These Are The Most Memorable Reality TV Stars Of The 2000s

Summary

• Teresa Giudice gained fame on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, making her one of the most iconic reality stars of the 2000s.
• Nicole Richie's role in The Simple Life solidified her status as a memorable reality star, overshadowing her co-star Paris Hilton.
• Snooki became a reality TV superstar on Jersey Shore, captivating fans with her lovable persona and iconic moments.

After Survivor's first season became an absolute sensation in the year 2000, reality TV became a huge deal. In the decades since then, fans have obsessed over things like Love Is Blind's most toxic couple and Below Deck Med's love triangle.

Despite how many modern reality TV shows there are, many fans still want one of American Idol's original judges to return because reality shows from the 2000s still matter. With that in mind, it is fascinating to look at whom the most memorable reality stars from the 2000s are.

10 What Makes Teresa Giudice Such A Memorable Reality TV Star?

Famous For The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Which reality shows has Teresa Giudice starred in?

• The Real Housewives of New Jersey
• The Celebrity Apprentice 5
• Teresa Checks In
• The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip
• Dancing with the Stars
• House of Villains

A reality star who got in just under the wire, Teresa Giudice, began starring in The Real Housewives of New Jersey in 2009. Of course, there have been many iconic Real Housewives stars over the years. Despite that, it can easily be argued that Teresa is one of the franchise's most memorable stars for people who aren't huge fans. After all, Teresa's table-slamming moment will always be iconic, and her legal troubles garnered even more attention.

9 What Makes Nicole Richie Such A Memorable Reality TV Star?

Famous For The Simple Life

Which reality shows has Nicole Richie starred in?

• The Simple Life
• Fashion Star
• Candidly Nicole
• Making the Cut

After The Simple Life became very popular, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie became major stars. However, Nicole winds up on this list because it is easier to forget that Paris ever starred in a reality show. Nicole has accomplished a lot during her life, including acting and being a fashion designer. Still, many people think of Nicole's time starring in The Simple Life when she comes up.

8 What Makes Nicole "Snooki" LaValle Such A Memorable Reality TV Star?

Famous For Jersey Shore

Which reality shows has Nicole "Snooki" LaValle starred in?

• Jersey Shore
• Snooki & Jwoww
• Nicole & Jionni's Shore Flip
• Jersey Shore: Family Vacation

When Jersey Shore premiered, millions of people had to tune in to see what led to someone punching Nicole "Snooki" LaValle in a bar. That easily could have led to a ratings sugar high with people quickly tuning out once they watched an episode or two. However, many fans were captivated by Snooki and the rest of the Jersey Shore cast. Easily the show's most lovable star, Snooki could be a trainwreck, but she always seemed to have a heart of gold which made her a reality TV superstar.

7 What Makes Omarosa Manigault Newman Such A Memorable Reality TV Star?

Famous For The Apprentice

Which reality shows has Omarosa Manigault Newman starred in?

• The Apprentice
• The Surreal Life
• The Celebrity Apprentice
• All-Star Celebrity Apprentice
• Celebrity Big Brother US 1
• Big Brother Australia VIP
• House of Villains

After she was incredibly harsh when she competed in The Apprentice, Omarosa Manigault Newman became a huge reality TV villain. In fact, at one time, it could have been argued that Omarosa was the second most famous person associated with The Apprentice behind Donald Trump. As a result, Omarosa continues to be famous to this day, as other reality shows continue to want to cast the iconic villain.

6 What Makes Dr. Will Kirby Such A Memorable Reality TV Star?

Famous For Big Brother

Which reality shows has Dr. Will Kirby starred in?

• Big Brother 2
• Big Brother 7 (All-Stars)

A truly incredible Big Brother star, Dr. Will Kirby somehow managed to tell people he was going to betray them and still win the show. On top of that, Dr. Will showed fans how fun it can be to embrace being a reality TV villain. Eventually brought back for a second season of Big Brother, Dr. Will managed to charm people yet again, and he came close to winning a second season. Dr. Will has never competed on the show since then, but he remains so iconic that he still makes semi-regular appearances.

5 What Makes Simon Cowell Such A Memorable Reality TV Star?

Famous For American Idol

Which reality shows has Simon Cowell starred in?

• Pop Idol
• American Idol
• World Idol
• The X Factor UK
• The X Factor USA
• America's Got Talent

When American Idol became a huge success, there were a few things that added up to making the show so popular. On top of fans laughing at the horrible singers' auditions and enjoying seeing the people with good voices perform, people couldn't get enough of Simon Cowell's brutal judgments. Thanks to American Idol making him iconic, Simon Cowell has spent more than two decades judging which people are worthy of becoming famous.

4 What Makes Bethenny Frankel Such A Memorable Reality TV Star?

Famous For The Real Housewives of New York City

Which reality shows has Bethenny Frankel starred in?

• The Real Housewives of New York City
• Bethenny Ever After
• Bethenny & Fredrik
• Shark Tank

Similar to Teresa Giudice, the Real Housewives franchise turned Bethenny Frankel into a huge deal. After starring in The Real Housewives of New York City, Bethenny pulled off something truly incredible, she pretty much turned herself into a brand name. After all, Bethenny launched her lifestyle company Skinnygirl, hosts podcasts, and has starred in several of her own reality shows.​​​​​ Bethenny even managed to earn enough respect that she became a Shark Tank guest judge.

3 What Makes Richard Hatch Such A Memorable Reality TV Star?

Famous For Survivor

Which reality shows has Richard Hatch starred in?

• Survivor: Borneo
• Survivor: All-Stars
• The Celebrity Apprentice 4
• The Biggest Loser
• House of Villains 2

According to a December 2009 CBS News article, Survivor's first season finale was watched by 51.7 million people, which made it the second most-viewed TV episode of the decade. The reason for that is, by the end of the season, so many people hated Richard Hatch that they were desperate to see him lose. No matter how viewers were rooting against him. Richard still managed to win Survivor's first season, which forever cemented his place in reality show history.

2 What Makes Heidi Montag & Spencer Pratt Such Memorable Reality TV Stars?

Famous For The Hills

Which reality shows have Heidi Montag & Spencer Pratt starred in?

• The Hills
• I'm a Celebrity...Get Me out of Here!
• Celebrity Big Brother 11
• Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars 2
• Celebrity Big Brother 19
• The Hills: New Beginnings

When the users of the website Ranker ranked the worst people in reality TV history, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag both made the cut. The reason for that is that the couple, who've become so intertwined that they share an entry in this list, are two of the most hated reality stars ever. While Spencer and Heidi have shown their softer side at times, their negative reputations continue to make the former stars of The Hills highly memorable.

1 What Makes Kim Kardashian Such A Memorable Reality TV Star?

Famous For Keeping Up With The Kardashians & The Kardashians

Which reality shows has Kim Kardashian starred in?

• Keeping Up with the Kardashians
• Dancing with the Stars
• Kourtney and Kim Take Miami
• Kourtney and Kim Take New York
• The Kardashians

Quite possibly the most memorable reality star ever, Kim Kardashian managed to become one of the most talked about celebrities in the world. For example, Kim's fans seem to obsess over everything about her, including how healthy she is and what inspires her fashion choices. If that wasn't enough, Kim also had the foresight to do incredible things with her fame. For example, The BBC reported on Kim having substantive conversations with the then-President of the United States. All things considered, Kim has to be considered the most memorable reality star of the 2000s.