#1. Rupert Boneham of Survivor: Pearl Islands & Survivor: All Stars, Winner of Survivor: America's Tribal Council
This will probably turn into a novel so grab a snack and a comfy chair-you will be here awhile. Like you really expected anyone else to be #1 on this list? By far, Rupert was the funniest and most memorable contestant in reality television history. From stealing shoes to wearing a dress, everybody remembers Rupert's antics. Nobody from Pearl Islands was expected to appear on All-Stars (as it would be two appearances in a row) but Rupert was just that popular. There was no way that he would be left off the show. Fans absolutely adored him (when he was eliminated in Pearl Islands, CBS received their most complaints EVER). People felt like they knew him and could relate to him. He was their brother, their father, their friend, etc. He is the most "normal" person to appear on reality television.

Ten minutes into his first episode, Rupert became my favorite player on Survivor: Pearl Islands. By the end of that same episode, he was in my top three of all-time. He easily claimed first a few episodes later. Why? He was entertaining.

Right off the bat, Rupert assumed the role of "Blackbeard" by stealing the other tribes shoes and bartering them to the villagers (he already has a hall of fame entry for this). It was picked as the fans "favorite Survivor moment of all-time" and I have to agree with that. It fit the pirate theme so perfectly and it was just so funny. I still laugh after repeated viewings of the moment. Later on in the episode he ditched his pants for a skirt. The pants had become so wet after the swim over to the island. It drew quite a few laughs from his tribemates and even more from me. He took it all in stride and even laughed at himself. Also in that same episode, Rupert had one of the best sound bites in the history of the show; "I never knew they made that kind of fish." You had to be there but it was incredibly funny.

This may be debatable but I believe Rupert was the best in challenges of anyone in the history of the show. He single-handidly won his tribe several challenges (beginning with the first one). This became obvious when Morgan "kidnapped" him and he was allowed to help the tribe in a reward challenge. The poor Morgan tribe had lost pretty much every challenge until then. They then proceeded to blow out the Drake tribe (probably by a few minutes) in a boating challenge. He also was chosen by his tribe to be the anchor in an endurance challenge. The entire team would pull back in order to keep a huge amount of weight from dunking into the ocean. After every few minutes, one member would have to stop. Eventually, Rupert was the last one left competing against Osten (the quitter). Osten had one of the best sets of muscles in Survivor history. Rupert had absolutely no trouble in the challenge (despite baking hot temperatures) and lasted for a very long time. When Osten quit, Rupert still showed no signs of struggle. He probably could have lasted another few hours.

When the immunity challenges turned to the individual games, Rupert still dominated. The first one he won wasn't physical-it was mental and political. He showed that he wasn't just a brute, he was a smart man. He also almost won a blow dart challenge (he would be voted off after this challenge). If that one wasn't political as well (you could eliminated others), I guarantee Rupert would have won it and stayed in the game. He hit a target every single time he shot and nobody else was even close to as accurate. Unfortunately, one of his allies accidentally eliminated him. He may have won every other challenge after that had he had a chance. We might have had our first two-time champion of Survivor (I'm counting the America's Tribal Council win).

Rupert was also the caretaker of the island. This is also arguable but I think he was an even better fisherman than Richard Hatch. Hatch caught some big ones but didn't bring in the same quantity as "Blackbeard." In the first episode alone, he brought in (I believe) eight fish. The Drake tribe was never hungry. They usually had more fish than they could eat.

Even though he was so valuable, some of his tribemates still thought it would be okay to pick on him. Sean & Burton made several jokes about his skirt, his weight, and his beard. It was ridiculous. This nice man brings you food every day and you can't even be nice to him. This brought make memories of Rupert's early life. He was picked on there too. I really felt sorry for him and it just made me love him even more.

There is only one knack against him. During Pearl Islands, he did have a tendency to think of everything as his. It was his hawaiian sling. It was his island. It was his tribe. It was his experience. When Sean lost the spear (due to his incompetence) he went off on him (of course he would later go out and amazingly find it). When Johnny Fair Play voted for him he screamed at him. I really think that he had a right to go off both times (they needed that spear and he was that valuable to the tribe) but many people hate him because of it. I think they are insane.

All this was enough for Rupert to get onto the All Stars series. He didn't dominate nearly as much as in Pearl Islands (he didn't have enough time to recover from his first season) but he did better politically. He became part of Romber's alliance that dominated the game all the way up to the final four. However, after he failed to win immunity Jenna (his ally throughout the game) betrayed him because she was scared of him. Fourth place is still very solid but he would do even better in Survivor: America's Tribal Council.

With a whopping 85% of the vote, Rupert won the title of America's "favorite Survivor" and won $1 million. I believe he received like 35 million votes. That is absolutely insane. He beat fan favorites Rudy, Colby, Tom, and Boston Rob by a large percentage. That is quite an accomplishment. He used (I believe) $100,000 of his winnings to help found "Rupert's Kids" (an extension of his previous job of mentoring troubled teens). That is quite a nice deed.

There is no doubt that Rupert deserves this spot at #1. He was funny, a physical monster, a great guy, and the best team player of all-time.

   #2. Rodger Bingham of Survivor: Australia
Had these rankings come out two years ago, Rodger would have been the definite #1. For several years he held onto that spot. He stayed at #1 through four seasons of Survivor and countless other reality shows. He still is the nicest person in reality history. He is also the only person to "sacrifice" themselves in order to help a friend. Strategist would say it was a terrible move (probably even hall of shame worthy) but I really don't care. It was a nice move that had me crying for hours.

Rodger was pretty much Elisabeth's (#7 on this list) "outback daddy." It was really cute and led to an alliance that almost won them the game. Unfortunately, their other alliance member fell into a fire and they were doomed (for a further explanation see Elisabeth's entry). Their friendship was so great that Rodger sacrificed himself to keep her safe. Tina (the eventual winner and head of the majority alliance) pulled Rodger aside (because he was so respected) and asked if he would rather have them vote him or Elisabeth out. They had planned all along to vote her out (she was a bigger threat in challenges) but Rodger wanted to take the fall. He fell on his own sword to help out a friend. It didn't really work as she was the next Survivor voted off the island but it was still really sweet. He would eventually be asked to Elisabeth's wedding. That is quite an honor for someone she met on a reality show.

