Most Embarrassing Reality TV Kisses In History

Reality TV may not be heralded for its realness, but sometimes it does get a little bit too real. When the cameras are constantly rolling, awkward stuff is bound to happen — especially when it involves hormones, attraction, skillful producers, and maybe a little too much alcohol. There’s no denying that these kinds of moments make for binge-worthy television, but it’s almost akin to the way people panic-watch the news. It’s hard to look at, yet we can’t stop.

While some reality TV kisses are the kind of thing that makes us believe in love (like those among the rare “90 Day Fiance”  or “Married At First Sight” couples who don’t wind up hating each other six months down the line), most are not. The most reality contestants can hope for is that their cringe-worthy kisses fade into oblivion rather than go viral — but we’re living in a voyeuristic culture. That’s what they signed up for, and fans aren’t going to forget it.

These are some of the most embarrassing kisses in the history of reality TV, from the straight-up awkward to the seemingly pleasant peck that iced over the backstabbing fans saw behind the scenes.

Lizzie Sobinoff and Sam Ball on MAFS Australia

If you thought “Married At First Sight” was dramatic; the Australian version of the series is a whole different brand of unhinged, especially because some couples appear to continuously cheat (or at least heavily flirt) with other married cast members. In Season 6, this started with the infamous Ines Basic and Sam Ball affair. That lasted just about as long as it took Sam to realize Ines wanted a serious relationship (don’t hate the player, hate the game), but before it imploded in a heroic display of karma, it left us one undeniable gem — the uncomfortable almost-kiss between Sam and his wife Lizzie Sobinoff.

As recapped by the Daily Mail, Sam’s wandering eye had already landed on Ines. From the get-go, the so-called “Lothario” coldly claimed he wasn’t attracted to Lizzie (he didn’t like blonde hair, which is ironic considering she’s now a brunette). Nonetheless, Lizzie soldiered on, winning the hearts of everyone watching on TV except her husband.

In the shocking scene, Lizzie tried to smooch Sam only for him to make fun of her to the cameras. In a confessional, he claimed he “hated every second of it” and nearly went as far as saying it made him feel “sick.” He also claimed that Lizzie was probably “embarrassed” to be turned down, with a clear disregard for the person who should actually be embarrassed — himself. Meanwhile, Ines was trying to send Sam nudes behind Lizzie’s back.

The cabs were really here for Jersey Shore's Vinny Guadagnino and Angelina Pivarnick

https://www.youtube.com/embed/3SiHRLT1M5U?start=24″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreendata-slide-url=”https://www.nickiswift.com/396537/most-embarrassing-reality-tv-kisses-in-history/slide/the-cabs-were-really-here-for-jersey-shores-vinny-guadagnino-and-angelina-pivarnick/”data-slide-num=”2″data-post-id=”396537″data-slide-title=”Most Embarrassing Reality TV Kisses In History: The cabs were really here for Jersey Shore's Vinny Guadagnino and Angelina Pivarnick”>

Vinny Guadagnino and Angelina Pivarnick have a storied, smush-hate relationship. Throughout “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation,” Angelina was very vocal about the lack of intimacy she shared with her actual partner Chris Larangeira, who she married on-screen in 2019. This made the onslaught of flirtations between the “Jersey Shore” frenemies all the more uncomfortable (and a long-running joke), but the pair’s very first hookup still stands as the most embarrassing. Let’s just say, it was not love at first smush — or at least, they’d never admit it if it was.

Before the pair locked lips (and eventually other parts) during Season 2, Vinny had already dubbed Angelina the “Staten Island Dump” for showing up to the house with trash bags rather than suitcases. Regardless of the nickname, which was equal parts mean-spirited and affectionate, the pair ended up getting absolutely tanked and drunkenly set aside their differences with a sloppy cab ride make-out session. To make it more awkward, they were jammed in the backseat with their fellow castmates. 

As recapped by The Hollywood Gossip, this came right after Vinny insulted Angelina by crowning her the “Rob Kardashian of Staten Island.” Angelina brushed off the hookup by saying, “You do stupid things when you’re drunk,” but with enough sexual tension to endure a literal decade, this relationship seems to be a lot more love than hate. At this point, it’s embarrassing they won’t own up.

Jason Mesnick and Shannon Blair's snotty smooch on The Bachelor

YouTube

“The Bachelor” is pretty much renowned for two things: the countless women who miraculously fall head-over-heels for a man they hardly know and embarrassing kisses. Disregarding Season 25, where Matt James even made himself uncomfortable with the way he’d kiss contestants with his eyes open, Season 13 stakes a claim to the most disgusting kiss of all time on “The “Bachelor.”

It all went down when contestant Shannon Blair was in absolute tears, as contestants often are, over how much she loved bachelor Jason Mesnick (or Jaaay-sunnnn, as she repeatedly said). Since ugly-crying is basically a snot factory, the contestant began blowing and picking her nose before leaning in to plant a very short-lived kiss on Jason’s lips. He let it happen, but not for long because she had pieces of tissue stuck to her nose and he needed to help her pick them off.

