Review: The Villain Edit by Alisha Aitken-Radburn

Reality TV can be a brutal place. Alisha Aiken-Radburn never realised just how brutal it could be--or the backlash that would follow on social media. A former Labor staff member based in Canberra, working in Bill Shorten's office no less, Alisha auditioned for The Bachelor and made it onto the show. She soon discovers that what happens behind the scenes is very different to what viewers see in the very carefully edited episodes. The Villain Edit is her memoir of her time on the show and appearing on two seasons of Bachelor in Paradise and how through heartbreak and finding her future husband she finds a way to take control of her relationships--and the narrative.

This one was an interesting read about what it means to go on reality TV. For Alisha, much of the narrative was controlled for her, and was not reflective of her personal experiences. It is also a memoir of how toxic social media can be. The real strength of the memoir is the author's willingness to be vulnerable. I also found her anecdotes about her childhood and working in politics to be equally as interesting as her time on the show.

Recommended.

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