Rodger definitely wasn't a physical monster. He could hold his own in the challenges but not much more. Had he not been such a nice and respected member of the tribe, he probably would have been voted out first for being a liability. The Kucha tribe just couldn't do it and he survived all the way to the final five. The most memorable challenge Rodger faced was in diving off a cliff. He had just learned how to swim (barely) before he got on the show. This drop was very far and if I was in his shoes I probably wouldn't have done it. After a very short hesitation, he jumped in. It was very inspirational to see him face his fears. He pretty much cost them the challenge but it was only for a reward anyway.

Rodger was pretty much the Richard Hatch/Rupert Boneham workerbee of the group. This group had so many catastrophes (the flood that wiped out their shelter, running out of rice early in the game, etc.) and Rodger was the main one behind their recovery in each of the situations. He was the only one that had any success catching fish (and he was pretty good, just not up to Hatch/Boneham standards). It seemed like he never took a break.

I believe the day Rodger was eliminated was the only time I ever cried about a reality show. He was just that loveable. Had Rupert not come along, he would still be #1.

    #3. Cousin Mike of The Family
I'm sure a lot of you are wondering who in the world Cousin Mike is and why he deserves to be on this list if you never heard of him. Unfortunately, Cousin Mike just had to be on one of the lowest rated reality shows of all-time. He deserved much better. He was a great guy in a family of money hungry idiots. They came up with a scheme to get rid of him and never relented even when he survived week after week. They didn't make any attempt to bond with him. They just said he "wasn't family." All of this made Cousin Mike the biggest underdog in reality television history (yes, even more than Chris of Survivor: Vanuatu). He was the sole survivor but still didn't win the game. How can this happen? Read on.

The Family was a show about a real-life family competing for $1 million. They were told that they would be judged (they didn't know by whom). It turned out that it was the staff of the huge mansion they were living in. Two people would be put up for nomination and the staff would eliminate one of them. Everybody in this family was closely related (they even had a husband-wife-son trio) except for poor Cousin Mike. He was a pretty distant relative of the evil Aunt Donna (who no doubt will be showing up on the worst 25 reality contestants). While he was related to the family, Aunt Donna just claimed he "wasn't family" and proceeded to do everything possible to eliminate him and keep the money "in the family."

The first challenge was one that could easily be manipulated to put someone up for elimination. They would basically bid (with the $1 million pot) on paintings of each member of the family. The paintings that sold for the most money would place their subjects up for nomination. Obviously, the rest of the family just kept bidding and Mike's sold for the most (by far). He couldn't do anything about it. Luckily, he treated the staff very well while a lot of the other members were almost like dictators to them. He even tried to help them out because he didn't like them having to work for him. Thus, he was saved by the staff.

The alliance didn't get a chance to eliminate him in week two as the challenge didn't allow it. However, in episode three they once again put him up and he survived again. Not learning their lesson, they schemed to have him face the board for the third time in episode five. To round out his five trips, he was nominated in the eighth and ninth episode. Both times he survived. By staying around after the ninth episode, Cousin Mike won a spot in the finals (and was the last man standing). However, one member got to come back and try to dethrown him. Anthony was the man. The two took part in a two-part challenge with the winner of the first challenge having a "significant" advantage in the second. Like usual, Cousin Mike won the first part. However, in one of the saddest moments in reality history he lost the second part. Despite being the last man standing, he didn't win the game. Anthony got a chance to split the money or take it all for himself. Thankfully, he made the right choice and split it in ten. I didn't think that Cousin Mike would get a share (as he "wasn't family") but he did.

Now for why Cousin Mike deserves this spot. He may be the only person in reality tv history that was the unanimous fan favorite. Even people like Rupert had a few haters. Nobody hated Cousin Mike. He is also the top underdog. He survived five trips to the board. He had only one ally (which made him pretty much powerless). Everybody else was gunning for him. Nobody in the history of reality television had to face such odds. He beat those odds and ended up in the finals. That is why Cousin Mike is #3.

    #4. Jon & Al ("The Clowns") of The Amazing Race 4
Jon & Al blow out the competition when it comes to who enjoyed the race the most. Yes, they even beat Kris & Jon and Chip & Kim. These two loved every step of the way, never complained, and cracked jokes along the way. Their humor wasn't like Kevin & Drew. They didn't have to make fun of each other to be funny. Kevin & Drew still made this list, but I prefer "nicer" humor that Jon & Al definitely supplied. A lot of their jokes probably came from their routines at work (both are or were clowns) but I don't care. They were funny.

Even more important than their humor was their great example for future racers of how to behave. They were the definition of a gracious American tourist. They never screamed at their taxi driver if he made a mistake. They never insulted someone for not knowing English. They never made racist comments when they visited less fortunate areas. In fact, they actually found kindness in their heart to help out people in those countries. My most lasting memory of the clowns was when they saw a poor person laying down in a train station. They gave him a generous amount of their limited money. They also entertained poverished children with their clown act whenever they had to wait for a task to open. The clowns went the entire race without screaming at taxi drivers, other contestants, civilians, or their teammate. Even sweet Kris & Jon couldn't achieve that!

Jon & Al were also excellent racers. They only placed first one time but there were four times where they placed second. They started out a little sluggish but after the midpoint of the race, they never placed below third until their elimination. They finished in fourth place after they failed to get the fastest airplane tickets. They were always so good about this and often found flights nobody else found. Ironically, the one time they didn't double check it eliminated them. They lost several hours but they actually almost cost up after another team (the eventual winners Reichen and Chip) received a penalty. In the end, I believe they only lost by about fifteen minutes after being down several hours.

When they realized their mistake, the clowns didn't get angry at each other or pout. They put on their clown noses and entertained the crowd while hoping for the best. Their niceness and humor earned them a 96% popularity rating on CBS.com!!!!!!! That is so good that it even beats fan favorites Rupert (only 92%), Kris & Jon (also 92%), and Chip & Kim (a way too low score of 88%). As far as I know, it is the highest score in reality television history. If these guys only come in at #4, the top three must be incredible and they are.

   #5. Troy McClain of The Apprentice
Troy showed that you could hang in the business world without a college degree. He somehow managed to make the final five despite only finishing high school, losing several times as project manager, and coming close to going over the line of ethical behavior. He ended up as the most popular Apprentice candidate ever and one of the top business prospects in America. Trump even agreed to pay for Troy's college education (the lack of which was obviously a big factor in his decision to fire Troy), most likely in order to secure his services when he finishes. Trump obviously respects Troy as he was one of only three former Apprentice candidates that he asked to pick between Kelly and Jenn in the Apprentice 2 finale.

