Fans of Survivor, American Idol, The Bachelor and more got very sad news this year. Popular contestants from each of these reality television shows died in 2024.
Here are 10 reality TV deaths we never saw coming.
The average age at time of death for this bunch is just 49 years old, which means most of these reality TV stars died tragically and unexpectedly. The exception is first, but to be honest, she was a reality TV pioneer in so many ways.
Related: Remembering the Country Stars Who Have Died in 2024
A singer, an activist, a comedian, a documentary filmmaker and a master chef all died this year. Then there was the unexpected passing of a famous fisherman, and a pioneering racer. This group weren’t television stars in the traditional sense, but their wit, heart and hope touched us all in smaller ways.
This mid-year list of reality television show stars who died will be updated in December to reflect everyone we lost in 2024. Scroll down to read their stories.
Billy Dukes is a Senior Editor and Executive Producer of Video Content at Taste of Country. He specializes in country music interviews, trend analysis and the Secret History of Country Music. Additionally, Billy covers Yellowstone, 1923 and related television shows through the Dutton Rules podcast. To date, he’s written more than 13,000 articles for Taste of Country and produced over 3,000 videos for the Taste of Country YouTube channel.
Reality TV Show Stars Who Died in 2024
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
12 Celebrity Deaths That Will Break an ‘80s Kid’s Heart (2024)
An iconic sitcom dad, the original Colonel Mustard, a beloved Seinfeld character and Brenda, sweet, complicated Brenda. These are just a few of the heartbreaking deaths for Generation X. If you grew up in the ‘80s and early ’90s, you lost a lot in 2024.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes