Whether you love to hate it or hate to love it, reality TV is a part of American pop culture.
From competition shows such as "Survivor," to home improvement and real-estate programs like "Fixer Upper," and, of course, dating series such as "The Bachelor," people from all walks of life have appeared on reality TV, hoping to get 15 minutes of fame.
This has even been the case for a few Cincinnati area residents.
But what happens to these local celebrities once they return to their normal lives? The Enquirer caught up with some of them to see what they are up to in 2022.
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Matt Bischoff, 'Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites'
Cincinnati native Matt Bischoff was a contestant on "Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites" in 2013. After lasting 16 days, Bischoff was eliminated following a tribal switch.
Bischoff is now a co-host of the "Reality After Show" podcast, which gives weekly recaps of popular series, like "The Challenge," "Survivor" and "Big Brother." He is also a brand ambassador for the beard care brand Mean Beard, based in Batavia.
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The former BMX bike salesman also works in information technology for Mercy Health, a Catholic healthcare system in Cincinnati, and is a member of the band Moon Bow.
Bischoff still resides in the Cincinnati area with his wife and two teenage sons.
Cindy Halvorsen, 'The Amazing Race'
University of Cincinnati graduate Cindy Halvorsen was the season 19 winner of "The Amazing Race," along with her teammate and now husband, Ernie Halvorsen. The couple married after winning the $1 million prize in December 2011.
What did they do with cash? According to Halvorsen, who competed on the show as Cindy Chiang before she married Ernie, the couple invested part of their winnings in several small businesses, put a portion in savings and used some for traveling.
Halvorsen now works as an executive sales coach and diversity coach at Google, dedicated to furthering inclusion initiatives at the corporate level.
While she is fond of her experience on "The Amazing Race," Halvorsen has not seriously considered doing reality TV again, she told The Enquirer. However, she does keep in touch with other local unscripted-show stars, who she refers to as an "alumni group."
She currently resides in Chicago with her husband and three children.
Adam Calvert, 'Taking the Stage'
Adam Calvert, a School for Creative and Performing Arts graduate, was a cast member on season two of "Taking the Stage" in 2010.
What is he doing in 2022? Calvert is a country music singer and songwriter. He has opened for several notable recording artists, such as Parmalee, Canaan Smith, Phil Vassar and Martina McBride. His song "Party On" won Single of the Year at the Josie Music Awards in Nashville earlier this year.
According to his booking agent Paige Hardwick, Calvert, who released a new single titled "Fallback" in October, has accumulated over 1 million streams across all platforms this year.
The Hastings, 'House Hunters International'
In 2014, Anderson Township residents Natalie and Jeff Hastings rented out their four-bedroom beach house near Leon, Nicaragua, in a spinoff of HGTV's "House Hunters International" called "Overseas and Underpriced."
The Hastings also appeared in an episode of "House Hunters International" in 2013, which featured footage of the Cincinnati Museum Center and other local landmarks.
The Hastings still own their beachfront house in the fishing village of Las Peñitas, Nicaragua. They haven’t returned to the residence since the 2018 uprising, but they stay in touch with their friends in the community. The Hastings told The Enquirer that they also keep in contact with their realtor from the show, Jordan Clark.
Jeff, who worked in auto lending at Fifth Third Bank at the time of the show, continues to hold that position. Natalie was the strategic communications director for the Museum Center and National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, but she now owns and operates a boutique public relations firm, Limelight PR.
The couple still resides in Anderson Township with their two sons, C.J. and Graham. In June, the Hastings, along with other Forest Hills School District students, teachers and parents, filed a lawsuit against the school boarddue to a resolution banning critical race theory and anti-racism curriculum from the classroom.
Eric Corti, 'Shark Tank'
Mason resident Eric Corti pitched his Wine Balloon invention on ABC's "Shark Tank" in February 2012. According to Mashed, Corti received a $400,000 offer from Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner, with 100% of the equity going to the two Shark Tank investors.
After backing out of the deal,Corti appeared on Food Network's "Kitchen Inventors" and came to an agreement with show hosts Patrick Raymond and Steve Greenberg. He also changed the product's name to the Air Cork.
The Air Cork makes approximately $7 million in sales annually as of November 2021, according to Mashed.
In addition to his wine-cork business, Corti told The Enquirer he is the chief operating officer of Structure First Ltd., afinancial institution and consultancy and program management firm based in Greater Cincinnati.
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DeShawn Harris, 'American Ninja Warrior'
The 2022 season ofNBC’s"American Ninja Warrior"featured the return of six-time contestant and Greater Cincinnati native DeShawn Harris.