It wasn't that Troy couldn't get into college. It was far from that. He passed up further education in order to help take care of his mentally disabled sister. If that doesn't make you root for a person, I don't know what would. He also wasn't as well of as most of the candidates. He had to ask his good friend Kwame for a few suits to wear to the boardrooms as he didn't have any.

Troy was one of the nicest guys in reality history. When everyone was targeting Sam for being strange, Troy sat down and talked to him. He put his cowboy hat on him and told him "to be the hat." He formed strong friendships with pretty much everybody on his team. Heidi even stood up for him and called him a great leader when she was in danger of elimination (and she did get fired partly because of it).

Troy did come close to some unethical behavior (at least in the other candidates' eyes). In the Planet Hollywood challenge, Troy and Kwame decided to have a promotion with Kwame signing merchandise. Since Kwame looks like a professional athlete, the rest of their teammates didn't like it and wanted them to stop. However, Troy was constantly shouting "Kwame Jackson. Wall Street superstar signing today." Everything he said was truthful so I really don't think he was acting unethically.

The other claim of unethical thinking came in the house remodeling task. I personally think it was funny but the other team certainly didn't. Troy and Katrina (the two project managers) had a choice of two rundown houses to remodel. Katrina insisted that they both right down which house each wanted. Troy thought this was childish and I agree. Instead of writing down the house of his choice, he wrote "I want what you want." Troy was able to learn what house the self-proclaimed "real estate expert" wanted without giving away his choice. Of course, he already knew because Katrina talked so loudly on her cell-phone. I think it was all in fun, but Katrina brought it up in the boardroom when her team lost the task. She just didn't want to admit that she had been duped. There was absolutely nothing unethical about this and even Trump didn't say anything about it.

I personally think that Troy was the most talented contestant on his season but Trump just doesn't like people without college degrees. If The Apprentice ever gets an all-star season, Troy will win the game. With a college education under his belt, nobody would be able to beat Troy. He was one of the most creative candidates to ever appear on the show. He was a strong leader but also a nice person. He could sell an eskimo snow. He had absolutely no weaknesses, except a lack of education.

    #6. Zach Selwyn of Dream Job and Extreme Dodgeball (Commentator)
Zach is one of only two members of this list to participate in two different reality shows (Kevin & Drew are the others). He almost won Dream Job, a search for the newest Sportscenter anchor. Then he capatilized on his success by joining Extreme Dodgeball as a color commentator. Throughout both shows, Zach made it clear that he was one funny man and possibly the most talented person in reality television history.

Let's start with Zach's appearance on Dream Job. Right away Zach stood out as the favorite. He combined an incredibly deep knowledge of sports with lots of humor and style. He didn't use any clichés or catchphrases, he was just witty. He never struggled on the show. He never stumbled with his words. He always looked comfortable on the screen. He never looked at the wrong camera. He never mispronounced a name. Why didn't he win? He was just too different. He came into the show wearing a jacket that looked like it was from the closet of a country singer and long hair. Everybody was impressed with him during the first episode. However, every single judge asked him to change his ways. While he did cut his hair and change his wardrobe, he never changed his personal style which was so different from other anchors. This eventually led to his defeat.

Zach made it to the final three and was just one step away from America's vote for the winner. The other two contestants he was competing with were bland copies of current Sportscenter anchors. If Zach would have made it to the final two, I guarantee you he would have won the game. Of course, during the final two cuts the public had no say in the voting. Just for fun, the producers showed who America would have cut. Zach had by far the lowest percentage of the vote. You could tell the judges didn't want someone different to win the game. They knew that Zach would win the game if he made the final two so they decided to stop him before he got there. The most talented contestant was cut for being different and entertaining.

Zach certainly didn't have problems finding work. Almost immediately after the show ended its run, Extreme Dodgeball decided to offer him the job as color commentator for their new sports series. Obviously, Zach accepted. If anything, Zach actually got funnier after the move. He helped make the show one of GSN's top ranked shows. The series is just about ready to start its third season (and it has only been around since June 2004).

Why is Zach so talented? He doesn't just know his sports and crack funny jokes. He also acts (he has been in several movies), sings (has one album out), and writes. He excells in all of them. This versatility makes him by far the most talented person I have ever seen. Zach is also very popular. He had the most rabid fanbase in Dream Job history. He was so popular that ESPN brought him back to host the sports show "Around the Horn" for a week.

For being the most talented person in reality television history, Zach definitely deserves his spot at #6.

  #7. Elisabeth Filarski of Survivor: Australia
Many considered Elisabeth to be "America's sweetheart." She was just about the nicest person in the world and was one of the first unanimously likeable contestants. Her alliance with Rodger (who is further up this list) was adorable and pretty much everybody was rooting for them to be the final two. They likely would have both made at least the final three had a terrible accident not happened.

Both Elisabeth and Rodger were not physical monsters (although Elisabeth was serviceable) so the Kucha tribe obviously just loved to have them around. Nobody ever had a harsh word to say about cute little Elisabeth. Nobody was scared of her or her friend Rodger. However, they should have been. They had set up the game to be theirs to lose. They definitely wouldn't backstab each other and they had found the perfect third leg for their alliance in Michael. There was a lot of infighting in the Kucha tribe and this three could have easily sailed to the merge. Had they had a chance to win the final tribal immunity challenge, they likely would have won and had a two person advantage. Unfortunately, Michael had to fall into a fire and hurt himself (knocking himself out of the game). The Kucha tribe would go into the merge at the same strength as Ogakor. Ogakor had an advantage as they knew one member of Kucha that had a vote (Jeff). Back in these days, the tiebreaker was previous votes. Kucha gambled and voted for Colby (who had no previous votes). Kucha lost Jeff and never recovered. Elisabeth was able to make it to the final four (because of a few nice strategic thinking and Rodger's sacrifice). However, she was outnumbered 3-1 and went down just before the final episode.

Now had Michael not passed out in the fire, the following would have likely happened. Kucha was a much stronger tribe and LIKELY would have won the final challenge. All of the Kucha members would then have voted out all remaining Ogakors (back in these days tribal loyalty meant something). Then in the final six, Elisabeth's alliance would have voted for Jeff (remember he had a vote) and he would have been gone. The three would have stuck together until the final three. Elisabeth would have been guaranteed the final two (and at least a 50% chance at the win) because both Rodger and Michael would have brought her to the final two (Rodger because he was friends with her and Michael because Rodger was an even bigger threat).

