Things I’ve learned from being on TV
(Because I Have… More Than Once)
Have you ever had to laugh at yourself?
Like, really laugh — the kind of laugh where you can’t believe you just said that on camera, or fell down in front of a million people, or cried about a showmance in a hot pink sports bra?
I have. A lot.
Being on reality TV for over a decade will do that to you. It humbles you. It stretches you. And, if you’re lucky, it teaches you to stop taking yourself so seriously — because once you’ve ugly cried on national television with mascara running down your face and a mic still on, you really don’t have a choice.
But here’s the thing: that fact might be the most powerful lesson I’ve ever learned.
Reality TV is Brutal — and Beautiful
The cameras don’t cut when you’re embarrassed. They don’t turn off when you mess up. They don’t give you a redo when you say something cringe. It’s all there, forever.
But somewhere in all of that chaos, I found something kind of magical.
The more I stopped trying to be perfect on screen, the more I found myself becoming more real off screen too.
Laughing at myself on reality TV gave me permission to do it in real life — when I burn dinner(make chocolate turkey lasagna), when I have something in my teeth, when I show up to school pickup with baby spit up all over me. (Yes, that happened.) When I spend 6 hours tasting and naming salami in Italy on the Amazing Race.
When You Laugh, You Win
There’s something so freeing about being able to laugh at your mistakes. To shrug your shoulders, roll your eyes at yourself, and say, “Well… that happened.” It doesn’t mean you don’t care. It means you’re not letting the small stuff take up space in your heart.
I’ve lost competitions. I’ve been blindsided. I’ve made questionable fashion choices in front of America. And you know what? I’ve survived every single one.
In fact, I’ve come out stronger. And, usually, laughing.
The Truth Behind the Curtain
People sometimes ask me, “Is it hard watching yourself back?”
Yes. ( it feels cringe)
No. (I never look back I learn)
Sometimes? (IVE HAD A FEW YIKES)
It’s weird, because the truth is… that version of me is still me. She’s just unfiltered. She’s the version of me who was doing the best she could in that moment. And if I can’t offer her some grace and a little laugh, then who can?
We all have those moments — even if they don’t get aired on Thursday night at 8/7c.
So Here’s What I Know for Sure
The more I laughed at myself, the more I loved myself.
And maybe that’s the takeaway: life’s too short to get stuck in the edit. Laugh, learn, grow, repeat.
Whether you’re on TV or just trying to get through the day, you deserve to take up space, make mistakes, and find joy in the mess.
Because if you can’t laugh at yourself… well, don’t worry. Someone else will.
Might as well beat them to it — and look fabulous doing it.
– Rachel
Mom, competitor, houseguest, faithful….., and still laughing.