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Big D and reality TV have been BFFs for decades — a distinction we’ve never tried to hide or apologize for. Not that we should.

Early reality-era heartthrob, Colby Donaldson, lived and worked here after finishing second on “Survivor” in 2001. North Texas’ Kelly Clarkson sang her way to fame on “American Idol” a year later. Soon after, Dallas-raised Jessica Simpson became a pop-culture phenomenon while navigating celebrity marriage, “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica,” and that infamous “chicken of the sea” moment.

In 2002, we named Clarkson the winner of “Best Proof that Talent Scouts Have Been Ignoring the D-FW Area for Too Long” in our annual Best of Dallas issue. So it feels fitting that this year we’re celebrating the best of Dallas through the lens of reality TV — our food, shopping, sports, music, arts, recreation and culture. Our “Dallas Reality,” if you will.

Over the past two decades, Dallasites have starred in shows ranging from “The Bachelor” and “Big Brother” to “The Amazing Race,” “The Circle,” and “Dancing with the Stars.” Mark Cuban, himself a former Best of Dallas winner, went from hosting the short-lived “The Benefactor” to becoming a fixture on “Shark Tank.” Rachel Lindsay and JoJo Fletcher became stars of the Bachelor universe. And, of course, Dallas has supplied plenty of reality-TV settings of its own, from “Big Rich Texas” and “Fast N’ Loud” to the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

Few shows have showcased North Texas more extensively than the third season of Netflix’s “Love Is Blind,” which took its couples beyond the pods and into restaurants, bars, neighborhoods and attractions across the region.

But reality isn’t confined to television. It continues long after the cameras stop rolling — especially in Dallas, where many of the “Love Is Blind” Season 3 women still live.

That’s why we’re thrilled to feature cast members from that season on the cover and inside of Best of Dallas 2026. Dallas photographer Kathy Tran took some stunning shots of Raven Ross, Nancy Rodriguez, Alexa Lemieux, Colleen Reed and Zanab Jaffrey. Inside, along with our staff’s picks for the best places and things in town, they’ll tell us what they love most about their Big D reality.

And really, isn’t that what Best of Dallas has always been about? Check it out here: Dallas Observer’s Best of Dallas 2026.