Vault: Bert's reality show update

Summary

The Bert Show – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Vault: Bert's reality show update
Date: June 4, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Bert updates the team and listeners about his potential involvement in an upcoming Atlanta-based reality TV show, created by the mind behind the Real Housewives franchises. The discussion dives into the process, potential pitfalls, and the impact reality television might have on his personal and professional life—especially marriage and family. The conversation is honest, self-aware, and peppered with listener call-ins, genuine worries, and behind-the-scenes perspectives on the world of unscripted TV.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Reality Show Opportunity (00:14–01:11)

• Background: Bert shares that he was approached by Princess, a prominent reality TV creator, about joining "Boys Club ATL," a new show focusing on a group of five or six Atlanta men and their lifestyles.
• Casting Process:
  • Bert and his wife, Stacy, participated in a filmed interview at their home.
  • The footage and interviews were sent to LA producers for review.
  • Four of Bert’s friends are also being considered, potentially forming a pre-existing group for chemistry on-screen.
• Open Uncertainty: Bert admits he hasn't given the opportunity much thought due to other focus areas, particularly keeping the radio show together during a tumultuous period.

2. Family and Marriage Considerations (03:06–03:50)

• Stacy’s Enthusiasm: Bert notes that Stacy is more inclined to participate, while he is hesitant.
• Advice Received: A friend (Jen) advised that only couples confident in their marriage’s resilience should consider reality TV, acknowledging that being filmed can be taxing on relationships.
• Honest Appraisal:
  • Bert openly assesses his 16-year marriage as being in a "neutral" state rather than a peak or valley.
  • He expresses concern that adding a reality show could make for "great TV, but probably bad for the marriage."
  • Several celebrity reality TV marriages that ended in divorce are cited as cautionary tales (Jessica Simpson & Nick Lachey, Travis Barker & Shanna Moakler, Britney Spears & Kevin Federline, Whitney Houston & Bobby Brown).

3. The Reality TV Trap: Impact and Manipulation (05:02–08:15)

• Control and Editing:
  • Discussion of contract fine print, loss of edit control, and the challenge of maintaining privacy.
  • Sean sends Bert articles about how contracts often stipulate extensive access for film crews, limiting real family boundaries.
  • Once signed, "your image, your brand, everything," is at the mercy of the producers (Bert, 05:21).
• Manipulative Editing:
  • Bert worries about how ordinary moments can be dramatized—time spent with kids, tense moments at work—the risk of being portrayed in a negative light.
  • Acknowledges that viewers have lasting perceptions from edited fragments: "It's hard to change people's minds on what they see on TV" (Caller, 08:27).
• Job and Team Impact:
  • Bert recognizes the risk for his colleagues and the show’s overall image.
  • The public perception from a reality show portrayal could affect everyone associated with him professionally.

4. The Psychological Challenge (08:50–09:31)

• The Temptation: Bert admits the challenge and excitement of doing a reality show is "intoxicating," even as the risk is significant.
• Sean’s Counterpoint: Sean bluntly disagrees, claiming it’s more a "frustration" than a challenge due to lack of personal control (09:10).
• Self-Reflection: Bert concedes he’s spent more time thinking about the opportunity than he initially admitted, showing the allure of such high-stakes exposure.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Marriage and Reality TV:

  • "If you think that your marriage is strong enough to handle it, then go ahead and do it… but this is going to definitely take its toll." – Jen (as recalled by Bert, 03:11)
  • "Probably great TV, but probably bad for the marriage." – Bert (03:44)

• On Editing and Manipulation:

  • "Once you sign up, everything's gone. Your image, your brand, everything. You don't have any control over the contract." – Bert (05:21)
  • "If you really look at your life as though that there is a TV there, you really tend to live differently." – Bert (07:43)

• On Public Perception:

  • "Once they see it with their own eyes, regardless of how it's manipulated or been edited, it's hard to change your mind." – Caller (08:27)

• On the Allure of Reality TV:

  • "The challenge of it is intoxicating. Of doing it is pretty intoxicating…It just feels like a challenge." – Bert (08:50)
  • "It's not a challenge. You have zero control. You have zero control over the outcome. It's not a challenge. It's a frustration being part of it." – Sean (09:10)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:14–01:11: Bert outlines the reality show invitation and initial interview process.
• 03:06–03:50: Conversation shifts to family dynamics and the precedent of reality TV and divorce.
• 05:02–06:42: Discussion on reality TV contracts, filming rules, and boundaries (or lack thereof).
• 07:33–08:15: How manipulative editing can change public perception of one's character and family.
• 08:50–09:31: Closing reflections on the intoxicating aspect of the opportunity and weighing the risks.

