Hi, my name is Victoria, and I’m a reality television addict.

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking. Reality TV is mindless, vapid, and brings out the worst in people (and often stars the worst people). And you know what? You’re right. But that’s one of the reasons why people – myself included – love it so much.

Love is Blind contestants Leo and Brittany have shocked viewers with their money discussions.

Another reason I can’t get enough of it is that, so often, the conversations that play out on camera are a mirror to experiences or issues that we, the viewers, have been through ourselves or are currently going through.

Past the fake tan and veneers, seeing discussions about insecurities, vulnerabilities, or hairy topics like money being played out by other people can be extremely helpful and incredibly informative.

Take the latest season of Netflix’s US series Love is Blind, where two romantic hopefuls, Leo and Brittany, discuss their financial nitty gritties – from bank balances, expectations of who pays for what, divorce settlements and potential wills – within just a few days of knowing each other. For most of us, these conversations happen months or years into a relationship, but in the expedited world of reality TV land, they happen within days.

If you’re unfamiliar with the premise of Love is Blind, men and women are dropped into what are single-sex dorms for a number of weeks while they go on speed dates in “the pods” (heavily staged lounge rooms). The catch is the dates are verbal only, and the potential matches don’t meet each other in the flesh until much later and until there is an accepted........

© Brisbane Times