Before shows like 'The Bachelor' took over TV, and shows like 'Love Island' were faking people out, ABC had an intriguing reality series called 'Wife Swap.' The series originated in 2004 and had a long run, ending in 2020 as the parent network began favoring films over series.
But during its peak, 'Wife Swap' attracted tons of viewers who were intrigued by the swapping, especially as celebrities began partaking in the 'fun.' Now that the show is history, though, fans are looking back a bit less fondly -- especially someone who was on the show years ago.
One 'Wife Swap' Cast Member Lived To Tell The Tale
In a Reddit call for people who were on reality shows as kids, one commenter responded that they had been on an episode of 'Wife Swap' with their family. It turns out that being on the show one time led to a lifelong connection to the series, said the former reality star, though it isn't all glamorous.
The Redditor explained that their family's episode (Episode 13 of Season 3) involved a farming family swapping with a city family, though, they note, their family actually lived in the suburbs. That's one point against ABC for reality TV fakery, but that's nothing new.
Of course, other Redditors were curious about the experience, and what it was like for a 10-year-old being on the show -- as well as what it was like as an adult seeing reruns.
'Wife Swap' Was Pretty Fake By Today's Standards
It turns out that the show was pretty fake, from the background stories of each family to the scenarios where drama was created. For example, the cast member noted, the production crew "incited plenty of drama" by doing things like framing the child as being addicted to video games.
Then, a crew member handed the kid a Gameboy, to set them up when the swapped wife entered the room and "caught" them playing games. It wasn't a traumatizing experience, necessarily, said the Redditor, but other commenters thought it was an awful way to engage with kids on set.
That said, the family was paid for their participation, and they likely had to sign on to the show's shady premise.
How Much Did 'Wife Swap' Pay The Families?
Though it's unclear whether ABC's swapped wives all earned the same amount, the child star from episode 13 claimed that their family received a $20,000 payday for their appearance on the show. That was before taxes, of course; the now-adult clocked their family's earnings at $15K post-tax.
The only other benefit of the appearance on 'Wife Swap' back in the day? "Getting snapchats of [their] 10 year old face when [their] friends catch the reruns," says the Redditor.
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