Welcome to the Reality Tea Awards 2025, celebrating the best in reality TV from this past year! In the history of reality TV, the spotlight has always been on the villains. And don’t worry, we already have an award for the best reality TV villains of 2025. But today, we want to shine a light on the unsung heroes on our favorite reality shows. The ones who inspired us, who stand up for great causes, and who bare their souls in an admirable way. Here are our nominees for Reality TV Hero of the Year. Let us know what you think of our picks in the comments!
Nominee: Michols Peña, Southern Hospitality
First of all, if you’re not watching Southern Hospitality, start binging it on Peacock ASAP. It was one of the best Bravo shows of 2025. The whole cast is chaotic and makes great TV, but newcomer Michols Peña broke out as Season 3’s shining star.
When we were first introduced to Michols, it was shocking that someone so young was made general manager. But it makes perfect sense now, because Michols is a born leader who is wise beyond his years. He’s a great friend to Emmy Sharrett, while also holding her accountable for her lapses in judgment at work.
Michols is also one of our heroes because how brave and vulnerable he was to share his story. The Bravo star is estranged from his mother, who disowned him for being gay. Over Season 3, Michols beautifully overcame his pain and lingering shame to be proud of his identity. And he ended the season with his first boyfriend!
Notably, we also have to applaud Michols for opening up about the hardships of dating as a person of color in Charleston. It was the type of conversation you’d never expect to see on one of these shows. And it felt like a huge step forward in terms of representation on Bravo.
Nominee: Bronwyn Newport, Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
This season on Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, Bronwyn Newport proved she’s so much more than her amazing outfits. The style icon had an extremely vulnerable season, baring her difficult relationships with her mother and her husband for the world to see. In the brutal conversations with her mother, Bronwyn went back to her days of shame when she was pregnant, unmarried, and dropped out of college.
In her marriage, Bronwyn handled embarrassing rumors about her husband Todd Bradley making out with another woman (while farting!) the best way she possibly could. Bronwyn asking her husband, who hates being filmed, for an open relationship on camera, is the type of real we wish more Real Housewives would embrace. Throughout the season, it seemed Bronwyn’s tough talks with her mother actually brought them closer. Alas, the opposite happened with her and Todd.
We also wanted to highlight Bronwyn for her committed advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. Bronwyn is encouraging other Real Housewives to stand up for them as well. And she asked not to be photographed next to RHOC’s Gretchen Rossi after learning about her alleged homophobic social media activity. On RHOSLC, viewers also saw Bronwyn mailing pride flags after they were banned in Utah. We love to see it!
Nominee: Amaya “Papaya” Espinal, Love Island USA
Love Island USA Season 7 took the internet by storm this summer. And the season’s winner, Amaya Espinal, became America’s sweetheart. Becoming known by her nickname as “Amaya Papaya,” the New Yorker didn’t have the best of luck when she first entered the villa as a bombshell contestant. Like many bombshells, she got an initial icy reception from the girls. She was picked by Ace Greene, who was almost immediately cruel and dismissive to her.
But no matter what, Amaya stayed positive. She always had a big heart, and never stopped being herself. Throughout the season, viewers fell in love with how kind, funny, emotional, and genuinely inspiring she was. She wouldn’t hesitate to call out the men’s bad behavior, and was always the biggest support system for her fellow Islanders. She was unabashedly real in a season where many contestants were accused of acting fake (and some were quite problematic). Also, she gave us endless memorable quotes (and songs!) every episode. It’s no wonder she became the people’s princess.
When she won, Amaya told the viewers at home to never stop being themselves. And to never worry about being too loud, or to shrink themselves down. It’s great advice from a truly beautiful soul. We can’t wait to see more Amaya Papaya on Beyond the Villa Season 2. And we wish her a speedy recovery after her recent health scare!
Nominee: Heather Gay, Surviving Mormonism
We know Heather Gay is a polarizing figure on RHOSLC. But this year, she showed a heroic side with the Peacock documentary series Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay. Her exit from the Mormon church has been a major part of Heather’s storylines since RHOSLC Season 1. She also wrote about her experiences with the religion in her two books. But on this new series, we learned more about her time in the church, and why she left, than ever before.
With the three-part documentary series, Heather used her platform to shine a light on the culture of abuse within the Church of Latter Day Saints. The series includes testimonies from other former members, including two of Heather’s sisters, as well as a former leader in conversion therapy. While promoting the series, Heather opened up about the alleged prevalence of grooming, sharing a story about a minister’s inappropriate questioning.
The series sets Heather up as the Leah Remini of Mormonism. And that’s a heroic position to be in!
Winner: Robert Irwin, Dancing with the Stars
Was there any reality TV star this year as easy to root for as Robert Irwin on Dancing with the Stars? The 22-year-old won the Mirrorball Trophy, about a decade after his older sister Bindi Irwin did the same. Throughout the season, he amassed a huge fanbase. It truly wasn’t much of a surprise when he ultimately claimed victory.
Robert Irwin became such a beloved contestant because he was a total sweetheart who is unafraid to show his emotions. His wholesome energy and kind disposition made him impossible not to root for. Plus, he was genuinely talented on the dance floor. Derek Hough said he had the best first dance in the show’s history, which is massive praise!
Outside of the ballroom, Robert is keeping his father’s legacy alive as a conservationist. Steve Irwin was a hero, and it’s wonderful to see how his children are continuing his legacy of advocacy for wildlife protection. Robert is also a proud supporter of the LGBTQ+ community. And he’s shown support for women’s health, inspired by his sister’s endometriosis diagnosis. He proves that being a kind and caring person makes you cool. Congrats to Robert for being Reality Tea’s Reality TV Hero of the Year 2025!
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF OUR WINNER AND NOMINEES FOR REALITY TV HERO OF THE YEAR? WHICH REALITY TV STARS WOULD YOU NOMINATE FOR THIS AWARD?
