Dave Gee: Life from Right Field

Just back from doing a stint working at the 3 News office in Christchurch. Now I'll hopefully have a few days break before I'm back on chasing stories around Otago/Southland until Channel 9 gets back in motion for the year.

Have been spending a lot of time in recent weeks getting engrossed in a range of Reality TV shows, from the biggies here, through to some less known ones which the networks here have buried in daytime telly. It is interesting tho the mix of people they have on these shows, and just many of these characters are in fact, phsychotic luntatics!

In honour of these strange characters, I have compiled a little list of recent Reality TV Psychos...

* Maria (Blinky) - The Apprentice 2 - Officially listed as a 'Marketing Executive', this woman was a prize psycho. Incredibly thick, incredibly lazy, highly incompetent in any task, and had this bizarre habit of blinking really quickly when she was under pressure or being criticised. (Honorable mention to freaky scary Stacie "I see dead people" J).

* Jonathan - The Amazing Race 6 - The supposedly male half of the husband/wife team Jon & Victoria. A majorly hot-headed psycho, who screams like a baby when the slightest thing doesn't go his way. Thinks everyone is against them (well, they probably are now ;-) Must have been a spoilt only child, surely?! Constantly screams and harasses his wife Victoria, who tends to burst into tears, before later announcing on camera "He loves me really".

* Aunt Donna - The Family - (The reality show where an Italian family live in a mansion in Palm Springs, and each episode one member gets 'denied access to the family fortune' by the secret board of trustees - actually their staff). Aunt Donna ruthlessly controls her extended family, along with husband Uncle Michael. Spits venom at anyone who dares oppose her, or fails to tow the family line. Might have a heart of gold somewhere, but it's buried in five feet of pure lead.

* Natalie "Stay home and eat cat food" - My Restaurant Rules - Partner of not-quite-so-psycho-chef-Simon in the Restaurant Mylk (My Little Kitchen). Acts like a snobby brat, with no people skills. Decided halfway through the series she didn't like the cameras, and that the result was pre-conceived. Couldn't believe that Australia didn't love her and Simon, and might try to take their restaurant off them. (Lady, it's called A Game... You signed up for it!)