Nothing quite captured the early 2000s like reality television.
It gave us competition, drama, love, drama, comedy, and did we mention drama?
Quick disclaimer: We limited our choices to one person (or duo) per show.
Matt Kennedy Gould on ‘The Joe Schmo Show’.Spike TV
We also excluded hosts of any kind from this ranking.
But don’t worry,we made sure they had their moment too.
25) Matt Kennedy Gould
Spike TV
Before there wasJury Duty, there wasThe Joe Schmo Show.
Matt Kennedy Gould on ‘The Joe Schmo Show’.Spike TV
And before there wasRonald Gladden, there wasMatt Kennedy Gould.
Gould thought he was competing in aBig Brother-jot down elimination program titledLap of Luxury.
Dalton Ross
24) Sig Hansen
Discovery Channel
There’s dangerous, and then there’s deadliest.
Sig Hansen on ‘Deadliest Catch’.Discovery Channel
Sig’s high-seas antics on the Northwestern even earned him a spinoff series,The Viking Returns.
Natalie may or may not run L.A., but she certainly ran the Bad Girls Club.
Bonus points for capping off his caddish persona bymarryingDWTSpro Peta Murgatroydin 2017 and becoming a dad three times over.
Natalie Nunn on ‘Bad Girls Club’.Oxygen
was more of a promise than a drag dreamer’s wish.
And Michaels didn’t seem to have any shame in that.
And, really, reality TV doesnt get any better than that.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Mel B on ‘Dancing With the Stars’.Kelsey McNeal/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
17) NeNe Leakes
Wilford Harewood/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
NeNe Leakeswas made for reality TV.
WhenThe Real Housewives of Atlantadebuted in 2008, she was undoubtedly the breakout star.
Whether berating frenemyKim Zolciakabout her married boyfriend Big Poppa (“Close your legs to married men!
Charla and Mirna on ‘The Amazing Race’.TONY ESPARZA/CBS
(Who hasn’t used aGIF of NeNe?)
That’s just how renownedChristian Sirianowas after winning season 4 ofProject Runwayin 2007.
15) Jessica Simpson
MTV
Forget thatChicken of the Sea brain fart.
Tammie Brown on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’.Logo
“Baby, what did you do?”
moaned her telegenic husband, 98 Degrees singerNick Lachey.
“You should be ashamed of yourself!”
Bret Michaels on ‘Rock of Love’.Scott Odgers/VH1
Yes, we did.
and transformed Simpson and Lachey from mid-level pop musicians to global superstars.
Remarkably, the so-called Dr. Once again, naturally, they kept him in the game.
Aubrey O’Day on ‘Making the Band’.George Napolitano/FilmMagic
12) Kim Kardashian
E!
They didn’t own beauty brands, and the word skim was mostly associated with milk.
There’s a reason she’s still on TV today.
NeNe Leakes on ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta’.Wilford Harewood/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Samantha Highfill
11) Steve-O
Johnny KnoxvillecreatedJackass, butSteve-Owas the star.
Steve-O gave new meaning to the skull-and-crossed crutches warning: Don’t try this at home.
And arguably the world’s most famous reality TV nickname never would have existed.
Christian Siriano on ‘Project Runway’.Barbara Nitke/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
9) Ozzy Osbourne
The 2000s were inundated with “celebrities are just like us!”
the daughter ofLionel Richie, and Juicy sweatsuit-enthusiast Paris Hilton?
Paris and Nicole never tried to be anyone else, and they never pretended to like the simple life.
Jessica Simpson on ‘Newlyweds’.MTV
And that’s hot.
“I’m okay.”
He was a cut-and-dry reality TV villain driving a wedge between her and her best friendLauren Conrad.
Jade Cole on ‘America’s Next Top Model’.Jim DeYonker/CBS Photo Archive via Getty
Remember Heidi’s shocking plastic surgery reveal?
Or how about their disastrous appearance onIm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here?
Speidi always knew how to put on a show for better or worse.
Will Kirby on ‘Big Brother’.Tony Esparza/CBS
to the brawn (Bananas backpack!)
to the beauty (again, have you seen those eyes?).
This man really can do it all.
Kim Kardashian on ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’.E!
No other reality star can say they wereone of the most popular celebrity Halloween costumes of 2010.
But none would make as much of an impact as season 1 runner-upTiffany “New York” Pollard.
There is perhaps no one more built for reality TV than New York.
Steve-O on ‘Jackass’.MTV
And VH1 knew fans didn’t just want to watch Tiffany looking for romance.
(Bonus points for"David’s dead,“even though that was outside of our window.)
Rob Mariano on ‘Survivor’.Monty Brinton/CBS
Kelly Osbourne, Jack Osbourne, and Ozzy Osbourne on ‘The Osbournes’.MTV
Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie in a promo shot for ‘The Simple Life’.Sam Jones/FOX
Trista Sutter on ‘The Bachelorette’.ABC/CRAIG SJODIN
Spencer and Heidi on ‘The Hills’.MTV
CT Tamburello on ‘The Real World: Paris’.MTV
Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini on ‘American Idol’.Kevin Winter/ImageDirect/Getty
Snooki on ‘Jersey Shore’.MTV
Flavor Flav; Tiffany Pollard.VH1 (2)