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Tone & Atmosphere

The tone is candid, humorous yet thoughtful, in line with The Bert Show's trademark style—balancing real vulnerability with wit. The conversation is open, with Bert acknowledging both intrigue and trepidation, while callers and co-hosts bring in practical concerns and support.

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Summary Takeaway:
Bert’s update pulls back the curtain on the emotionally complex and high-stakes decision of joining reality TV, intertwining personal, familial, and professional implications. The episode is a revealing listen for anyone curious about how reality shows are made, and the real pressures and dilemmas they create for participants—especially families.

Transcript

[Sean]

Here. Burt show.

[Burt]

Good morning, Sean. You are on Q100. Hi, yes, I was calling Burt for

[Caller]

you to see if you were gonna

[Burt]

update us on your reality show or.

[Caller 2]

That's right.

[Caller]

Yes, yes, yes. Good reminder, good call.

[Burt]

Today the theme is updates. Okay, yeah, let's go. Let's cover this here real quick. For those of you that don't know what Sean here is talking about, before we left for break, I was approached by a creator of a reality TV show. Same creator that put together Real Housewives of Atlanta and Real Housew of Ocean, Ocean, Orange County, Orange County. Yes. And they are going to be doing a reality TV show here in Atlanta that they're casting for and it's Boys Club atl and she's got the idea to get like five or six guys from Atlanta. She says that it's lifestyle based and they'll follow us around for three months. So before I left for break, she came over to my house with some cameras and we did an on TV on camera interview. She was supposed to send that out to some producers out in la and then collectively they are gonna make a decision on who's gonna be on the show and who's not gonna be on the show.

[Caller]

How many did they interview? How many people?

[Burt]

I couldn't answer that. I don't know. Like, I know four of my friends are being considered, so I think if they were looking to bring one group of guys that already had chemistry together, then they've got that and then they were gonna add two to the mix. But I didn't know if there's another group somewhere in Atlanta or two other groups or three other groups of guys that they're maybe looking at more as a team than they are individually. I don't know. I don't know. So at this point, I think mostly because I've been focusing on, on Jeff and trying to keep the show together, I haven't really spent any time at all thinking, if she comes back and says, we'd like you to be part of the show if I'll do it or not. I really haven't spent a lot of time on it. I won't say I forgot about it. I just haven't thought about it too much. And I got text messages before the show yesterday from the creator, Princess. It says, hey, Bert, happy New Year. I wanted to thank you again for a great interview. Today was my first day back, so I'm playing catch up. Your tape arrived in LA today. We are in the process of review of all the great candidates and she puts in parentheses, you. I will be in touch very soon to share the next phase of exciting news so that you can decide if this is something that will work for you and your family. Talk soon. So it sure sounds like they're leaning on, you know, saying yay to it. I did feel like the interview went really, really well, Sean. They set us up on our couch and then basically asked Stacy and I a whole bunch of questions about our life. And Stacy answered really honestly, and I just do the same thing that I do on the radio. And I shared what I wanted to. And Stacy was very, very open about our relationship and our ups and our downs. And I think Princess liked that. I think that she was assured that if we're part of the show, that we're not going to hide a whole bunch. So I think she probably said that to the people in la.

[Sean]

She wants it, doesn't she?

[Burt]

Who?

[Sean]

Stacy.

[Burt]

She wants the show. Yeah, she's leaning way more towards it than I am. We had kind of a tough conversation on our cruise. Jen said something to me that I thought was really important before I left, and she said, I think it was you. You said that. But when you're thinking about doing something like this, if you think that your marriage is strong enough to handle it, then go ahead and do it, you know, but this is going to definitely take its toll. And I just think relationships go through highs and they go through lows. And when I look at the 16 years that Stacy and I have spent together, I wouldn't say that we're going through a high period right now. I wouldn't say we're going through a real low period.

[Caller]

But.

[Burt]

But to add a reality TV show into the mix on that would be probably great tv, but probably bad for the marriage. So.

[Caller]

And I just wanted to say, I pointed out, like, you know, Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, reality TV show divorced. We talked about what Shannon Moakler and Travis Barker, reality TV show divorced. The ones that I can think of that, you know, Whitney and Bobby divorced, Brittany and Kay Fed divorced. I mean, all of them did reality television shows. And I'm not saying divorce is the worst thing in the world. I just don't think it's the best thing for you and Stacey. You've got a family, you've got kids. You know what I'm saying?

[Sean]

And if it's avoidable.

[Burt]

Yeah.

[Sean]

Like to be divorced, to have to 10 years from now and say that my wife and I got divorced because we tried for three years to get along or whatever, and it didn't work. So we got divorced versus. Yeah, we did a reality show and it just pushed us.

[Caller]

John and Kate Gosselin.

