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Slack.com slash DHQ. In the early 2000s, millions of households across the world tuned in

to watch contestants battle for the last rows or to be the final survivor on the island.

Reality TV was beginning to dominate the airwaves and every show needed to be bigger,

flashier and more scandalous than the last. But in the case of one infamous dating show,

the real drama was happening off-screen and it would shape the future of reality TV. The

reality TV series, there's something about Mariam. Seemed like a pretty standard dating

competition. Six young men vied for the affection of Mariam Rivera. But when Mariam revealed

that she was a trans woman during the show's finale, the on-screen drama sparked an

international uproar about gender, sexuality and whether reality television had gone too

far. Wondery's new podcast mini-series, Harsh Reality, the story of Mariam Rivera,

Wondery's new podcast mini-series, Harsh Reality, the story of Mariam Rivera, reveals what

happened behind the scenes of the infamous TV show and how a multi-million dollar lawsuit

and media fallout impacted the lives of Mariam and the contestants and changed the rules

of reality television forever. I'm about to play you a preview of Harsh Reality, but

while you're listening, be sure to follow Harsh Reality, the story of Mariam Rivera,

on Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, or you can listen early and ad-free by joining Wondery

Plus in the Apple Podcast or the Wondery app.

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