Discover the reality behind the most shocking, funny, and controversial form of entertainment: reality television. The influence of reality TV is enormous: twenty-five years ago, the concept didn't exist. Today, it is one of the most powerful cultural forces in the world, a multi-billion-dollar machine. Nonetheless, it is often called "trash"; a cultural McDonald's not worth examining. The truth is, reality TV offers a profound insight into who we are as human beings, challenging the nature of what we consider entertaining.

The author, presenter, and reality TV enthusiast Jacques Peretti goes behind the scenes of a world that has fascinated and consumed him for two decades. Meeting people at every level of the reality TV machine, from those responsible for creating ever more extreme formats, to participants and contestants who found themselves at the heart of some of television's most iconic moments, felt that their lives and vulnerabilities were exploited in the name of entertainment.

This is reality television as you've never seen it before.