Almost every Survivor fan would have liked to see that happen. Elisabeth's approval rating on CBS is one of the highest in the history of the series. It is obvious why; Elisabeth was an incredibly nice and sweet girl.

   #8. "Chicken" George of Big Brother 1
Chicken George is perhaps one of the more controversial players to make my list. You either loved him or you hated him. Obviously, I was one who loved him. George made watching three months of otherwise boring footage much more watcheable. From dying his hair green to leading a plan to have everyone walkout of the house, George was entertaining.

He started early on by proclaiming himself "Chicken Man" (for his love of one of the housemates pets). He wore everything from a toga to a plant on his head and dyed his hair both green and white. The one moment I remember more than anything else was the time George pretended to have a space shuttle lift off in the shower.

A lot of people hated George because of his childish antics and obsession with the prize money. The biggest reason was his wife's plot to evict the only other interesting person in the house, Brittany. George's wife had set up several phones in a bar and persuaded all visitors to call and vote off Brittany (she even picked up the tab for the calls). CBS stupidly decided to air a short piece on this scheme in one of their episodes. This caused massive amounts of people to vote off George when he finally was nominated for eviction. Several websites popped up just to talk people in to voting him off. Had CBS not tampered with the game like this, George would definitely had made it much further (as at that time most people still liked him). He probably even had the best chance of winning the entire game.

The event George is most know for is his plan for a rebellion against the producers of Big Brother. After a plane flew by with a message saying "nine losers, one winner," George got the idea that if everybody walked out of the house, they would all win the grand prize of $500,000. While crazy, it made for some very good television (which was very rare in this season). For making the most boring season of reality television more interesting, George definitely deserves his spot at #8.

   #9. Paschal English ("Pappy") of Survivor: Marquesas
Paschal was pretty much the second coming of fan-favorite Rodger from Survivor: Australia. He was extremely nice, wouldn't lie, and formed a solid alliance with someone he viewed as almost like a daughter. Also like Rodger, Paschal pretty much sacrificed himself to allow his pal to get further in the game.

Like Neleh, Paschal was involved in one of the biggest power shakeups in reality television history. He wasn't exactly the originator of the idea and it was rather difficult to sway him (he liked the concept of teamwork and couldn't believe that his former Rotu members would vote him off) but he still gets some credit for changing the game around. He also pretty much saved Neleh and himself when it was down to five. Kathy was the swing vote and had no clue how she was going to vote. The best choice for her was probably to side with Vecepia and Sean in order to take out Neleh. However, Paschal calmly (unlike Sean) persuaded Kathy to side with them and got to the final four.

Paschal would probably have won the game had there not been a terrible tiebreaker. When there were four people left, Kathy sided with Vecepia and Paschal and Neleh kept their alliance. This resulted in a tie. Paschal had the opportunity to change his vote and break the tiebreaker. After he refused, it was revealed that the elimination would pretty much be based on luck. Even though Paschal received no votes, he was eligible for elimination. As luck would have it, Paschal drew the purple rock which eliminated him. He is still one of only two players to be eliminated from the game without receiving a vote (Michael being the other one). Many people were upset with this tiebreaker and it has ruined several possible overthrows (as people are scared to tie a vote). In fact, there hasn't been a single tie since. This was one of Mark Burnett's few mistakes that he has ever made.

Strangely enough, I thought I would absolutely hate Paschal before the season aired. He is a judge and has handed out some harsh punishments and seemed like a no-nonsense guy. That certainly wasn't true as Paschal is my fourth highest ranked Survivor of all-time and #9 in reality television history.

    #10. Neleh Dennis of Survivor: Marquesas
Neleh was robbed. She is one of the few on this list that made it to the finals yet lost the game. This was mainly due to a few bad sports (*cough* Rotu 4 *cough*). They just couldn't handle the fact that she had beaten them. Robert "The General", John, and Tammy basically sulked during the final tribal council and implied that they deserved to win the game. Those three cast three of the four votes that Vecepia needed to win the game (the other was Sean who was a friend of Vecepias). The only one that accepted the fact Neleh beat them was Zoe.

The reason these three were upset with her was because they expected Neleh and her minority alliance to hand them the game on a silver platter. The Rotu 4 (as they were called) sailed through the game until Kathy and Neleh realized they were in trouble. The two easily persuaded Vecepia and Sean to join them in the overthrow of the majority alliance. Neleh was the one that made Paschal (the last vote they needed) switch. These five shocked the Rotu 4 at the tribal council and they were poor sports from then on out. Neleh was one of the major players in one of the biggest overthrows in Survivor history. For this move alone she deserved to win the game.

That wasn't the only reason she deserved to win. She was one of the nicer players in Survivor history as well. She formed an alliance with Paschal that lasted throughout the game (Paschal even basically sacrificed himself to keep her around). This brought back memories of the fan favorites Rodger and Elisabeth. She was also pretty athletic and a big contributor in her original tribes success (they won all three of the immunity challenges before the twist).

Unfortunately, a lot of people remember Neleh for one of her bad moments. Paschal won a reward challenge and choose to take his buddy Neleh. They got to vacation on a luxury boat and received a huge feast. They returned with no food (usually food is smuggled in to the camp after a reward). Her entire tribe was mad but Neleh made it worse by offering a half-eaten mint (gross). I think they misunderstood the situation as I don't think the two were allowed to take any food with them (the rules on this change often). Regardless, that event does not diminish Neleh in any way.

Neleh may be the only Survivor runner-up that pretty much everybody believes should have won the game. Everybody felt that Vecepia was completely undeserving and that Neleh was robbed because of the Rotu 4's bad sportsmanship. I am one of those people. Neleh suffered the toughest defeat in reality television history.

