The Challenge of Getting (and Staying) Sober on Reality TV

IT WORKS IF YOU WORK IT –

April 1, 2022 – Alcohol has always been a central character on reality TV.

Tables have been flipped, torches in the Hamptons have been tossed, and plenty of fists thrown by cast members under the influence. Many reality stars have encountered the law, have been arrested and sat in jail cells after imbibing. It’s become so normalized, it’s almost expected some cast members will drink and chaos will follow.

So what happens when you’re appearing on reality TV and you’re sober? Fears of becoming boring, not having a “storyline,” or falling off the wagon are just a few worries. But for those who have given up alcohol, their sobriety is more important than anything else. Even a show. Former “Real Housewives of Orange County” star Braunwyn Windham-Burke revealed during the 2020 Season 15 premiere of the Bravo show that she is an alcoholic who is now sober. She tells CNN that seeing her own actions on the series and calling herself an alcoholic out loud on TV helped start her journey to recovery.

“I was drinking to the point that I was blacking out,” she tells CNN. “I had been having babies back to back for seven, eight years that time. So, for me, I was like, this is amazing. I get to have a job where I get to get drunk and go out and I get to do it in a really cool way. You know, when you’re filming, you’re isolated in this little safety bubble, you’re gonna get home. You know, everything’s gonna be taken care of. It was the dream. When it first started, it was so much fun. I had been a stay-at-home mom for 19 years. I’ve never had a job. I’m like, this is the best job ever.”