With ratings falling, have viewers become apathetic to a format that shaped British culture for almost two decades?
The once explosive, insurgent TV format that captivated millions of viewers appears to be struggling to attract audiences in recent years. In the age of declining TV viewers, is it still relevant or have audiences become disinterested?
It’s an understatement to say that reality TV has shaped British culture for more than two decades, however many argue that the format is tired, outdated and has become mundane.
From Big Brother’s arrival in 2000, one of the first big reality TV programmes to hit British screens, the reality genre has created iconic moments for the best part of two decades. From painful but hilarious X-Factor auditions to blazing rows on The Only Way is Essex, reality TV has undisputedly reshaped British television and had a huge influence on culture also.
Fast-forward to today and television viewing figures are dwindling, viewers are fed up with tired formats and reality TV has borne the brunt of this trend. Network bosses are grappling with falling viewing numbers, particularly within younger demographics who they hope to attract to their programming.
Last year it was reported that less than half of 16-24 year olds now watch traditional TV, with TV viewership declining in all age groups except over 75s.
ITV-2’s flagship reality show Love Island which was once picking up nearly 3.5 million viewers at its peak in 2019 is barely scraping the million mark in some episodes today, with its recent All Stars series episodes being watched by as few as 640,000 viewers.
Big Brother returned in 2023 for its third reincarnation, this time on ITV, launching to a reasonable 3.3 million with Celebrity Big Brother averaging roughly 2.5 million, though ratings slipped in the second series last year with the civilian version of the show launching to just 825,000 viewers.
Despite this, Big Brother picked up a huge 25% of viewers in the 16-34 age bracket with ITV boasting in 2023 that the show was streamed 38 million times on its streaming service ITVX.
They also revealed that Love Island, despite its decreasing TV viewing figures was being streamed 340 million times with 60% of the audience being 16-24 year-olds, indicating that there is a strong appetite towards watching TV on demand rather than live and that there is still a sizeable amount of interest in the series by the younger demographic that networks are chasing.
However, the problem that programmes like Big Brother face is that they no longer feel new and authentic. They have been on air on and off for nearly two decades and appear worn. Viewers have become fatigued with the endless publicity-seeking, fame-hungry contestants that reality shows feature today.
Sarah Heywood who has previously worked in television production told Artefact: “The original, basic element of reality TV was that it is supposed to bring people from ordinary backgrounds who live ordinary lives together to make a thrilling, exciting TV show that people at home could relate to.”
Programmes such as X-Factor and The Jeremy Kyle Show that are now axed and confined to TV history were able to successfully create a loyal audience with the former drawing in almost 14.5 million viewers during the seventh series in 2010, numbers almost unheard of today.
The show, which was crafted around a number of household names as judges including Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh became one of the most-watched programmes on British TV as viewers watched every Saturday and Sunday to see once ordinary people scramble to become the next big pop star.
Many viewers watched not just for the talent factor, but particularly the entertainment element of the show, usually found in the audition process which would often feature hopefuls who would be dubbed ‘the joke act’, who couldn’t actually sing at all but proved great entertainment to viewers.
Things have changed significantly from just over a decade ago, when reality shows felt like an event where millions would watch shows like The Only Way is Essex and Love Island. Programmes like X-Factor were so culturally powerful that there was a sense of missing out if you happened to miss it, knowing that it would likely be the topic of conversation amongst friends and colleagues the following day.
The era of talent shows such as X-Factor was definitely of its time and with changing attitudes talent shows became somewhat tired towards the mid to late 2010s, with viewing figures falling rapidly.
The format was no longer suited to the times with elements of the shows that certainly wouldn’t air today, such as the judges questioning of contestants’ looks and weight, which was a frequent occurrence.
Similarly, the Jeremy Kyle Show which was often described by many critics as ‘poverty porn’, saw viewers subjected to screaming rows between dysfunctional families and relationships, leading to claims that the show was exploitative until its cancellation in 2019 following the death of a contestant.
Although the show remained reasonably popular with daytime viewers right up until its removal with it regularly achieving an audience of one million, network bosses likely believed this type of confrontational reality television was outdated.
