There are a ton of different kinds of reality shows. Some have people come together to live in a house just to see what happens. Then, other ones have people come together to compete for some kind of a prize. The prize can be money, fame, or just cold, hard cash. These shows are super addictive and fun to watch if you're looking for something interesting and suspenseful and it can be fun to root for a favorite contestant to win!
Although there's a huge selection of different reality competition shows, there are some that are way more popular than others. Some of them started airing somewhat recently, while others have been on TV for a while and have built up a serious fanbase; but regardless of what kind of show they are or when they started airing, some reality shows just blow the rest out of the water.
To see 10 of the best reality competition shows, ranked based on their popularity on IMDb, keep reading!
America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model is a reality competition series that began airing in 2003. The series takes aspiring fashion models and puts them in the shoes of real models, having them go to photoshoots, meet with clients, and even walk in fashion shows for challenges.
Former contestants that have appeared on this dramatic series include models like Analeigh Tipton, Adrianne Curry, and Winnie Harlow. Considering this show has produced some major stars, it's no surprise that the competition series is so popular.
Dancing With The Stars
Dancing With the Stars is a series that's different from other competition shows. Instead of taking regular people and having them compete at something they're good at, this show pairs celebrities with professional dancers and challenges them to dance different styles each week. Judges then rate them based on how well they performed that week's dance style.
Seeing regular people on reality TV shows is a ton of fun, but it's only made better by seeing everyone's favorite A-listers appear on these shows. The series started airing in 2005 and stars like Drew Lachey, Kim Kardashian, and Melissa Joan Hart have been among the competitors.
The Voice
The Voice is a singing competition series that began airing in 2011 and has a unique twist. Instead of having a person walk out and see the judges when they start their audition, the competitors walk out and start performing with the guests turned around. Then, any judge that wants them on their team can hit a button to turn around.
Singing competition shows are always fun and it's easy to see that the twist The Voice presents with their audition process has helped it to become super popular. Some of the past contestants on The Voice include Cassadee Pope, Christina Grimmie, and Melanie Martinez.
The Bachelor
The Bachelor is a dating and relationship-themed competition series that started airing in 2002 and has spawned multiple spin-off series like The Bachelorette, so it's definitely no surprise that this reality series is so popular on IMDb.
In this series, a single bachelor gets to meet a whole cast of women who are looking for love and believe that they're the perfect match for the single man of the season. He goes on dates and gets to know each of them throughout their time together and, each week, he chooses someone who he's just not feeling to send home. It's hard not to either fall for the bachelor each season or find a contestant that you really love, which makes watching this show a ton of fun.
Project Runway
If fashion is your passion, you're probably already familiar with the next most popular reality competition series on this list. Project Runway aired its first season back in 2004 and has featured famous designers like Austin Scarlett, Christian Siriano, and Kara Saun over the years.
Project Runway is a competition series that takes aspiring fashion designers that desperately want their own fashion line. Each episode, they're given a design challenge and have to create a look that is inspired by the challenge, put it on a model, and send it down the runway for the judges. The winner gets a cash prize and some tools to help them get their fashion career off the ground.
Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen is a reality competition series that is based on a British series by the same name. It started airing in 2005 and is hosted by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. The series is unique because of the fact that most seasons divide the contestants up into two different teams and pit them against one another, which really amps up the drama and suspense of the series.
The series has the two teams working as the crew in a restaurant kitchen. These contestants are competing for the job as a head of a restaurant, so the stakes are definitely high. Between the interesting premise and the fact that Gordon Ramsay is the host of the series, it's no surprise that this show is one of the most popular on IMDb.
RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race is a competition series that began airing back in 2009. The series is hosted by RuPaul and brings together talented drag performers from all over the country in order to compete with one another to be named the biggest drag superstar in the country.
Contestants on the series compete in a number of different solo and group challenges throughout the course of the series and are eliminated one-by-one as the series goes on. At the end, one of them is finally chosen by the panel of judges and receives a prize of $100,000.
The Challenge
The Challenge is a reality TV series that has been airing on MTV since 1998. Considering this series has such a long history in the world of reality TV, it's easy to see how it's one of the most popular reality competition shows on IMDb.
This series started out as a spin-off of two of MTV's popular reality shows, Road Rules and The Real World. The show would bring together past contestants from those two shows and would divide the contestants up onto teams, then have them compete in physical challenges against one another. Over the years, the show has expanded to feature new contestants and people that have appeared on other MTV shows.
Survivor
Survivor is a competition series that began airing back in 2000 and has been hosted by Jeff Probst since then. The series usually has a certain twist to keep it interesting, but always has the same basic premise: contestants are divided up into teams and then taken to a remote island where they're forced to try to survive against the elements while forming bonds and alliances. They then take part in different mental and physical challenges and, once a week, vote to eliminate one contestant.
Even though the series has aired dozens of seasons and has been on for nearly two decades, it remains one of the most popular reality competition shows on TV. Considering the high stakes and interesting twists, it's not hard to see why this show is still so popular among TV fans.
The Masked Singer
What's the most popular reality competition show on IMDb? The Masked Singer! This series is newer than some others on this list, only having premiered in 2019, but it's still definitely become a huge hit in the world of reality TV since it premiered.
This series is a singing competition that keeps its celebrity contestants a secret. Each week, the celebrities competing on the show come out on the stage in a full-body costume and only give vague hints to their identity. Celebrities that have competed on the series include Kelly Osbourne, Chris Daughtry, and Rumer Willis.