    #11. Kevin and Drew of The Amazing Race
People who love to argue are usually some of my least favorites. Jonathan & Victoria and Tara & Wil are just two examples of how arguing can be extremely annoying. Kevin and Drew argued a lot but they weren't like the previous groups. Their arguing wasn't annoying at all and was quite amusing at times. "The Amazing Race" has had a lot of funny teams but these two are by far the best of all-time. They were so funny that they even got a show on Discovery ("Kevin and Drew Unleashed") after they were done on the race. That show was quite possibly even funnier than "The Amazing Race." In it, Kevin and Drew traveled around the country and participated in various jobs. These jobs included nurturing baby alligators, tasting beer, and catching shrimp. They also took part in competitions amongst each other to get the "good job." These competition were hilarious. When the two had to make a food containing cranberries, I laughed for about ten minutes straight. One of the two made the worst pie I have ever seen in my life. The other made lasagna with cranberries. Both of them knew their foods were terrible and even laughed at themselves.

Throughout the race, these two constantly fought and insulted each other. Whenever one of them struggled in a challenge, the other unleashed some of the wittiest insults I have ever heard. They were loud and obnoxious but that was what made them loveable. Kevin and Drew were also intense competitors who came in first many times and were almost always near the top of the leaderboard. They came in fourth place but only missed the final three by a few minutes when their taxi was delayed. Even if they had made the final three, they wouldn't have had a chance at the win because they would have been over a day behind the top two teams. For the millions of laughs provided, Kevin and Drew are the eleventh best reality contestants of all-time.

    #12. Jason Guy of Big Brother 3
Big Brother is usually a nasty game where very few houseguests become fan favorites. It is almost impossible not to rub someone the wrong way in a game that lasts three months and is televised three times a week. Jason was one of those few that was able to go an entire game without angering any viewers. He even managed to strategize and make the final three while still being nice. He did this by forming a strong alliance with Danielle and letting her do most of the manipulating and lying while he sat back and was the nice guy. Some may say this is cowardice but I say it is smart gameplay. I also don't think it would have been possible for Jason to do any lying as he was that nice of a guy.

His alliance with Danielle may have been one of the most well hidden alliances of all-time. I believe Lisa (the winner) didn't even know about their pact until after the show. Nobody else expected them to be alligned because they were polar opposites. Danielle was loud and could really be rude at times. Jason was the quite guy who was nice to everyone. This alliance held through to the final three and would have gone all the way to the finals had Lisa not won final three head of household. Jason would have easily beaten Danielle (she got only one vote against Lisa and that was from Jason) had he made it to the finals.

Jason was also great in the challenges. He won two crucial head of households in the final weeks and also won at least one veto. Most times, a threat like this would be eliminated really early but Jason was just too likeable. Nobody wanted to see him leave. Even Lisa cried when she cast the lone vote that eliminated him. Viewers also seemed to like him. He was consistently at an approval rating of 90% before falling to 79% in the final weeks (after he "betrayed" Marcellas). His rating was second to winner Lisa in the third house. As far as I can tell that score is tied for fourth in Big Brother history (Lisa, Erika from BB4, and Will from BB5 ahead of him, Jack from BB4 tied with him). Jason is one of the few contestants in reality television history that was a master strategizer but still found a way to be nice about it.

   #13. Butch Lockley of Survivor: Amazon
Butch was yet another person who proved you can go a long way on Survivor while still being a nice guy. He made it to the final four without hurting anyone's feelings. He wasn't dominate in challenges (he never won individual immunity) and he wasn't a great game player (he probably didn't like the lying and backstabbing of it) but he was still one of my favorites because he was one of the nicest guys in Survivor history (two others will show up higher up this list).

The sad thing about Butch is that everybody remembers him for one of his strangest moments. Butch was a very hard worker (as most of my favorites are) and loved to collect a lot of firewood. Even when the others said they had way too much, Butch would continue to accumulate more. Late in the game they had so much wood that it actually ignited and the entire camp was torched. Most of the players secretely blamed Butch for this incident. However, whoever was in charge the fire was the real culprit as wood can't burn if there is no fire to ignite it. This is probably the thing Butch is most known for and it is very unfortunate.

Butch's strong alliance with Christy is probably one of my favorites all-time. While some of the others ignored the deaf Christy, Butch was always there to try to help her out and talk to her. He was just plain a nice guy. He was probably one of the weakest members of his original, all male tribe but they kept him around for his great leadership and niceness. His original tribe struggled but Butch was put in a good position after a twist. One of Butch's closest allies (Dave) was allowed to pick a new tribe. As a result, Butch was able to keep Dave with him and added a new ally in Christy. While Dave went really early after the merge, Christy stuck around for quite awhile. They were really the only two that stuck together throughout the game as Survivor: Amazon was a game of constantly changing alliances.

Butch's 81% popularity rating on CBS.com is tied for sixth best in the history of the game (I couldn't find polling information on Borneo or Australia). If you consider that well over a hundred people have played the game, that rating is very good. His score is also tied for best on Survivor: Amazon (with runner-up Matthew). Butch definitely deserves #13 on this list for his great treatment of Christy, overall niceness, and excellent leadership.

   #14. Tom Buchanon ("Big Tom") of Survivor: Africa & Survivor: All Stars
Tom has go to be one of the funniest reality show contestants ever if not the funniest. Who can forget Tom dancing in the S.O.S. challenge? Or the food auction where Tom got giddy when he won the pancakes? He was even funny when he was on the jury. Since he knew his vote would go to Ethan he used the jury questioning to crack yet another joke. Sometimes he was hard to understand (he had a heavy southern accent) but you always knew that he had said something funny.

The most amazing fact about Tom is that he has spent the most days on Survivor of anyone in the history of the show. He didn't win either time but he made it late into the game both times. On Survivor: Africa, Tom made the final four with his "Boran Boys Club" alliance. However, he was a huge threat (as most of the players liked him) and was cut after Kim won immunity and forced the boys to split up. Survivor: All Stars basically became "vote out the best player" but Tom and his previous fourth place finish actually still got to fifth place. Of the final five, his previous finish was by far the best. He went with basically the same plan by forging a solid alliance with Boston Rob and Amber. Unfortunately for him, those two decided to side with Rupert and Jenna and Tom was history.

Tom was definitely not a physical threat by any means. He wasn't that bright either. He won a whopping total of one immunity challenge throughout his two seasons. However, he had a knack for finding good, solid alliances and hanging on to them. Tom really isn't on this list for his game play anyway. He is on here for his great sense of humor and fun.

    #15. Ken and Gerard ("Oh, Brother") of The Amazing Race 3
The Amazing Race 3 brought us several interesting teams but none were as interesting as this team of brothers. They were so interesting because they were so different yet still showed some great teamwork. One was married and the other single, one was straight and one was gay, and one was liberal while the other was conservative. They enjoyed the race and were extremely funny. They were also solid racers (finishing third overall and making it to the final leg).

