Reality TV is a form of entertainment television that focuses on unscripted interactions and ordinary people rather than actors or professional media personalities. At the turn of the 21st century, reality TV began to emerge as a popular television genre, and over the next two decades, it became a mainstay of television broadcasting in the Western world. During this time, there were significant shifts in the amount and types of representations of trans people in screen media, and reality TV was one of the key sites of these changes. Reality TV has proven a valuable and distinctive platform for mainstream representations of trans people. More than light entertainment, over the last two decades, reality TV has directly contributed to trans politics and debates.

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