Sarah says that “viewers have become fed up of television programmes that first aired in the ’90s or 2000s being aired today as well as reboots of old shows” adding”viewers want to watch something new…although budgets are getting tighter for programming in general as commercial broadcasters try to navigate through changing viewer trends and falling advertising revenue”
A perfect example of this is the reality series Survival, originally airing between 2001-2002 and returning to screens in late 2023 after a reboot, however quickly became a ratings flop after featuring on both the BBC and ITV, only managing to pull in 2.1 million viewers at a cost of £30 million according to the Daily Mail.
Networks are grappling with changing viewing habits in recent years, with many particularly young people simply not watching terrestrial television, and preferring to stream programmes instead rather than watch them live.
Many 18-25 year-olds would struggle to find a friend who regularly watches television, if at all. If broadcasters want viewers, particularly younger viewers of which reality TV is aimed at, they need to adapt to changing viewing habits.
“The Traitors is a perfect example of how reality TV can work”
SARAH HEYWOOD, FORMER TV PRODUCER
Reality TV’s decline can be pinned to a number of factors, one of which is the rise of YouTube and independent media, as well as podcasts. Those who once featured in these reality TV programmes can now reach viewers their own way without the need to feature on mainstream reality TV shows.
The rise of social media has also made many viewers increasingly aware of the level of scripting that features in shows, taking away the authenticity of the genre. Social media as well as independent media gives the viewer the chance to watch a reality format without the interference from producers and editing that you would typically find in TV shows.
With the reality format’s incarnation taking place in the ’90s and 2000s before social media, reality programming wasn’t competing with the likes of YouTube and other social media, which now gives ordinary people the ability to watch reality content on demand.
As well as this, in recent years viewers have become more aware of the issue of ethics and this has made some wary of content that features in reality TV, as well as the treatment of participants and guests in programmes.
However, there is an anomaly to the falling interest in reality TV with the recent return of series three of The Traitors, which has turned out to be a huge ratings success for the BBC, with the final being watched by a huge 10 million viewers. The success of the series shows that if casting and production are done correctly, reality television can work.
“The Traitors is a perfect example of how if done right, reality TV can work,” says Sarah, going on to add that “producers have been too focused on the shock factor for far too long, and The Traitors proves that if you have people from ordinary walks of life who aren’t seeking a career or wanting publicity, audiences will watch.”
One of the key aspects to the success of The Traitors is the wide variety of contestants that feature in the show, with the most recent series ranging from teachers and doctors to a window cleaner and a priest. The show’s concept is simple and isn’t influenced by producers trying to instigate an argument or blazing row as is seen on other reality TV shows.
GQ described the show as featuring “normal people of all ages and body types, not influencers or gym goers primed for fame,” signalling the relatability factor of the contestants, which viewers like.
Recently more streaming platforms are beginning to dive into reality television, with the most recent example being Netflix’s Celebrity Bear Hunt, containing elements similar to ITV’s I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here and is fronted by Bear Grylls and Holly Willoughby with a variety of well-known celebrities.
The show has launched to positive reviews, with The Guardian rating the show 4/5 stars saying “Netflix has done its job well” adding that “not since Ant and Dec’s early days in Australia has a TV competition been this enjoyable.”
This reaffirms the argument that if you produce programmes that are new and thrilling that the viewer feels are authentic then it will do well. One of the main problems that British reality TV faces is that most of its programmes have been knocking around in some form for more than a decade.
Most people would be surprised to hear that once huge shows like The Only Way is Essex and Made in Chelsea are still being produced, with the former now on its season 33 known for hosting big names like Gemma Collins, Mark Wright and Joey Essex. It’s unlikely anyone could name any participant in these shows today, highlighting its increasing irrelevance.
The future of British Reality TV is unclear. The days of ITV producing two series a year of Love Island seem numbered, with viewers falling, while Big Brother may continue to air for the foreseeable future.
However, if one thing is clear it’s that if the format is to survive, it needs fresh, new innovative ideas such as The Traitors, which takes reality TV back to basics along with ordinary people from different backgrounds who are relatable and minimal interference from producers will save the format.
Featured image by Declan 2000 and ITV