A Look Back: The 2009 Reality TV Year In Review - March 2009

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. 


Today we continue our 12-day countdown with the third installment: March 2009.

- Terminally ill former British Big Brother star Jade Goody dies from cancer. She was 27.

- Charm School contestant Megan Hauserman sues host Sharon Osbounre over an altercation the two had on the VH1 reality series.

- Jason Mesnick tells reporters he has "found the one" and is "in love" before he proposes to Melissa Rycroft -- and she accepts -- during The Bachelor's pre-taped final thirteenth-season Rose Ceremony.


- Mesnick subsequently dumps Rycroft on the show's After the Final Rose special for original runner-up Molly Malaney. While Mesnick defends his decision and apologizes to viewers, producers claim he didn't need to dump Rycroft on air.

- Former The Bachelorette star Trista Sutter and The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman star Andy Baldwin both slam Mesnick, while ex-The Bachelor star Andrew Firestone states Mesnick was acting like an ass and The Bachelor: London Calling star Matt Grant feels Mesnick "kind of committed suicide."

- Rycroft eventually breaks her silence about the incident and Mesnick and Malaney claim they are still "happy" despite the backlash. Host Chris Harrison feels "something changed" between Mesnick and Rycroft, leading to the split.

- The Real Housewives of New York City star Kelly Bensimon is arrested on misdemeanor assault charges for assaulting Nicholas Stefanov, her 30-year-old boyfriend.

- Dancing with the Stars' eighth season is hit with injuries before it even premieres when singer Jewel and Access Hollywood co-host Nancy O'Dell are both forced to withdraw from the competition due to different ailments. They are replaced by jilted The Bachelor suitor Melissa Rycroft (whose biggest supporter is Jason Mesnick) and The Girls Next Door star Holly Madison -- and the injury bug quickly bites Madison, as she is hobbled by pain in her ribs. In addition, celebrity participants Steve Wozniak and Stephen "Steve-O" Glover are also hit with injuries.


- ABC reveals Jillian Harris will serve as The Bachelorette's fifth-season star -- however she was actually the network's third choice behind Melissa Rycroft and Molly Malaney. 

- Jon & Kate Plus 8 star Jon Gosselin denies reports that his marriage to Kate is in trouble.

- Lauren Conrad and The Hills producers confirm that she's leaving the show -- which makes Spencer Pratt "very depressed." Conrad subsequently states "never say never" to her having more reality television roles, and The Hills producers contemplate ending the series due to her departure. In addition, Audrina Patridge inks a deal for her own Mark Burnett-produced reality series, and her possible departure from The Hills reportedly upsets producers.

- Former Project Runway finalist Kenley Collins is arrested after allegedly assaulting and throwing a cat at her sleeping fiance and was charged with suspicion of assault, menacing, harassment and criminal possession of a weapon. She subsequently denied the throwing the cat.

- American Idol seventh-season winner David Cook asks "disturbing" fans to back off.


- American Idol reveals that it will feature a Top 13 for its eighth season -- but that wasn't the "big surprise" Fox had been teasing, which is eventually revealed to be The Judges' Save twist. Several former American Idol finalists speak out about The Judges' Save twist,

- Idol judge Simon Cowell declares either Adam Lambert or Danny Gokey will win the eighth-season title.

- Fox states that it is hoping to ink new Idol judging deals with Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

- An alleged stalker of Dancing with the Stars celebrity participant Shawn Johnson is arrested near where the ABC reality competition's set. He subsequently pleads not guilty to stalking charges.

- Dancing with the Stars eighth-season celebrity participant Steve Wozniak is asked by his professional partner Karina Smirnoff to walk her down the aisle when she weds Maksim Chmerkovskiy.


- Chaos erupts at America's Next Top Model's thirteenth-season casting call in New York City, and police blame producers. Creator Tyra Banks states Big Apple auditions will resume at a later date and producers adopt new rules for casting calls to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future.

- Original American Idol Kelly Clarkson has her "All I Ever Wanted" album debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart.

- Former The Bachelor star Andrew Firestone and his wife Ivana welcome a baby boy.

- Original Survivor winner Richard Hatch asks for his immediate release from prison because he claims he is innocent, was represented by ineffective lawyers and had his his prison sentence improperly calculated.

- Fox and The Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss announce they have teamed up to create More to Love -- a new reality dating series that will feature an overweight bachelor and bachelorettes.


- The Real Housewives of Orange County star Luann de Lesseps is dumped by her husband Count Alexandre de Lesseps and claims she was "blindsided" by the break-up.

Premieres: The Celebrity Apprentice, Season 2 (3/1); Running in Heels (3/1); Ax Men, Season 2 (3/2); Harlem Heights (3/2); Make Me a Supermodel, Season 2 (3/4); Sunday Best, Season 2 (3/8); Dancing with the Stars, Season 8 (3/9); WCG Ultimate Gamer (3/10); The Chopping Block (3/11); Bridget's Sexiest Beaches (3/12); The Osbournes: Reloaded (3/13); Tough Love (3/15); Taking the Stage (3/19); The Locator, Season 2 (3/21); Table for 12 (3/23); College Hill: South Beach (3/24); Pretty Wicked (3/31).






About The Author: Christopher Rocchio