Richard Hatch (Survivor winner), Jim (The Mole, came in first or second), Josh S. (USA Big Brother winner), winner of the most recent UK Big Brother was gay, and now the gay team on The Amazing Race is doing well.
Theories?
(This is not meant as a dig, at all. I’m gay, and just find it curious that a disproportionate number of winners or near winners on these shows are gay.)
Hate to picky, but Josh on big brother USA was not gay and he didn’t win. Eddie, the one legged man won and Josh came in second. Bunky, a gay man on BB2 was the sixth person kicked out.
I don’t think that a disproportunate number of gay men win these shows. You only mentioned two shows that were really won by gay men. Maybe you just notice it more when a gay man wins because you are gay. AFAIK the winners of Bootcamp, Survivor 2, Big Brother USA 1&2, and Fear Factor have not been gay.
I hope that the life partners do win The Amazing Race. I think that it is so cute how they dress alike. Plus, I like the way they smile when they are first in line.
Heterosexual men like gay men because they don’t see them as competition.
Women like gay men because they don’t see them as a threat.
Conclusion: Gay men are liked universally and are therefore bound to be more popular.
Just an idea.
NB: The above is just a generalisation, of course. There are a large number of homophobic people in the world but I think even homophobes dont mind gay men so much if they are on TV rather than IRL.
It’s because we’re evil. Didn’t you get the memo? Who’s your advisor?
Are we counting “Weakest Link” as a “reality TV game show”? If so, gay men have done horribly on that show. Well, OK, none of them identified as gay, but please, the dancer from Monday’s show? The humpy blond massage therapist from San Francisco about six weeks ago? Both got voted off in the first few rounds. The “drag king” from two weeks ago? Lasted a few rounds but still couldn’t make it through. And Richard Hatch got voted off first in the “we’re from Survivor but legally we can’t say ‘Survivor’ so we’ll have it as the answer to half the questions” celebrity edition.
As somebody already mentioned, you only really listed two gay men that ended up winning. This was out of how many reality shows worldwide? A straight woman won Boot Camp. The gay man was recently voted out of the Big Brother 2. As far as I know, there aren’t any gay men in the final running for Manhunt (actually, I guess that show just ended yesterday, but I don’t know the outcome yet). As far as I know, none of the remaining men on WWF Tough Enough are gay. Angel, who won Murder in Small Town X, isn’t gay as far as I know. And I’ll guarantee that a gay man won’t win Love Cruise. 
Overall, I bet if we go through all the shows, you’ll find that the percentage isn’t that high and probably not all that different from the percentage of gay males in society in general.
Gay men always win the love cruise…
Because they’re faaaaaaabulous!
Mitchell did terrible on Survivor 2.
Jim wasn’t the only gay person on The Mole(he came in second by the way). That girl with the blonde hair(the jock) was also. She left pretty early. 20% of that show was gay.
No gay people have done very well on Millionaire.
Mitchell was gay?
Mahaloth said:
As far as I know, Mitchell is not gay (and seeing that I run a reality show website, I think I’d probably know).
She didn’t leave all that early. Jennifer was booted fifth of ten players; not great, but not horrible. And she isn’t a gay man, which is what this thread is about.
Define “very well.” I’ve seen at least one or two do well enough that their partners have come down to welcome them at the end. That only happens if they get around $125,000, I think.