Ken and Gerard had many memorable moments but the one that I will always remember involves a flat tire. The two were in a very close fight for survival. Unfortunately, their tire became flat. Normal people would stop at the nearest gas station and fix it. Ken and Gerard weren't normal. They continued to drive for thirty minutes until their tire was pretty much non-existant. Throughout the drive, they cracked jokes instead of the normal panicking that teams do when in trouble. The moment was hilarious and probably one of my top 25 moments in reality television history.

Ken and Gerard were also great competitors. They finished first on three legs including the first one. Only Derek and Drew (their allies) finished first more often (Teri and Ian also finished first three times). They never finished worse than six and probably would have won even more legs had their luck not been so bad. They probably would have won the leg with the tire problems had they not occurred.

It isn't just me that likes Ken and Gerard. For most of the season, Ken and Gerard led the CBS.com popularity poll before falling to third after the finale (I have no idea why). Their final rating of 75% is one of the highest in Amazing Race history. Ken and Gerard combined great comedy with niceness and competitiveness.

   #16. Andy of The Apprentice 2
The Apprentice 2 lacked the talent of the original but it still gave us two solid businessmen in Raj and Andy. Unfortunately, Donald Trump seems to have no idea when he has to hire somebody. Since Andy lasted longer (albeit shorter than he should have) he gets the nod at #18. For what Andy lacked in experience he made up with youthful energy and creativity. Whenever there was a good idea in season two, Andy was the one responsible. He was also incredibly smart for his age. Mr. Trump made a huge mistake with his firing but I am sure other top executives are jumping for joy at the chance of hiring Andy.

Andy started off pretty well but got better as the game moved along. In the first task, Andy came up with the name for his team's toy. It may not be that significant, but it was the only thing Trump and the toy testers liked about the men's idea. Andy came up with perhaps his best idea in the third task-a million dollar giveaway. Unfortunately, at the last minute an insurance team backed away and the men had to scale down the game.

Andy's best overall performance came during his first tenure as project manager (episode 8). The teams had to create an advertising campaign for the New York City Police Department. Andy pretty much came up with the idea for the campaign by himself. He also did a great job managing his team in the very limited time they had to put them together. In my opinion, it was the best job done by a project manager this whole season. Mosaic was in danger of losing during episode nine until Andy hired some extra workers to finish their house remodeling. Finally, during the Pepsi challenge in episode 12 (once again he was project manager) he showed that he could stand the intense pressure of presenting to over a hundred people. I am not sure on this, but I also think he came up with a slogan for Pepsi Edge that Pepsi ended up using ("The Best of Both Worlds").

Andy was also very likeable. Just like Raj, he brought a little humor to the season. He was also the underdog as the youngest Apprentice candidate ever. He was picked on constantly by his teammates and brought into the final boardroom after every loss (usually for dumb reasons). Since I love to root for the underdog, Andy was a natural favorite of mine. However, Trump apparently was blind as it was obvious Andy was the best candidate this season.

#17. Christy Smith of Survivor: Amazon
The second Survivor: Amazon contestant on this list is Christy Smith. Christy is noteable as the first and only deaf contestant on Survivor. This huge disadvantage could have killed her chances at the title in the early stages of the game but it didn't. She wouldn't let her deafness stop her. This reason alone is enough for a mention on this prestigous list. However there was even more to like about Christy.

Survivor: Amazon began with a battle of the sexes which meant that Christy had to put up with seven women. Christy mentioned her deafness to her tribemates early on in the game. Some of them were supportive but many of them (*cough* Jenna and Heidi) only cared about how her handicap would hurt the tribe. Most of her tribe failed to speak slowly so she could understand them by reading their lips. JoAnna was particulary vicious. Christy misinterpreted something JoAnna had asked and JoAnna went off on her. Christy obviously had a hard time fitting in with her all-female tribe. Thankfully a twist put her on a more understanding tribe. Butch and Roger even made sure to light a candle so Christy could take part in night conversations. Christy would later form a pretty tight alliance with Butch.

After the merge Christy kept moving on until she got overconfident. Christy was the tenth person voted off mainly because of my eighteenth favorite reality contestant, Rob Cesternino. Rob probably did make the right move as Christy was very well-liked and would probably have won the game had she made it to the final two.

Christy was also a caring individual. Put it together with her ability to turn a potential weakness into a strength and you have a great choice for #17th best reality contestant of all-time.

   #18. Rob Cesternino of Survivor: Amazon & Survivor: All Stars
Jeff Probst proclaimed Rob Cesternino "the best player never to win Survivor" after Rob finished in third place on Survivor: Amazon. I would have to agree that he is the best strategist that has never won the game. Rob was the fourth player eliminated during Survivor: All Stars because everybody knew he was one of the best strategizers ever to play the game. The members of his tribe complimented him by booting him. His tribe knew that Rob would have been dangerous had he made the merge. In Survivor: Amazon, Rob knew just when to jump from alliance to alliance. He would have done the same in All Stars had he had a chance.

Rob played the game differently than the other great strategizers. Richard Hatch made a strong alliance early and kept with it. Brian had his main alliance but also made individual pacts with all of the members. Rob formed alliances and broke them the next episode. If an alliance would hold him down he would jump ship for the other alliance. He would vote for anyone as long as it kept him safe. Rob began with the all-male tribe of Tambaqui. He switched teams in the fifth episode and instantly formed an alliance with the girls. After the merge he knocked out a few members of the opposing alliance then switched sides once again. From then on he would change alliances just about every episode. He made it to the final three using this strategy. After he lost the final three immunity challenge, Jenna Morasca kicked him to the curb because he was too much a threat. If Rob would have just hung on for a little longer he would have walked away a million dollars richer.

For being a great strategist, Rob is the eighteenth best reality contestant of all time.
 

    #19. Ethan Zohn of Survivor: Africa *Winner* & Survivor: All Stars
Ethan Zohn, the third winner of Survivor, showed that you could be a good strategizer and a good guy at the same time. To this day, he is my favorite Survivor winner of all-time (Rupert did win $1 million but not by winning the game). He combined Richard's brains with Tina's kindness. Except for Brian, he was the better at the challenges than any other winner. He was quite possibly the best overall winner in Survivor history. The jury seemed to agree with me as they gave the win to him by a vote of 5-2. It is the second biggest margin of victory in Survivor history.