“When I went to kiss Jason, I feel like he kind of rejected my kiss,” Shannon said in a confessional. “He just ended it abruptly, and he kept telling me that I had napkin on my face” Excuse us while we try not to gag.

Andrew Jones struggled to find his rhythm kissing Cheryl Maitland on MAFS Australia

Two seasons before the great Ines and Sam scandal, “Married At First Sight: Australia” set the tone for awkward kisses with an uncomfortable beach scene between Cheryl Maitland and Andrew Jones. The stakes had been raised because Cheryl was Andrew’s second chance at love. The star had already split from his first match, asking the experts to pair him specifically with the hair salon assistant, but judging by their kiss, they were not signing the same tune.

The setting was idyllic. The pair sat together on a beach with candles as Andrew serenaded Cheryl with his acoustic guitar. By all accounts, Andrew walked so Jed Wyatt, the guitar-wielding playboy from Hannah Brown’s season of “The Bachelorette,” could run (to his secret, real-life girlfriend). Cheryl seemed sort of into it, albeit a little preoccupied with holding her hair down from the wind. When the song was over, Andrew leaned in for a kiss and was straight-up rejected. “I don’t want to kiss you,” Cheryl flatly said. 

We have to stan a girl who says what she means, but poor Andrew’s ego appeared to be bruised. Let’s not forget, the dude didn’t hesitate to degrade his wife’s appearance on international television, which generally doesn’t make one in the mood for PDA. Needless to say, they’re no longer together, and in an interview with NW Magazine (via The Daily Mail), Andrew claimed he suffers from PTSD from his “Married At First Sight: Australia” experience.

Big Ed and Rose on 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days

Big Ed Brown parlayed his run on “90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days” into full-fledged internet fame, but that’s largely because the star’s storyline was filled with deliciously embarrassing moments — and not just the mayonnaise he regularly put in his hair. Mostly, fans were transfixed by his Filipino girlfriend Rosemarie Vega, whose face was perpetually contorted into a look of utter disgust (to be honest, you can’t really blame her when her boyfriend was shaming her about bad breath and body hair). This was no more apparent than their infamous first kiss, which may just be one of the most awkward in TLC history.

By the time the pair first sort of locked lips in their hotel room, Ed was already on a veritable apology tour, pouring champagne and rubbing Rose’s feet as an act of contrition. He then asked her how to say “kiss” in her language (it’s halik) before politely asking if he could “halik” her. She, again, flashed her patented stink face, playing dumb and asking if he wanted to kiss her basically anywhere on her face that wasn’t her lips. He finally leaned in and gave her cheek a smooch, but asked one last time for genuine lip-lock, and Rose relented with the kind of peck you’d give your mouth-kissing aunt. It’s safe to say that Ed Brown and Rosemarie Vega did not make it.

Ariana Madix and LaLa Kent got Vanderpump unruly in Tom Sandoval's car

Getty

If there’s one thing fans can be grateful for, it’s that “Vanderpump Rules” lived long enough to see a drunken hookup between LaLa Kent and Ariana Madix right before the series’ ultimate downfall. Nothing brings two friends together like, in Ariana’s words, getting “stumble-out-of-the-bar wasted.”

Let’s be clear: this moment was as glorious to watch as it was embarrassing. For starters, Lala was recently engaged to her middle-aged, multi-millionaire boyfriend Randall Emmett (or “her man,” as she previously called him to conceal his identity). Ariana had been with her boyfriend Tom Sandoval for literal years. Oh, yeah, Tom was also driving the pair as they hooked up in the back and was not afraid to voice his annoyance at the fact that he had just spent the whole day at a car dealership only to have to babysit the sloppy duo. 

To make matters more embarrassing, this was actually a thwarted attempt at a threesome. As Ariana revealed to The Daily Dish, she was grabbing Tom as he drove in hopes that two could become three. She started to sober up mid-way and realized that Lala would probably regret it. Tom, on the other hand, was too annoyed to let it happen. He later blabbed about the incident to his friends, claiming Lala led his girlfriend into the backseat by proclaiming, “I just wanna eat your p***y.” Embarrassing. 

Is Asuelu Pulaa living happily ever after with his mother or Kalani Faagata?

The “90 Day Fiance” extended universe is a treasure trove of awkwardness that spans far beyond the powers of Big Ed. Asuelu Pulaa and Kalani Faagata are actually one of the rare couples that have endured, which isn’t completely surprising considering the pair’s shared heritage. Nonetheless, they’ve had their fair share of ups and downs, but the real takeaway for fans was Asuelu’s embarrassingly passionate kiss with his mother, who had long been a source of conflict for the couple (let’s not forget when she unabashedly demanded money from her son, even though he was in tears, claiming his children would die as a result).

