Welcome back to the second annual Reality Tea Awards! In this installment, we are naming the best new reality television series from this calendar year. From broadcast networks to the various streaming giants, 2025 was a solid year for fresh and exciting reality TV debuts.
While plenty of series wowed us with sensational second seasons in 2025, this award focuses on the newest players in town only (sorry to the 2024 winners!). After careful consideration, we are now excited to share five series that audiences experienced for the very first time this year. And from this list, we’ve selected one standout show that brought in lots of views, plenty of laughs, a few frustrations, and a sprinkling of heartfelt moments.
So, without further ado, let’s check out our four nominees, along with the winner of Reality Tea’s Best New Reality Show of the Year Award for 2025!
Nominee: Battle Camp
Battle Camp debuted earlier this year, featuring contestants from various Netflix reality television series. As for the concept, these players teamed up and competed in a myriad of challenges. And at the end, one contestant walked away with a cool $250,000.
In all, 18 Netflix stars competed on this new series. As for the setting, picture a sleep-away camp, but filled with hot adults instead. Overall, the stakes were high, as was the drama, aided by an elimination wheel.
The elimination wheel was an unpredictable, chance-based component on Battle Camp. Should players make any enemies, these foes could then vote their name onto it. And once any names went on that wheel, all it took was one fateful spin to boot each listed contestant right out of the game.
For the social and physical aspects, alongside the return of 18 various reality TV stars, we are nominating Battle Camp as one of the Best New Reality Shows of 2025.
Nominee: Got to Get Out
Got to Get Out debuted on Hulu earlier this year. Filming for this new series took place in 2024, and it officially debuted in April, 2025.
As for the concept, 20 contestants, all of whom were either reality television stars or fresh faces, moved into a stunning mansion. However, once everyone arrived, every door and window promptly locked. Therefore, their main goal was to escape. And if they did, they scored a solid $1 million prize.
The only outside air these contestants could breathe was from a watchtower, perched high enough up to see a long, winding road that led to the exit gates. At random times, various competitors got lucky and received tips noting when doors or windows might unlock. But once they managed to exit, any guards up in the tower could then thwart their plans.
The social aspects were hysterical, so we are nominating Got to Get Out as one of the Best New Reality Shows of 2025.
Nominee: With Love, Meghan
With Love, Meghan Seasons 1 and 2, plus a Holiday Celebration, all debuted in 2025. If you enjoy calm, easy series with stunning visuals and vibey soundtracks, then this new program on Netflix is right up your alley.
Starring Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, this lighthearted docuseries contained cooking, gardening, crafts, and hosting tips for the masses. However, most of us cannot relate to having on-site beehives or overflowing gardens to dry “elevating” florals with. Regardless, the escapism values were still well worth the watch. As were the surprise guests who popped in, who now know that Meghan is a “Sussex now.” IYKYK.
Everyone needs a calm series in their roster, which is why we are nominating With Love, Meghan as one of the Best New Reality Shows of 2025.
Nominee: Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition
Opinion alert: Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition MUST return for a Season 2. If not, phew, what a waste of a fun concept. This new series debuted in October, featuring four Real Housewives stars from the Bravo network. These hot messes switched lives with four everyday families, including one that lived off the grid, and the storylines that followed were everything.
Each star arrived at a house that was the polar opposite of theirs. From zero bedtimes, compost toilets, and various family cooking traditions, this series had it all. But the best part was watching these affluent stars living in fresh environments. And then, for the most part, seeing their eyes open to other ways of being.
We need other Housewives to take on this series in 2026. Because in 2025, Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition was so great, we now consider it one of the Best New Reality Shows of 2025.
Winner: Next Gen NYC
Next Gen NYC debuted on Bravo last June. This New York City-based series followed the lives of children born to famous Bravolebrities, plus a few of their friends. It took viewers on a wild ride, best known as emerging adulthood, complete with evolving friendships, careers, and, of course, drama. In fact, Next Gen NYC was so good that Bravo has already greenlit Season 2.
Viewers grew up alongside many of these stars. So, watching these kids transition from their parents’ mansions and messy storylines to lives of their own was honestly a chef’s kiss idea, especially when they spilled tea about their famous parents. And whenever these parents made cameos, phew, SO GOOD. Overall, the personalities were strong, fun, genuine, and yes, perfectly insufferable.
For all of these reasons, Reality Tea can easily now declare Next Gen NYC as the absolute Best New Reality TV Show of 2025.
TELL US – WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE 2025 NEW REALITY TELEVISION SERIES?
