The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City recently finished airing its crossover episodes with Below Deck Down Under. These episodes followed the same Real Housewives format with a luxurious Below Deck added style. This crossover brings up the question of whether or not reality TV shows should continue to do crossovers.
Everything to know about the The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and Below Deck Down Under crossover
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (RHOSLC) and Below Deck Down Under (BDDU) crossover was announced on April 11, 2025, on the official Bravo TV Instagram account. This announcement revealed that new seasons for both shows were in the process of filming and would be crossing over to both shows. In addition, it was revealed that the entire season six cast of RHOSLC would be staying on the BDDU yacht, and their stay would be featured on both Bravo reality shows. This would be the first time a full Real Housewives cast would be filming for their season and a Below Deck season simultaneously.
Fast forward six months to October 28, 2025, when the first episode of this crossover aired on Bravo during season six of RHOSLC. There was no shortage of drama and amusing antics that the cast is known for. When BDDU season four airs, this charter will be shown with the crew’s reactions.
Recap of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and Below Deck Down Under crossover episodes
The crossover starts off showing most of the RHOSLC cast during their travels from Salt Lake City to Canouan Island. Their cast trip is also known as their three-day yacht trip with the BDDU crew. Like any other Below Deck charter, the crew meets the guests before boarding the yacht. In this case, the crew meets the RHOSLC women.
The RHOSLC season six cast includes Lisa Barlow, Heather Gay, Mary Cosby, Meredith Marks, Whitney Rose, Angie Katsanevas, and Bronwyn Newport. Britani Bateman appears in a part-time role. This cast is known for not being afraid to start drama, and this crossover was no different. There was no shortage of drama and arguments during the crossover. Barlow got into a tense argument with Gay during the first night. Gay confronted Barlow about allegedly leaking cast information to the media. Marks and Bateman also reignited their feud. Their feud led to water throwing and alleged accusations being brought up of Marks’ husband having an affair.
While there was a good amount of drama, the crossover also showed some fun moments between the RHOSLC cast members. A day at the beach during day two showed the group getting along. And the final morning of the trip included Marks getting revenge on Bateman by throwing Bateman’s stuffed animal unicorn overboard.
Have other reality TV shows crossed over with other reality shows in the past?
While TV crossovers are often associated with scripted TV shows, crossovers for reality TV shows are very common. Besides the recent Real Housewives and Below Deck crossover, Bravo has a history of having Real Housewives from other cities go onto a different franchise for an appearance. For example, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Sutton Stracke made a cameo on season 18 of the Orange County franchise in 2024. In addition, The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks made a cameo on the Dubai franchise in 2022.
Another notable reality TV crossover was from Hulu that combined The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Vanderpump Villa. Both reality shows are popular amongst reality TV fans and have their own fan bases. Combining both reality shows kept each show’s content fresh. In addition, the crossover introduced viewers to new reality shows that they may not have heard of.
There have also been full reality TV series focused on mixing reality stars from different shows. Peacock became the streaming home for The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. This crossover series brought together Real Housewives stars from several different cities for a one-week girls’ trip. Additionally, Peacock is also the streaming home for The Traitors. The Traitors is an Emmy Award-winning reality competition show that combines stars from multiple reality shows including The Real Housewives, Big Brother, Survivor, and more.
Why do TV shows do crossover episodes with other TV shows?
TV shows may do crossovers with other TV shows for many different reasons. One reason is to combine multiple fanbases. If two TV shows already have large fan bases, a network may decide to do a crossover between the shows to merge both shows. This allows for fan bases to be introduced to other TV shows by watching a show they are familiar with.
In the recent Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and Below Deck Down Under crossover, fanbases from both shows became exposed to both shows. Both Bravo franchises are popular amongst reality TV watchers. These reality show franchises also have separate fanbases that may only watch one franchise and not the other. Showing the Below Deck experience on a Real Housewives show introduces Below Deck to viewers of The Real Housewives who may not have seen Below Deck before. This idea also works vice versa when BDDU airs its side of the crossover, potentially introducing RHOSLC to more viewers.
Crossovers for TV shows also keep series fresh, leading to an original approach for newer episodes. Especially if a type of crossover had not happened before, it makes viewers intrigued to watch. Along with keeping content fresh, crossovers can help to avoid repetitiveness in a show.
Should reality TV shows continue to do crossovers?
Reality TV shows should continue to do crossovers with other reality TV shows. Just like TV show crossovers in general, reality TV crossovers aid in bringing multiple fanbases together while keeping content fresh and not repetitive. With reality TV gaining massive awareness in pop culture over recent years, it can make viewers excited to see their favorite reality show personalities appearing on the same show together.
Specific to reality TV show crossovers, it can be considered breaking the fourth wall. Breaking the fourth wall in TV is when a TV show or TV personality (scripted or unscripted) acknowledges that they are part of a TV show. This occurs more in reality TV than scripted TV. This is because it is common for a reality TV personality to mention they are being filmed. A crossover in reality TV can be considered breaking the fourth wall since there is acknowledgment that two shows are being mixed together. While this aspect is definitely part of reality TV crossovers, it is often overlooked. Crossovers are edited to make the episodes seamlessly fit into the usual format of the respective reality show.
Having two reality shows crossover can be a great way to introduce viewers to new reality shows while also keeping the reality TV genre fresh. Viewers of reality TV shows have provided a positive response to the idea of their favorite reality shows coming together. In Bravo’s Real Housewives and Below Deck crossover announcement, fans flooded the comment section with excitement. And this announcement was months before the first preview. This excitement shows how combining two reality shows can expand a fanbase and make viewers anticipate what is to come.
Sylvia Messinger
November 16, 2025 at 2:21 pm
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