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The nation is officially gripped with reality television shows and has been ever since they captured the hearts of British viewers in the early 2000s, with the likes of The X Factor and I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here (thank god it’s back!) gracing our screens.
Most shows have a lot of negative stigma attached to them, with many believing that contestants only take part in search of fame and fortune and although this may be true, we can’t help but watch. The most captivating part of reality television is that anything can happen and often, true romance does blossom.
Over the years, we’ve watched love grow and relationships break. But what has happened to some of our favourite reality TV couples?
Alex Bowen and Olivia Buckland — Love Island
Alex and Olivia were runners up in the second season of Love Island, and because they made it that far in the competition, it’s no surprise that the two would continue their relationship outside of the villa. Although the hit show was still relatively new to British audiences when the two shared their romance to the nation, they have managed to forge a successful career using the powerful tool of social media.
Alex, who has racked up 1.4 million followers on Instagram alone launched his own fashion line, EXEMPT, which focuses on fitness fashion. From tracksuit jackets to pants, you’ll find everything you need for the gym right here — which also mirrors his love for keeping in top tip condition.
Olivia on the other hand, has 1.8 million Instagram and is known to have been the face of many endorsement deals across the UK. From fashion to cosmetics, this girl has everything covered and is in total control of her career!
Recently, the couple tied the knot on the 15th September 2018 with a lavish ceremony in Essex that included countless celebrity guests. Off the back of this, the couple were honoured with a Honeymoon Edition on QUIZ, an online shop for dresses. As well as this, Olivia Buckland was given her own TV series on TLC named ‘Second Chance Dresses’.
Peter Andre and Katie Price — I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!
There’s no denying that Peter and Katie had their ups and downs, but the nation fell in love with the couple they saw on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here in 2004. Although they weren’t crowned King and Queen of the jungle, the pair continued their relationship back home and walked down the aisle the following year. Two children and countless reality shows later, the pair finally called it quits and divorced in 2009.
Today, the two live separate lives but remain in contact for their children. After the divorce, Katie went on to marry Alex Reid in 2010 which lasted two years, and then Kieran Hayler in 2013 who she had two children with is currently divorcing. She won Celebrity Big Brother in 2015 and has since become a regular panellist on daytime show Loose Women. Recently, she’s been filming the third season of ‘Katie Price: My Crazy Life’ which has wowed audiences across the UK.
However, life after Katie for Pete was much simpler, he went on to marry Dr Emily MacDonagh in 2015 who he now shares two children with. Emily herself wasn’t previously in the spotlight but has appeared as a guest on morning TV show Lorraine as a health correspondent. Peter himself has had a few reality shows since the jungle and continues touring the country with anthems like Mysterious Girl. Believe it or not, the singer has recently launched his own luxury bed collection…
Gary Beadle and Charlotte Crosby — Geordie Shore
When Geordie Shore hit our screens for the first time in 2011, the nation was intrigued to see how the young people of Newcastle-upon-Tyne lived their lives — clubs, kebabs and a whole lot of romance. Both starting out in season one, Gary Beadle and Charlotte Crosby were like the Posh and Becks of the north and were thrown into the spotlight.
During their time in the Geordie Shore house, the pair had a very unhealthy relationship with too many make ups and break ups to count. However, this didn’t stop them building successful careers outside of the show and develop their own personal brand.
Charlotte departed from Geordie Shore in 2016, after serving the network with 12 seasons. However, her time there didn’t stop her from appearing on other popular reality TV shows in the UK. You may remember that in 2013, Charlotte was crowned the winner of Celebrity Big Brother which led her to become a regular panellist on This Morning and Celebrity Juicy. 2014 saw the star release her first fitness DVD entitled ‘Charlotte’s 3 Minute Belly Blitz’ which shifted 101,000 copies in its first month and even knocked Disney’s Frozen off the top of the Official DVD Charts which led to her releasing a second edition in the following year. Moving away from visuals and appreciating the art of the written word, she also has four books under her sleeve!
Although Gary left the show that started his career in 2017, following similar steps to Charlotte, he did appear on the second series of Ex on the Beach in 2014 and made a return in 2016. Aside from this, he also starred in his own series called Spring Break With Grandad and has become a figurehead of British entertainment. Unknown to many, Gary is a business magnet in his own right, owning businesses like the Pure Beach Club in Zante and co-managing clothing brand 11 Degrees. Today, he has moved away from his drunken antics and has had his first child with his girlfriend Emily in January 2018 and has reported monthly earnings of £45,000.
Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev — Strictly Come Dancing
If you’re an avid Strictly fan, you may be familiar with the dreaded ‘Strictly Curse’ — but in some cases, it can come as a blessing. Especially for Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev who hit it off in 2013, when the two were paired together to dance the night away every Saturday night. Unfortunately, they didn’t take home the Glitterball trophy, but they did win something much more significant.
Rachel Riley, who is co-presenter on Channel 4’s daytime puzzle show Countdown, married her childhood sweetheart in 2012 —but the pair filed for divorce from her husband in 2013 after completing her time on Strictly Come Dancing. Rachel and Pasha announced their partnership in 2014 but have kept their relationship quite private since the show. She continues to work on Countdown but makes regular appearances on comedy shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats and even joined Sky Sports as a presenter on Friday Night Football buy left in 2017.
Pasha Kovalev on the other hand, is a professional Latin ballroom dancer and joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2011. However, the Russian dancer — who is currently helping his girlfriend learn his native language — has had a strong background with dance shows on the likes on Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. Pasha is not shy of charity work either and has done countless projects with BBC’s Children In Need and Comic Relief. Aside from his career on TV, he also goes out on tour!
Evidently, there are some couples that have stayed together and broke ties — which reality TV couple is your favourite?