Ethan basically copied Richard Hatch's idea of forming a solid alliance early in the game. He instantly agreed to a pact with his friends Tom and Lex. Kim Johnson was also a small part of their alliance. After the merge this alliance took out the rest one by one. Ethan than smartly voted out his best friend Tom. Kim Johnson won the final immunity and it looked like Ethan was doomed. However, he somehow persuaded her to keep him.

Ethan also was a part of Survivor: All Stars. Being a former winner, he was in trouble from the beginning. He was able to outlast all of the other former winners (Richard, Tina, and Jenna Morasca) and actually made it to the eight episode. Quite an accomplishment for a former winner.

As good of a game player he was, he game skills could not compare to his kindness. I still remember when he won a reward challenge that allowed him to visit a nearby city in Africa. He received two goats to sell. Whatever money he got for the goats he could use on supplies, food, or anything else he liked. He ended up spending most of the money on the local villagers and his tribemates. He spent a lot of his precious time in the village playing hackysack with the local kids. It was definately one of the nicer moments in reality television history.

I am not the only one who likes Ethan. Over at the CBS homepage, Ethan received a 94% popularity rating for his first stint on Survivor. It is one of the highest ratings I have ever seen. His rating for Survivor: All Stars (70%) was much lower due to his limited time on the show. It was still the third highest average for the show (Rupert and Rudy beat him). Ethan had a great mind, great athleticism, and a kind heart. He is more than deserving of the title of nineteenth best reality contestant of all time.

    #20. Certified Public Assassins (CPA) of Extreme Dodgeball *Winner*
Nobody expected the Certified Public Assassins to be a force in the Extreme Dodgeball league. Hardly anyone expected them to win a game. I was hoping that they would be able to pull out a sub .500 record. They accomplished that and so much more. In the regular season, the CPA had an undefeated record of 5-0. Most of their victories were blowouts. They rarely had to go to Dead Man Walking (the decisive game). They went from a predicted last place finish to the favorite. In the playoffs the CPA got to play the winless Sumo Storm. In the best game of the entire season, the CPA pulled out the victory in Dead Man Walking when Michael "Handsome" Costanza (the CPA's Dead Man Walking) knocked out Sumo's Dead Man Walking. They then blew out Ink, Inc. and met Barbell Mafia in the finals. They once again dominated on their way to a 2-0 victory. The Certified Public Assassins became my first favorite to truly win a reality series.

The Certified Public Assassins had by far the most talented roster. Michael "Handsome" Costanza was All-Pro with over 30 kills. Tobias "Sniper" McKinney was extremely athletic and also made the All-Star game. He will be forever known for his suicide kill (he jumped over the center line and knocked out a member of Sumo Storm before hitting the ground). Mandy Somers was the best female dodgeball player in the league. She would make an incredible catch in almost every game. Some of these catches turned the game around as a catch would also bring a team member back into the game. If it wasn't for Somers, the CPA might have lost to Sumo Storm. Steve Altes and Gretchen Weiss also made important contributions to the team.

Why did I like the Certified Public Assassins so much? They were clearly the underdog going into the season. They also had so much fun playing the game. I will never forget Costanza tempting a member of Sumo Storm with Twinkies. For shocking the viewers of Extreme Dodgeball and having fun, the Certified Public Assassins come in as my 20th favorite contestant/duo/team.
 

    #21. Al of The Mole 2: The Next Betrayal
Al was the tenth player to be executed from the second edition of The Mole. He played the game very well (he was second runner-up) and hard. He always enjoyed the games and never wanted to lose. Case in point, Al was the only player to complete his task in Anderson's Fun House. He had to stay in a room and listen to Don Ho's "Tiny Bubbles" for close to half a day. The song was played backwards, forwards, slowly, fast, and scrambled. I would probably have left the room in about an hour. This challenge was also one of the funniest in reality television history. Al added a lot of the humor as he did the entire series. He had so much fun the entire time that it was hard not to root for him.

  #22. Mario of The WB's Superstar USA
Mario certainly isn't the most talented member of this exclusive list. In fact, he is probably the least talented. He was the star of a music talent show that wound up to be a practical joke. Mario was told that he was a great singer and that he was a superstar. However, this was just part of the joke. He wasn't a good singer. He was probably one of the worst singers on earth. Fortunately, he was incredibly entertaining with his funny dance moves. He also took the joke very well ($10,000 certainly helped him cope). He used this show as a means to get over his shyness. During the final episode (he was chosen as the second worst singer) he had this great quote: “Considering all that’s happened, who cares what the show was about? I got to live out a dream. Before I came on the show, I was a quiet, shy person but I had a love of singing. Getting on the show brought out this inner me that was a warrior Mario that I didn’t know existed.” The other two finalists took the joke in stride but not quite as well as Mario.

Even though he was considered the second worst singer on the show, Mario hasn't given up on singing. He has made some visits to message boards and has said he is still working on his voice. I for one would give up if I had been the subject of such a practical joke. He has got to be one dedicated person to be able to continue his passion for singing.

Mario's dedication has made him my choice for the 22nd best reality contestant of all time.

    #23. Steve and Dave of The Amazing Race 4
Even though these two were eliminated pretty early compared to most of the other contestants on this list they deserve mention. These guys enjoyed every minute of the race and it was very evident. Steve and Dave would go through the tasks with a smile on their face. They were also the second most entertaining team in the race.

For a while it seemed like this team wouldn't even make it through the first leg of the race. Dave hurt his knee in the snow of Italy. The team recovered well and made it through the leg. Steve and Dave were eventually eliminated after the fifth leg. Throughout those five legs, they made us laugh constantly. They would make jokes about themselves and their partner. Like the clowns (who also made this list) they knew how to make people laugh without offending others. Unlike most other teams, the air traffic controllers were in the race for fun and an experience of a lifetime. The prize money was secondary for them.

Thanks to their great sense of humor and love of the game Steve and Dave are my 23rd favorite contestant/team.
 

   #24. Angel Juarbe of Murder in Small Town X *Winner*
Some of the members of this list made it because they were entertaining or very kind. Others were incredible game players. None of the others can say that they are a hero. Angel can. Angel was a firefighter in New York during the time of the terrorist attacks. He put his life on the line to help others. Unfortunately, he became one of the terrorists' victims.

