Reality TV Stars of the early 2000s: where are they now?

The ultimate It-girl of the 2000s, Lauren Conrad rose to fame on Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County (2004–2006), MTV’s glossy, real-life answer to The O.C.. As the effortlessly cool “girl next door”, Lauren became the breakout star of the coastal drama and later fronted its hit LA-based spin-off, The Hills (2006–2009), cementing her status as one of reality TV’s first big success stories.

Since leaving the spotlight, Lauren has built a thriving fashion empire – from her fashion line LC Lauren Conrad to her children’s label Little Co. by Lauren Conrad – and authored nine books, including the L.A. Candy trilogy and her popular beauty and style guides. She may not have gone to Paris, but she’s done pretty well without that internship.

Every reality show needs a wild card, and Heidi Montag more than delivered on The Hills (2006–2010). Once Lauren Conrad’s bubbly best friend, Heidi became the series’ most talked-about cast member thanks to her headline-grabbing romance (and marriage) with Spencer Pratt, her dramatic fall-out with Lauren, and extensive cosmetic surgery, all documented on the jaw-dropping MTV show.

These days, Heidi has swapped TV drama for music, having recently released her second studio album, Heidiwood (2025). Alongside husband Spencer Pratt, she co-hosts the cheekily titled podcast Speidi’s 16th Minute with Spencer, where the pair reflect on fame and noughties pop culture. The couple – now parents to sons Gunner and Ryker – have faced their share of real-life challenges too, and have spoken candidly about losing their home in the LA fires and their journey to rebuilding.

Perhaps the most quotable reality star of all time, Tiffany “New York” Pollard brought no shortage of one-liners and unfiltered attitude to Flavor of Love (2006), where twenty women competed for rapper Flavor Flav’s heart. After finishing as a runner up on two seasons, she took her quest for love to her own spin-offs, I Love New York (2007–2008) and New York Goes to Hollywood (2008), which were smash hits with her extensive fan base. 

It’s pretty fair to say Tiffany is reality TV royalty – from her explosive feud with Gemma Collins on Celebrity Big Brother UK (2016) to hosting Brunch with Tiffany and starring in House of Villains (2023–). With no shortage of viral moments, she’s remained a fixture in pop culture – fans may have heard her infamous Big Brother rant sampled in Zara Larsson's recent track, “Hot & Sexy”

The undisputed king of Survivor, with a record five competitions under his belt, Rob stood out during his appearance on Survivor: Marquesas (2002) thanks to his savvy, no-nonsense approach and for his legendary romance with fellow contestant Amber Brkich during Survivor: All-Stars (2004). The fan-favourite couple tested their teamwork on The Amazing Race (2005, 2007), before Rob returned to Survivor: Redemption Island (2011)

Since his big win, Rob is still happily married to Amber and the pair share four daughters. After appearing on several other seasons of Survivor, Rob has since gone on to compete on Deal or No Deal Island (2024) and most recently the third season of Peacock’s The Traitors (2025), proving there’s no stopping this star’s competitive streak.

Aubrey O’Day first turned heads on Making the Band (2005–2006) season three, earning her spot in the girl group Danity Kane, who went on to release two number-one albums and tour with Christina Aguilera. Clashes with the group’s now-disgraced mentor, P Diddy, later saw her split from the group, but she kept her reality TV streak alive with appearances on Celebrity Apprentice (2012) and Celebrity Big Brother UK (2016).

Since then, she’s continued to reinvent herself: forming the duo Dumblonde with bandmate Shannon Bex, reuniting with Danity Kane in 2018, and even competing on The Masked Singer (2025). Aubrey recently appeared on Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery (2025) to discuss her previous cosmetic work.

Pro skateboarder and teen heartthrob, Ryan Sheckler’s life hit MTV screens in Life of Ryan (2007–2009), giving fans a front-row seat to his family life and professional career. A skateboarding prodigy who went professional at just 13-years-old, Ryan was already a star in the community before his big TV break, but the hit show made him the ultimate poster child for teen athletes and gave people a glimpse into the sport. 

Now married to Abigail Baloun and a father to two daughters, Ryan is still skating professionally with a whole host of sponsors. For anyone nostalgic for Life of Ryan, the star shares updates from his life and training on his Instagram page, proving that growing up in the spotlight doesn’t mean slowing down.

The show that had us all hooked with its jaw-dropping makeovers and insane challenges, Adrianne Curry-Rhode was the small-town girl who became a big-time supermodel after winning the first season of America’s Next Top Model (2003). Praised by Tyra Banks for her “rockstar” look, she enjoyed a high-profile modelling career as well as her own reality TV series, My Fair Brady (2005–2008), following her then-marriage with The Brady Bunch alum Christopher Knight.

Adrianne has since opted for a quieter life in Montana away from the spotlight, but recently sparked headlines after she took to Instagram to discuss Top Model’s controversial makeover segment, alleging that her look left her partially bald, causing damage to her hair and scalp. 

Businesswoman and reality star Bethenny Frankell first shot to stardom as a runner-up on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart (2005), before becoming a household name on The Real Housewives of New York City (2008–2010, 2015–2019). Alongside her then-husband Jason Hoppy, Bethenny not only became a fan-favourite on the show with her witty quips, but founded her infamous Skinnygirl Cocktails line, which she sold in 2011 for an estimated $100 million. 

Since then, she’s starred in multiple spin-offs – from Bethenny Ever After (2010–2012 to The Big Shot with Bethenny (2021) – and has furthered her entrepreneurial skills with BStrong, a philanthropic organisation for disaster relief. As well as posting regular content on social media, she also hosts the popular podcast Just B with Bethenny Frankel.

Socialite-turned-reality star Nicole Richie and her best friend Paris Hilton were the glamorous fish-out-of-water duo in The Simple Life (2003–2007), which saw the heiresses navigate small-town jobs and everyday life. Known for her deadpan humour, Nicole was a natural comedian that gave us some of the most quotable lines from the show (we’re still thinking about her laundromat debacle).

Now married to Good Charlotte singer Joel Madden and mother to Harlow and Sparrow, Nicole’s also busy running her fashion brand, House of Harlow 1960. She also reunited with Paris for Paris & Nicole: The Encore (2024) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Simple Life, writing, producing and starring in an opera based on their infamous song, “Sanasa”, from the show.