It’s officially time for the second annual Reality Tea Awards. 2025 was an amazing year for reality television. This year saw many unforgettable moments for dozens of reality shows. While reality television is meant to be fun and, of course, a little dramatic, it can also be shady at times.
2025 saw many shady moments on unscripted TV, although some were more memorable than others. We present to you the top five shadiest moments of the year, with the winning moment featuring a little extra shade.
Nominee: Any Aguirre deciding to marry Matt Jlassi over Amani Jlassi – 90 Day Fiancé Season 11
Any Aguirre was a part of the first ever 90 Day Fiancé throuple on Season 11, along with Matt Jlassi and Amani Jlassi. In order to bring Any to America, Matt and Amani planned to divorce so that one of them could apply for a K1 visa for Any. When Matt and Amani arrived in Mexico to visit, Any confided in Amani that she loved her more than Matt. This led Amani to work on helping Matt and Any bond, despite her jealousy.
At the end of the trip, Any had to decide if she wanted to marry Matt or Amani. While all three were close, Amani was sure that Any would choose her. Amani was blindsided when Any admitted she wanted to marry Matt instead, which she didn’t take well. Amani’s reaction was understandable, as this was shady of Any. It’s ok that she wanted to marry Matt, but she shouldn’t have led Amani on to think they had a stronger connection.
Nominee: Sage Ahrens-Nichols and Kristina Mills blindsiding Steven Ram – Survivor 49
Survivor is famous for backstabbing blindsides, although one particular blindside from this year stands out above the rest. Throughout Survivor 49, alliances have shifted. Nonetheless, Steven Ramm, Sage Ahrens-Nichols, and Kristina Mills consistently worked together since the Merge. They made it to the final six, where they were faced with their rival alliance, including Savannah Louie, Rizo Velovic, and Sophi Balerdi.
At the final six, Steven, Sage, and Kristina had several options due to Steven’s block-a-vote advantage. They could’ve taken a shot at either Sophi or Rizo, since Savannah won immunity. Instead of sticking with Steven, however, Sage and Kristina decided to blindside him and vote him out. This shocked Steven, who admitted to being hurt by the move. While Sage claimed that she voted for Steven since she didn’t think she could beat him, getting rid of him put her game in jeopardy. While there are many shady moments on Survivor, this one took the cake for 2025.
Nominee: Whitney Leavitt admitting she came back to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 3 to be cast on Dancing with the Stars
Whitney Leavitt was a controversial figure in reality television this year. Her shadiest moment, however, was a confession she made during The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 3. Whitney admitted that she had taken some time away from MomTok and wasn’t sure that she would return to film. She then revealed that she only decided to come back to Season 3 for a chance of being cast on Dancing with the Stars Season 34.
While some viewers defended Whitney, many felt that this was a sneaky move on her part. Whitney admitted to using Secret Lives of Mormon Wives for other opportunities, which is pretty shady. The week after Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 3 aired, Whitney was voted off DWTS. Many fans speculated that it wasn’t a coincidence.
Nominee: Grant Ellis breaking up with Litia Garr after suggesting he stop the show and leave with her – The Bachelor Season 29
Grant Ellis quickly became one of the more controversial leads of The Bachelor after his run on Season 29. Throughout the season, Grant developed a quick and passionate connection with Litia Garr. She was the clear front-runner all season. It was a shock when Grant decided to end things with her at the final two to propose to Juliana Pasquarosa instead.
During After the Final Rose, Litia revealed just how blindsided she was by the breakup. Litia explained that Grant had suggested ending the season to leave with her a few weeks in, which made her confident that he would choose her. Before the day of the proposal, Litia told Grant that they were getting engaged the next day, to which he agreed. It was wrong of Grant to lead Litia on so much if he wasn’t sure he would choose her. While The Bachelor does date several women, the things Grant said to Litia were highly inappropriate and misleading.
Winner: Britney Haynes voting Danielle Reyes off The Traitors Season 3
That’s right! The ultimate shadiest reality moment of 2025 comes from no other than The Traitors Season 3. At the beginning of the season, Danielle Reyes wasn’t thrilled to see that Britney Haynes was one of her fellow cast mates. Britney had previously blindsided Danielle on Big Brother, which Danielle was still hurt by. However, when Danielle was given the chance to recruit another Traitor, she offered Britney the position. This helped the women to rekindle their friendship, and they became close again.
At the final six, however, things took a rapid turn. At the round table, the vote was tied between Danielle and Lord Ivar Mountbatten. Britney initially voted for Ivar, but changed her vote to Danielle on the revote. Her vote ended up being the reason that Danielle got banished, as Dolores Catania kept Ivar as her vote. Danielle was blindsided by Britney once again and didn’t hesitate to show how hurt she was. While it’s understandable that Britney wanted to vote out Danielle for her own reasons, it was nonetheless quite a shady moment.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK WAS THE SHADIEST REALITY MOMENT OF 2025?