All of this came a few months after his appearance on Murder in Small Town X. The game was basically a murder mystery. Whoever survived until the end would have a chance to identify the murderer. Angel was one of the final two. Both finalists picked the reporter, Frank. However only one would be able to choose him. In the end, Angel had to switch his decision. It turned out to be a good thing as he ended up winning the game. He deserved it too. He was always the brightest investigator of the bunch. He would come up with great ideas that nobody else would think of. In addition, he was one of the most well liked of the group. This allowed him to escape possible elimination often.

Even though he played an incredible game, Angel will not be remembered for it. He will be remembered for his courage and personal sacrifice during the terrorist attacks.
 

#25. Jim Morrison of The Mole 1
Jim makes my list because he was so far ahead of anybody else in the game. Jim single-handedly came up with two concepts for The Mole. Steven and him were the first to come up with the idea of a coalition. Since alliances are impossible in the game of The Mole, they chose to do the next best thing-form a coalition. They shared notes and worked together to knock out several of the other competitors. They did this by persuading the other competitors that the mole was the other one.

Jim was the first person to come up with the idea of an exemption. In the first episode, Jim had to ride a bike and retrieve money from a safe. He would also have to get it back to the starting point in a certain amount of time. However, Jim had an idea. He threatened to hold the money until he and the other players involved in the task got an exemption. An exemption would make him ineligible for execution (defeat). Unfortunately, the producers wouldn't allow it and he gave in. The producers did steal Jim's idea in later episodes. Now, an exemption is offered in almost every episode.

Jim would do all this strategizing without hurting the other's feelings. While most strategizers insult everybody they can (*cough* Jonny Fair Play) Jim was the opposite. Almost everybody loved him. Jim also played the game hard at all times. When he wasn't throwing challenges (to throw off the others) he was always giving 100%. Unlike some reality contestants, he never gave up. Because of this, he put quite a bit of money in the pot by himself.

Although Jim didn't win the game (he was the runner-up) he was the best player The Mole has ever seen.

    Michael Skupin of Survivor: Australia
Michael is best known as the guy who fell into the fire and was forced to leave the game. It might very well have been the saddest and definitely the scariest moment in reality television history. Michael also was part of a potentially dominant alliance with Rodger and Elisabeth (both are on this list). He was the leader of the tribe and really did a good job as caretaker. He even caught a pig! Some people felt he was a little crazy but I didn't. I personally think he would have won the game had he not fallen into that fire.

   John Heffron of Last Comic Standing 2 *Winner* & 3
John Heffron is on this list because he is a very funny man who doesn't have to rely on mean or inappropriate humor. He is someone pretty much every man in America can relate to. From wrapping paper numchucks to the springy thing to stop doors, Heffron had a joke about everything. He was an energetic guy who seemed like he always had way too much caffeine before every performance. All of these things made him lovable. So lovable, in fact, that he won Last Comic Standing 2 over such favorites as Jay London and eventual season three champ Alonzo Bodden. He also place third in Last Comic Standing 3. In my opinion, he is by far the best of the Last Comic Standing comedians.

    Gary of The Biggest Loser
Even though he didn't win his season of The Biggest Loser, I believe Gary ended up in the best shape. He started out really skinny compared to his other competitors and that wound up losing him the game. He just didn't have that much to lose. He was a great guy that always worked out hard. He dominated in the challenges and always lent a helping hand to the others on his team. The moment I will most remember came when Mo was having trouble finishing a lap around the track. Gary had finished first and looked tired. However, he ripped off the "weighted jacket" that they had to carry and ran towards his best friend Mo. He ran along side him the rest of the way encouraging him. Mo actually ended up winning that challenge. It was a great thing to do and made me love him even more. Gary made it to the final weigh-in and ended up losing a total of 71 pounds. His loss of body fat was better than both the other finalists. However, Ryan just had way too many pounds that he could lose and barely beat Gary. Still, Gary had the best body of the two despite being years older. In my opinion, everybody on the show was a winner but especially Gary.

   Stephen Baldwin & Corbin Bernsen of Celebrity Mole: Hawaii & Celebrity Mole: Yucatan
It may seem strange to group these two together considering that they weren't a team but fans of The Mole will understand why. These two constantly made fun of each other. They were both so intensely passionate for the game (so much so that they got two chances to compete). Unfortunately, neither of them won a single season of The Mole. Corbin was nearly psychotic. He thought pretty much everything was a clue. Stephen was so intense that if somebody made them lose money from the pot, he would go off on them. The competitive fire that each of them had sometimes had them arguing in hilarious ways. Had these two not been involved, Celebrity Mole would have been an absolute disaster.

Buck Star of Last Comic Standing 2 Auditions
Buck Star never officially made his way onto a reality show. He certainly tried as hard he could though. Buck Star is famous for appearing in all eight audition cities for Last Comic Standing 2. He wasn't very funny but his appearance each time brought tons of laughs. He obviously had great heart and determination and definitely knew how to take criticism in stride. On his last tryout, he actually was good enough (or the judges just felt sorry enough for him) to get a callback. Unfortunately, he didn't make the final show. Still, he is a winner in my book.

   Chris Daugherty of Survivor: Vanuatu *Winner*
The most surprising winner in reality television history. He outlasted a group of six women who were allied together. Even earlier, he survived a total disaster at the first immunity challenge. He received several votes but he found a way to survive. He was a master strategist (although no Richard Hatch or Rob Cesternino) and still found a way to be pretty nice. Most strategists like to brag a lot or hurt people's feelings but Chris rarely did that. That is reason enough for an honorable mention.

   Chad Crittenden of Survivor: Vanuatu
Chad was one of Chris's (above) alliance members. He also had a prosthetic leg but if you didn't know that information, you would never guess it. He didn't win many challenges (as he was eliminated just after the merge) but he competed well in all of them. He was also a very nice guy.

    Lea ("Sarge") Masters of Survivor: Vanuatu
The third member of Vanuatu's alliance of men is also deserving of an honorable mention. He was the unquestioned leader of the tribe. Everybody on his tribe respected him and his orders (except maybe Rory). That is an indication of a good leader. Of course, he "led" his tribe into disaster (by eliminating way too many strong members) but one of his friends actually ended up winning the game (Chris). Throughout the game he was funny and a tough competitor (despite being one of the older cast members).