Did you hear that screaming Wednesday night? That was the sound of fans realizing that Kishan was going home in a stunning blindside. [Entertainment Weekly]

?? ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Singer-actress Chandler Kinney has ruled the leaderboard so far, but during this week’s back-to-back Soul Train and “hair metal” nights, former Bachelor Joey Graziadei tangoed his way to the top. [Yahoo Entertainment]

?? ‘The Golden Bachelorette’

Week 4 on The Golden Bach was the most dramatic ever. The guys did a charity striptease (hello, gold Speedo!), frontrunner Chock went home (and then came back), and fan favorite Charles L. went home, leaving all of Bachelor Nation in tears. [Yahoo Entertainment/USA Today]

?? ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’

We finally found out what’s going on between Erin and her husband, Abe, this week, and honestly, it’s even sillier than expected. They’re fighting over (*drumroll*) bitcoin? Really? [Bravo]

Reality trivia

Which coach on The Voice has the highest win percentage — meaning, the best win/loss ratio across all seasons in which they’ve participated?

Hint: It’s a “Perfect” score.

Cheat code: Here’s a full list of coaches and their number of wins.

3 questions...

...for Love Is Blind’s Nina Zafar

Each week, I’ll chat with a reality star or expert. This week, I DM’d Nina Zafar, one half of the first sibling duo to appear on Love Is Blind, for some behind-the-scenes intel.

Laura: Give us the inside scoop on life in the lounge. Was it fun? Stressful? Exhausting?

Nina: All of the above for sure. We experienced the full range of emotions there. There is also a lot of downtime and waiting around for your next date, which people might not realize. I took a lot of naps.

Laura Did you connect with any of the people who made it to Mexico? If so, tell us what they’re like IRL!

Nina: I love all the girls. Monica is the sweetest soul. Hannah and Ashley are hilarious and Marissa is such a positive energy. I love Taylor’s sarcasm and Alex is one of my closest friends now. We had a great group.

Laura: How’d the pods go for you? Did you find romance with anyone?

Nina: The pods were tough for me. I found it difficult to make a deep enough connection behind a wall to get engaged. But I did connect with one cast member. We spent time together in San Diego when the other couples went to Mexico.

Secrets from casting: Ever wondered how Love Is Blind producers find contestants? Here’s the inside scoop from the casting director.

Next week's premieres

?? On Tuesday: Married at First Sight heads (back) to Chicago for Season 18 on Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime. It’ll include an “unprecedented” cheating scandal and couple swap. [People]

?? On Wednesday: Travis Kelce makes his TV hosting debut on Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?, which airs on Oct. 16 on Prime Video. Here’s the subject that challenged Kelce the most. [AP]

?? On Friday: Shark Tank premieres on Oct. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Shark Mark Cuban already announced that it’s his final season. Here’s who’s joining the panel. [Today]

? Trivia answer: Blake Shelton has the most coaching victories on The Voice, but Niall Horan’s two-for-two winning ratio — most recently Season 24’s Huntley — has him beat. [TVLine/Yahoo Entertainment]

About In Reality: It’s hard to keep up when there’s so much great reality TV. Good thing entertainment reporter Laura Bradley is an expert at staying on top of everything. Every Saturday morning, she shares a roundup of what happened on the week’s top shows. Sign up.