It’s hard to tell if TLC used careful editing to make the kiss scene even more awkward, but if that’s the case, the producer should be hailed as a true artist. The mouth kiss, which lasted more than 10 passionate seconds as Asuelu sobbed and hugged his mother, who was caressing his back, belongs in the Louvre. It doesn’t get more uncomfortable, especially with Kalani and her sister standing there blinking and forcing a smile.

Michelle Kujawa wanted more from this bachelor and she wasn't afraid to say so

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There’s nothing worse than building up a kiss to be explosively passionate only to have it swiftly fizzle as soon as lips are locked. Just about the only thing more embarrassing is mentioning that the kiss was terrible to the person you asked to kiss in the first place. This sort of bad kiss is like “Fight Club.” You don’t talk about it, but that’s just what Michelle Kujawa did to Jake Pavelka during his season of “The Bachelor.”

The pair were having an intimate one-on-one conversation when Michelle asked the reality star, “Would it be awkward if I asked if I could kiss you to see if I really feel something, for me?” The question actually wasn’t awkward at all. It was reasonable, but her actions after certainly would qualify. As soon as Jake reluctantly gave her a smooch and recoiled, Michelle balked, “You gotta give me something more than that.” His eyebrows almost popped off of his forehead.

To make things worse, Michelle threatened to leave the show twice before Jake sent her home. The pair didn’t even get a one-on-one date. As for the kiss, she later reflected to Ellen DeGeneres (via People), “I was in it full force and I didn’t feel anything back from him so why waste each other’s time?”

If you call Francesca Farago the bad guy, she's going to act like it

“Love at First Kiss” is inherently a breeding ground for embarrassing kisses. How are you supposed to be a good kisser when you’re kissing someone you don’t even know? The series, which launched in 2016, basically redefined what it meant to have an uncomfortable, on-screen make-out, but Josh Basili basically told the other contestants to hold his beer.

Josh, who was in his late 20s when his episode aired, had never been kissed before. As Vice pointed out, his first on-screen smooch was merely uncomfortable. They described it as “a toothy, closed-mouthed encounter,” but who’s first kiss isn’t? By Josh’s age, most people have a decade of experience. 

The real trouble came at the second smooch. If the first was uncomfortable, the second was unbearable. It was so bad that TLC uploaded the clip in a YouTube video titled “Cringe at First Kiss.” They did, indeed, do him dirty. Sadly, Josh appeared to be confident going into his lip-lock with Emily, only to lose his nerve at the last second and end up awkwardly kissing her hair before darting out without even making eye contact. The clip went viral, triggering a wave of second-hand embarrassment across its more than 10 million viewers. At least Josh managed to turn his embarrassing kiss into some cold hard cash. As Vice notes, he sold self-deprecating merch after becoming internet famous.

Connor Durman's kiss with Sophie Piper became a Love Island punchline

With the sheer volume of smooches, it’s not surprising that the UK version of “Love Island” is host to some of the most awkward kisses in reality TV history. Anything involving teeth is decidedly awful, but it’s hard to keep the same precision as you’d have in an intimate hangout when you’re in the midst of a tense physical challenge. Connor Durman learned this the hard way when he locked lips with his love interest Sophie Piper, and basically turned himself into a meme.

In the episode, which aired in January 2020, the pair were taking part in a challenge where Sophie had to pick a person to kiss by placing them in a specific part of the course. As DigitalSpy points out, the reality star was in a love triangle with Connor and Connagh G — but she ended up choosing Connor. He was, of course, hyped. Unfortunately, when it was finally his moment to shine, he accidentally smashed his teeth into hers during their steamy kiss.

This did nothing to thwart the almost constant jokes from fans about the star’s blinding white veneers. The Tab went as far as calling them “Ross Geller level bad,” but after the incident, fans couldn’t stop laughing on Twitter. Nonetheless, Connor and Sophie did manage to have a relationship that lasted until the pair found themselves in the midst of a national lockdown.

New York didn't love watching this embarrassing Flavor of Love make out

Anyone who’s lived through the early aughts knows that New York is both a place and a person of infamy. The reality star first burst into fame as the runner-up on two seasons of VH1’s “Flavor of Love,” where she dated famed Public Enemy rapper Flavor Flav before eventually landing her own dating show spinoff. This was back in the golden era of reality TV, where seemingly any unhinged idea was greenlit. Of course “Flavor of Love” gave us one of the most embarrassing on-screen kisses of all time (and the intimate knowledge that Flavor Flav alleged wears a clock in the bedroom).

To push the cringe factor the max, VH1 put New York on a double date with Goldie. After New York greeted the rapper, she sat down and was forced to watch him passionately make out with the other contestant. It was such an egregious display of PDA that it’d be a spectacle even if it didn’t happen in front of New York, who we got the pleasure of seeing with a displeased grimace when the camera panned. The whole package is just a chef’s kiss of reality TV cruelty and embarrassment all around.

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