With 2009 drawing to a close, it's time to take a look back at the year that was. The following is Reality TV World's 2009 Reality TV Year In Review, a 12-part, month-by-month review of some of the past year's reality TV headlines, highlights, lowlights, and milestones.
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- NBC's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! revival premieres with The Hills' stars Spencer and Heidi Pratt, however they quit the competition only a few days into it. While it is reported that they're gone for good, the couple is offered an opportunity to return if the other celebrity castaways will accept them back.
- Spencer and Heidi return to I'm a Celebrity but quickly leave the competition again -- this time alleging they were tortured, causing NBC executive Paul Telegdy to say they represent "everything that's wrong with America." Heidi's sister Holly Montag joins the cast as a replacement
- Original The Real Housewives of Orange County star Jeana Keough reveals she may not return for the show's fifth season.
- Jon & Kate Plus 8 stars Jon and Kate Gosselin spend their 10th anniversary weekend apart and reveal they plan on making a big announcement on the next episode of their reality show. They subsequently announce their separation during the episode -- which delivers record ratings -- and file for divorce.
- Kate claims Jon committed unspecified "activities" that gave her no choice but to file for divorce. According to her, the marriage is "irretrievably broken," and Jon had wanted a divorce for a long time.
- Jon claims he is hurt by Kate's comments and begins searching for a new bachelor pad and job in New York City. He also denies the couple's children are being exploited for the show and states insists they are happy.
- TLC announces Jon & Kate Plus 8 will be on hiatus until August, but it won't change the show's title and didn't film the children learning about the separation. In addition, the network also denies Deanna Hummel, Jon's alleged mistress, will begin appearing on the show when it returns.
- After sparring in the media, Jon and Kate announce they are "no longer commenting publicly."
- So You Think You Can Dance reveals its Top 20 fifth-season finalists.
- Branden Rickman wins Make Me a Supermodel's second season.
- Britain's Got Talent runner-up Susan Boyle is admitted to a mental health clinic due to exhaustion. She wows a live audience after being released.
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- American Idol judge Paula Abdul says she is "not sure" whether she'll be returning to the Fox reality series given her contract has expired. While she begins negotiations to return, she denies a report that she'll "definitely" be back.
- American Idol eighth-season runner-up Adam Lambert boasts his upcoming Rolling Stone cover story interview will answer "all your questions." It confirms he's gay and reveals he was attracted to Idol winner Kris Allen.
- Allen and Lambert both sign recording contracts, as does fourth-place finisher Allison Iraheta.
- Hi Fi Recordings and Wilshire Records reveals plans to release an album of material Lambert recorded pre-American Idol, but he insists the music "in no way reflects" who he is as an artist. The label subsequently defends its decision to release the album.
- Survivor host Jeff Probst reveals the CBS reality series will film back-to-back editions this summer and it is eventually reported that the two new seasons will take place in Samoa.
- A report states that The Hills star Stephanie Pratt claims the MTV reality show made her bulimic, however she subsequently denies it.
- Jilted The Bachelor star and former Dancing with the Stars celebrity participant Melissa Rycroft joins ABC's Good Morning America as a correspondent. She also gets engaged to boyfriend Ty Strickland.
- MTV lands Audrina Patridge's new Mark Burnett-produced reality series.
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- Former Chasing Farrah star Farrah Fawcett dies from cancer at age 62. TV Land announces it will re-air Chasing Farrah to honor the former Charlie's Angels star.
- Simon Cowell reportedly decides to stop judging his U.K. The X Factor reality competition after its 2009 edition. In addition, he's also reportedly offered an Oprah Winfrey-size deal to remain on American Idol.
- Billy Mays, the 50-year-old star of numerous infomercials and co-star of Discovery Channel's Pitchmen reality series, is found dead at his Tampa home. While his infomercials are pulled, Discovery schedules a Pitchmen marathon and organizes a Billy Mays tribute show.
- Dancing with the Stars judge Len Goodman reveals he had surgery for prostate cancer.
- Former The Girls Next Door and upcoming Kendra star Kendra Wilkinson marries to NFL star Hank Baskett and reveals she's pregnant.
- The Hills star Spencer Pratt claims he was lying when he took responsibility for starting the rumor that Lauren Conrad had made a sex tape with ex-boyfriend Jason Wahler and insists the sex tape was real. Conrad subsequently says producers faked the scene where Pratt apologized to her over the phone.
- Sharon Denise Leming, the mother of former seventh-season American Idol contestant Josiah Leming, dies at age 41 after a long battle with cancer.
- Jeff Archuleta, the controversial alleged "stage dad" father of seventh-season American Idol runner-up David Archuleta, pleads no contest to soliciting a prostitute stemming from a January incident. Archuleta thanks fans for their support a she deals with his dad's legal troubles.
- The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Danielle Staub gets a temporary restraining order preventing her ex-boyfriend Stephen Zalewski from releasing a sex tape of her.
- Although he previously quit the competition because he allegedly needed to return to work, suitor Ed Swiderski returns to The Bachelorette's fifth season and resumes wooing Jillian Harris.
Premieres: I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, Season 2 (6/1); Paris Hilton's My New BFF, Season 2 (6/2); Whale Wars, Season 2 (6/5); The Next Food Network Star, Season 5 (6/7); Bridezillas, Season 6 (6/7); Kendra (6/7); Denise Richards: It's Complicated, Season 2 (6/7); Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, Season 5 (6/8); Top Chef Masters (6/10) She's Got the Look, Season 2 (6/11); 16 & Pregnant (6/11); Hammertime (6/14); Wedding Day (6/16); I Survived a Japanese Game Show, Season 2 (6/17); The Singing Bee (6/20); America's Got Talent, Season 4 (6/23); The Superstars (6/23); NYC Prep (6/23); Dance Your Ass Off (6/29).
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio
