The Busby family of League City make up the show “Outdaughtered,” a huge hit for 10 seasons. (Courtesy of the Busby family)
This city’s reality TV stars span every genre—from competition shows to dating dramas—proving the city breeds unforgettable personalities.
Love it or hate it, reality TV has solidified its standing as one of the hottest draws in entertainment. Since its inception with the groundbreaking show “Survivor” in 2000 (that’s 26 years ago, y’all!), reality TV has only grown more popular.
That’s entirely due to the people who populate these shows. After all, they’re regular people, not actors, who are willing to put themselves out there, warts and all.
They freely air out their dirty laundry—both literally and figuratively—and engage in questionable behavior that brings end-of-season regrets. They argue, they fall in love, they party, and they navigate relationships that either remind us of our own lives or help us to escape into lives we wish we had.
Houston has produced a number of reality TV stars over the years, and they have run the gamut in terms of personality, talents, interests, and, of course, popularity. But they all have one thing in common: They all hail from Houston, a city that fosters creativity, embraces diversity, and shares some of its most interesting personalities with the rest of the world.
Here’s a sampling of the reality stars that call Houston home.
The cast of “Heart & Hustle: Houston”
Houston may be known globally for its roots in space, energy focus, and incredible medical facilities, but it’s the entrepreneurs and small business owners who lend a local flair to Houston’s economy.
Celebrating Black female entrepreneurs, “Heart & Hustle: Houston” features stars Alaina Saulsberry, Chloe Cook, La’Torria Lemon, LeBrina Jackson, Muneera Page, and Roe Pichardo, all calling H-Town their home.
These women should make Houston proud—they are bosses, wives, mothers, and friends, and they lift each other up with positivity, intelligent conversations, and unscripted authenticity that is refreshing and fun.
“Heart & Hustle: Houston” debuted Aug. 2, on OWN.
Adam and Danielle Busby of “Outdaughtered”
Proving that parents can be both cool and popular, Adam and Danielle Busby of League City have been garnering parenting street cred since 2016. Currently on hiatus from their show “Outdaughtered,” the family is considering returning for an 11th season amid their busy lives.
It all started when the couple used IVF to bring a second child into the world, only to discover that they weren’t expecting just one baby, but five, all girls.
Ava, Olivia, Hazel, Riley, and Parker made their grand arrival at the Women’s Hospital of Texas in Texas Medical Center, joining big sister Blayke. The first all-female quintuplets born in Texas have made for entertaining TV as they have grown, and if awards could be doled out for patient parents, Adam and Danielle would run away with them all.
Check out “Outdaughtered” on Hulu, Disney+, or HBO Max.
Dr. Younan Nowzaradan from “My 600-lb Life” and “The 6000 lb Diaries with Dr. Now”
Affectionately called “Dr. Now” by viewers in the know, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan understands a thing or two about taking control of your health now, not later.
Helming the wildly popular “My 600-lb Life” since its 2012 premiere, Dr. Now has spent the past 14 years bringing a different kind of attention to Houston. Sure, we’ve always been known for our medical advancements, but the doc’s focus on helping morbidly obese patients reminds us that sometimes we need to go back to basics to make positive changes in our lives.
Nowzaradan shows no signs of slowing down, continuing his long run on the TLC show and launching a new one on Lifetime called “The 6000 lb Diaries with Dr. Now.” He’ll work with 10 patients in need of bariatric surgery while delving into the source of their problems.
Jadejha Edwards from “The Circle”
An intriguing show that brought strangers together—kind of—through computer communication and social media, Netflix’s “The Circle” introduced the world to Houstonian Jadejha Edwards.
Edwards appeared in season 7 of “The Circle,” which aired in 2024, and she added a twist that made her one of the most memorable contestants in the show’s history. While everyone else was trying to figure out who they could trust, Edwards naturally paired with fellow contestant Darian Holt.
Post-show, they announced their engagement, and in May 2025, they made it official, becoming the first contestants to officially create their own circle of two. Leave it to a Houstonian to shake things up.
Makensy Manbeck from “Big Brother”
“Big Brother” is iconic reality TV, and Texas A&M graduate Makensy Manbeck made it even more iconic when she became the youngest contestant in the show’s 26-season history.
After wrapping up her studies and playing her final game of college volleyball at A&M, Manbeck, a Houston native from Friendswood, moved directly from the dorms to the Big Brother House. She played the game well, shifting allegiances when necessary but ultimately choosing loyalty over the $750,000 pot.
She has no regrets about the decision that cost her first place, saying she stayed true to herself.
The Braden family from “Family Empire: Houston”
Not only does “Family Empire: Houston” feature a Houston family, but it is also filmed right here in H-Town. Featuring prominently is the Braden Real Estate Group on Crawford Street in Midtown.
The business has been in the family for four generations, founded by entrepreneur Oscarene Braden and passed down to the current owners, Nicole, Jermeshia, and JaQuita Braden. The show follows their incredible work ethic, their determination to make their grandmother proud, and their desire to grow their business while giving back to their community.
Watch the family navigate the purchase and sale of multiple properties across Houston’s many neighborhoods while dealing with the family drama that comes with it—something we can all relate to.
You can stream “Family Empire: Houston” on OWN or watch it on Hulu, Disney+, or HBO Max.
The season five cast of “Love is Blind”
The Netflix hit “Love is Blind” got a whole lot more interesting here in H-Town when it wisely decided to film in this fine city.
2023 marked the first time the show filmed in Houston, but it likely won’t be the last. That’s partly because Houston has so many Instagrammable spots that naturally translate to good television, and partly because the cast of Houstonians understood the assignment.
Lydia Velez Gonzalez and Milton Johnson IV fell for each other before they ever laid eyes on one another (that is, after all, the premise of the show), but they are two of the very few contestants who have married and stayed together, leading to instant reality TV fame.
On the other end of the spectrum, Houstonians Johnie Maraist and Izzy Zapata just couldn’t understand each other, making them relatable to a whole lot of people out there still looking for the person who gets them. But relatability translates to popularity, and Maraist and Zapata have become popular TV reality show stars thanks to their drama.
Some of the biggest stars of the show were Houston institutions that served as filming locations for important scenes, including POST Houston; Novel River Oaks apartments, where contestants stayed; the Houston Museum of Natural Science; Fig & Olive restaurant; and the Lone Star Flight Museum.
Other notable reality TV stars from Houston
In previous years, Houstonians have played key roles in reality TV shows that showcased the city’s diversity and talents. “House of Ho” introduced a wealthy Vietnamese American family living in River Oaks who try to assert their independence from controlling, traditional parents.
Meanwhile, Mike Gabler of Kingswood took home the prize in the 2022 season of “Survivor,” then turned around and donated the entirety of his $1 million purse to veterans in need.
And the Houston skyline sparkled in 2020’s “Ready to Love,” a dating competition show hosted by TV talent and Texas A&M grad Tommy Miles. Twenty-six singles looking for romance also got to enjoy some of Houston’s hot spots and highlight the city’s nightlife.
These TV reality stars didn’t mind sharing the spotlight with the city they call home. And each and every one of them made Houston proud. In the competitive world of reality TV, Houston made it a win-win.