Harris, currently based in Atlanta, Georgia, will return to Ohio this month to do camera work for a documentary filming in Columbus. The title of the documentary is unknown.
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Following his departure from the show, Harris filmed a scene for HBO Max's comedy series "Rap sh*t" and a skit for Comedy Central's late-night talk show "The Daily Show." Harris also starred in the movie "Romeo + Isabella," which is scheduled to release in 2023.
He told The Enquirer he is currently filming his submission video for season 15 of "American Ninja Warrior."
The Bundys, 'The Voice'
Katey, Megan and Ryan, three siblings who made up The Bundys, were the first trio to compete on NBC’s “The Voice” back in 2019. The Miami University graduates made it to the knockout rounds before being eliminated.
After "The Voice," the artists spent the rest of 2019 pursuing music full-time, which included touring, songwriting and performing, but the COVID-19 pandemic put their plans on hold.
The siblings are now focused on their growing families. Katey lives in Chicago with her husband and two children. Megan recently married and became a stepmom to three children. Ryan is engaged and will marry in November 2023.
However, The Bundys want to assure fans that their music careers aren't over, and they are excited about the future.
Alphonzo 'Zo' Wesson III, 'America's Next Producer'
Alphonzo "Zo" Wesson III was a contestant on "America's Next Producer" in 2007. According to a previous Enquirer report, the East End resident produced and directed BET's "Monica: Still Standing," Bravo's "Real Housewives of Atlanta" and Food Network's "Fat Chef" after his top-three finish on the TV Guide Network show.
Wesson explained that he did the show to network and cultivate industry connections. Instead, he was positioned as the show's antagonist, stating that he was disappointed by the "angry Black man" stereotypes used to portray him. He said this negative representation damaged his career for a year and a half.
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Wesson told The Enquirer that his career is in a better place now and that he has since used this experience to mentor young African Americans in the industry. Wesson, a 29-time Emmy winner, is currently working on several projects, including the development of a creative programming network called Stellar TV and a documentary about the wrongful conviction of Ben Spencer, a man who served 34 years in prison for a fatal robbery. Academy Award-winning director Errol Morris is the executive producer of the untitled documentary.
Wesson currently splits his time between Cincinnati and his hometown of Chicago, Illinois.
Former Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, 'Undercover Boss'
Mark Mallory, Cincinnati's mayor from 2005 to 2013, appeared on two episodes of "Undercover Boss" in 2011, in which he picked up dead animals, worked as a parking meter attendant, rode a snow plow and more. He was the first elected official on the show, The Enquirer reported.
Mallory said his appearance on the reality TV series was a "great opportunity to promote the city and have an authentic interaction with city employees."
After his stint on TV, Mallory finished his term as mayor in 2013. He founded the private consulting firm Mark Mallory & Associates LLC in 2014. In 2020, Mallory told The Enquirer he was seriously considering a 2021 mayoral run but did not put in an official bid, opting to endorse Aftab Pureval instead.
Mallory still resides in the Greater Cincinnati area.
Rodger Bingham, 'Survivor: The Australian Outback'
Rodger Bingham, a Crittenden native and Eastern Kentucky University graduate, was one of the original "Survivor" cast members, competing on season 2 of the series in 2001. According to Entertainment Weekly, Bingham was 53 at the time, making him the season's oldest contestant. He lasted 36 days on the show and finished fifth.
Bingham told The Enquirer that his experience was authentic, and that he lost 35 pounds while filming. He called the show "an adventure of a lifetime."
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Bingham, now 75 years old and retired, said he traveled North America doing speaking engagements and other paid events for about a year and a half after the show. He still lives on his farm in Crittenden, Kentucky, where he spends his days cutting logs for his wood chop-shop.
The Linz Family, 'The Amazing Race'
Megan Jones, maiden name Linz, and her three brothers, Nicholas, Alexander and Thomas, were the season eight winners of "The Amazing Race" in 2005.
The siblings split the $1 million grand prize amongst themselves and their other three brothers after giving their parents, Tom and Terri, $500,000, WVXU reported in 2015.
Jones, of Loveland, told The Enquirer she is now married and has five daughters. She is a stay-at-home mother, and her husband works as an administrator for a home health care company.
Alexander also lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Nicci, and their three children, Levi, Grace and Luke, according to Megan. He works for their family's business, Tripack, a local label equipment company. In his spare time, he enjoys coaching his sons in football and wrestling.
Nicholas lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Brooke, and their two kids, Marlow and Axel. He also works for the family company.
Thomas resides in Newport Beach, California, with his wife, Caitlan, and their son, Bohdi, and sells private jet charters.