[Caller 2]

But at the same time, all those reality shows you just mentioned focused on the one couple. This one's going to be focused on five or six different other people. So you all won't be the main focus and might not be in all of the coverage.

[Burt]

And as curious to know how the

[Caller]

relationships are of people that have done similar shows that Bert signed up for.

[Burt]

I mean, these are all great questions and just stuff I haven't really had a chance to wrap my head around yet and won't until she comes back and says yes. Really.

[Caller]

But if there's. If there's drama in your marriage, and that is some of the most exciting drama amidst the cast members, that is what they will focus on.

[Burt]

I don't think that that would be it. I don't think that there's a lot of drama going on between Stacy and I.

[Caller]

But if there is, just know that will be the highlight of the episode.

[Sean]

Did you see the two articles that I sent you while you were on the cruise?

[Burt]

I did. I'll. I'll read them tomorrow. But they basically have to do with contracts and what you sign up for and how a lot of people that sign up for reality TV shows don't understand the fine print of the contract and really what they're signing up for. But basically what it'll tell you, and I'll read from it tomorrow, is once you sign up, everything's gone. Your image, your brand, everything. You don't have any control over the contract. You can't bail out when you want. And then the contract is written in a way that if they didn't add certain stipulations in the contract, they're covered on that also.

[Sean]

But the part that I focused on because you were asking about the rules with. Now give me that. You were asking about the rules with the what? When they can be in your house and all that stuff. And if they can leave. Like, there was a part in there that said people, they will tell you to your face, yes, if you need us to leave, or if you're having a birthday party for your kid, that you don't want us to be there, whatever. But the contract you sign gives a total number of hours during the filming window. And if you do the math, that number of hours generally equals the number of hours in that filming window. So it looks like you can ask us to leave, but it'd be like saying, hey, Bert, you can tell Me to leave this studio, you know, whenever you want between 6 and 10, but by contract, I'm allowed to be in here between six for four hours. So there's really nothing.

[Caller]

There's no room.

[Sean]

Yeah.

[Burt]

So, you know, without again, updating, not a lot of update. There's really nothing to talk about until Princess comes back and says, yes, you're being considered. Then Stacey and I are really gonna sit down, and we're gonna talk about every angle of our life and. Cause the way I've been thinking of it the last couple of weeks, and I really have been looking at my life with a lens on it, thinking that if there was a camera here right now, how could this be manipulated on TV to make me look like a bad guy? And there's some stuff in there, you know, like, I spent. I spent 20 minutes with my kid last night, and that was it. Reading, reading to him. Because I just didn't have time yesterday. And by the time I did, dinner was done and I read to him, there was 20 minutes left in the day. So can they manipulate that to say that he has no time at all for his kids? Because any little thing is gonna be blown way out of proportion.

[Sean]

Let me just throw this out there. Is there anything that you said that may have been perceived as negative about the company that runs the radio station that employs you over the past two or three weeks?

[Burt]

No, not one. You know, there are just a million different things. Like, if you really look at your life as though that there is a TV there, you really tend to live differently. Like, you start to. You just act differently. You really do. Like I told you guys a couple of weeks ago, I lost it when this whole Jeff thing was going on. A couple other stresses. I yelled at a Birch show employee, which I rarely. I mean, stupidly rarely do. But in one episode, they get that.

[Caller]

Right.

[Burt]

Right. It's the epicenter of one episode. Then it runs on promos.

[Sean]

Have you told the story about the barstool girl?

[Burt]

Weeks and weeks. Yeah, I did. And weeks and weeks and weeks. And all of a sudden, I'm this tyrant at work who doesn't ever spend any time with his kids. So it's a lot of stuff to consider. It really is a lot of stuff.

[Caller]

And it's hard to change people's minds on what they see on tv.

[Burt]

Absolutely.

[Caller]

Once they see it with their own eyes, regardless of how it's manipulated or been edited, it's hard to change your mind. Think about the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Your perception of them is from that very edited, small portion TV show. Very difficult to change your mind on what you think about each and every one of those characters, even though that could have been their worst moment of the last 10 years.

[Burt]

And that affects our. That affects our jobs, right? That affects all of you guys, if that happens. So that's something to think about. But I will tell you this, that the challenge of it is intoxicating, of doing it is pretty intoxicating. How can I be feeling stretched? It just feels like, yes, it would feel like a challenge.

[Sean]

It's not a challenge. You have zero control. You have zero control over the outcome. It's not a challenge. It's a frustration being part of it.

[Burt]

Navigating through it successfully, to me, would be a challenge.

[Sean]

Oh, Lord.

[Burt]

So I don't know. I don't know. So, like I said, I spent a whole bunch of time saying that I haven't wrapped my head around it, but it sounds like I'm wrapping my head around it.

[Sean]

The Birch Show.