Traitors & Challenge casts • Survivor's Francesca • Anne Burrell • more
Dear newsletter friends,
It’s been a tough week, with more unnecessary cruelty and legalized discrimination piling on to all the ongoing pain and violence in the world.
And amidst all that, Anne Burrell died.
So did Project Runway 17 designer Afa Ah Loo, who was killed while at the No Kings rally in Salt Lake City, shot by someone "who fired at a gunman who had an AR-15 style rifle" but missed and hit Afa—a bystander—instead.
Those deaths feel surreal, like with all the Survivor players we’ve lost.
I didn’t know them in real life, but of course, I also feel like I knew them well—and that’s especially true for someone like Anne, who’s been on our TVs for decades.
The way we knew people who’ve died—TV shows—are still available. Anne’s always there, any time we want to go back and see her say “brown food tastes good” or yell at someone for holding a knife incorrectly.
Speaking of: I’ve asked Food Network if they have in plans to, like, re-air her shows. (It seems like Food Network may have fired Anne earlier this year, so not sure where they stood.)
I’m also working on a piece aggregating all of the tributes. That’s one way to move forward: remember.
P.S. If you or anyone you know need to talk to someone, there’s still a lot of free help available.
🏔️ The end of an era
I talked with Life Below Zero’s star and showrunner on its end and its possible future (!)
It was a really great conversation, especially about the subject-producer relationship, including how Sue Aikens’s lawsuit affected it
Also check out my new Life Below Zero hub! ☃️
🌽 Recaps and reviews
A review:
Prime Video’s Romcon: Who the F*** is Jason Porter?
Below Deck:
Top Chef:
Updated with my thoughts on the finale: Who won Top Chef: Destination Canada?
🏝️ Survivor series
My newest interview:
ICYMI:
🗓️ Reality TV premieres
Premieres this week include a new season of I Kissed a Boy, which is basically gay Love Island; Duff Goldman’s new Super Mega Cakes; the Ryan Reynolds-narrated Underdogs, PBS’s Walking with Dinosaurs, and NatGeo’s Planet Weird.
Also: more America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Expedition Unknown, Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch, and Somebody Feed Phil
Documentaries premiering focus on Sally Ride, and her once-secret relationship; former Toronto mayor Rob Ford; and Ohio State athletes assaulted by their program’s doctor.
💬 Comments of the week
On The Traitors US season 4 cast, Elizabeth wrote,
Johnny Weir is going to give Alan a run for most dramatically dressed!!
On Sarah’s review of The Mortician, Gale wrote,
After watching this documentary, I’m definitely rethinking the whole cremation thing, especially since the place my wife and I have picked sends the body elsewhere to do the deed. I mean, how do you actually find out if the crematorium is on the up and up? I’m from Canada, but I definitely have to do a little more homework before I slough off my mortal coil.
🗞️ Reality TV news
Show news:
The Traitors US season 4’s stunning cast, including two I wish were on Survivor 50
Here’s The Challenge 41’s cast, which includes Survivor and BBAUS winners (no spoilers in the story, just links if you want ‘em)
Lego Masters will return for a sixth season, but Will Arnett is leaving and will be replaced by The Masked Singer’s Nick Cannon as host.
The new season will include audition episodes filmed June 21 and 22 at Legoland in California; apply here.
Bunim/Murray Productions, producers of The Challenge and, once upon a time, Road Rules, partnered with X Games for X Games Battleground, which "will unite 30 of the most iconic and influential X Games athletes" for "high-octane challenges inspired by the history of the legendary X Games."
Here are the goldens/olds that will join Bachelor in Paradise season 10:
April Kirkwood, The Golden Bachelor season 1
Charles “CK” King, The Golden Bachelorette season 1
Gary Levingston, The Golden Bachelorette season 1 (joins midseason)
Jack Lencioni, The Golden Bachelorette season 1
Kathy Swarts, The Golden Bachelor season 1
Keith Gordon, The Golden Bachelorette season 1
Kim Buike, The Golden Bachelorette season 1
Leslie Fhima, The Golden Bachelor season 1
Natascha Hardee, The Golden Bachelor season 1
Ralph “RJ” Johnson, The Golden Bachelorette season 1
People news:
As mentioned above, Project Runway 17 designer Afa Ah Loo was killed last weekend. He is survived by his wife and two small children.
Utah State Rep. Verona Mauga told the Desert News, "Afa is a person who believed in equity and equality for all people and all communities. He believed that everyone was deserving of basic human rights. And that’s why he was there. He was with his community and he was with people he cared about, marching and rallying for all of those things that make our community, like, really great."
Richard Hanchett/Terry, biological son of Ruth Marie Terry — for decades known as "the Lady of the Dunes" — published a crimoir, Lady of the Dunes: My Mother, last week. Richard played a memorable part in the Oxygen series on the case from last year, which wasn't great but showed some promise; I reviewed it here. —SDB
A plea agreement filed yesterday indicates that Salvador Plasencia, a "doctor charged with giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the month leading up to the Friends star's overdose death[,] will plead guilty" to four counts of distributing ketamine. Other charges were dropped in exchange for the plea. —SDB
Traitors UK host Claudia Winkleman, along with Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly, were "made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to broadcasting," BBC News reports, while The Challenge and Love Island UK’s Georgia Harrison was honored "for her work on online privacy and cyber crime," as her ex sold footage of them without her consent.
🤩 I recommend
This show on Hulu, which is back for a second season now
Bravo’s Next Gen NYC, which keeps getting better (that meeting with Brooks’ dad and Charlie!)
This podcast, which is a fascinating and entertaining journey
That’s everything from me. Have a great weekend and week ahead!
best,
Andy
🌄 This is issue 424 of reality blurred’s weekly newsletter, first sent on 20 June 2025, and it’s ready for Kristen Kish on The Traitors!