From the early years of “Survivor” to the current season of “The Voice,” the University of Nebraska–Lincoln has featured prominently in the world of reality television.
Hannah Huston, a Lincoln pre-school teacher and College of Education and Human Sciences graduate, is the most recent UNL graduate to be featured on reality TV. She is among the final four competitors in “The Voice,” an NBC singing competition.
The winner of “The Voice” is selected through a vote by viewers and iTunes Store purchases of the competitors’ recorded performances. Huston’s coach is hip-hop artist Pharrell Williams. Huston will compete in the show’s two-part season 10 finale May 23-24.
Through the years, UNL, alums and others in the Husker world have been prominently featured in reality TV. A few examples:
“Tommy Lee Goes to College” broadcast on NBC in August 2005. The six-episode show featured Mötley Crüe drummer Lee attending UNL and interacting with students, including roommate Matt Ellis. UNL administrators hosted the show in hopes that it would increase exposure to the university for recruiting. Combined with media coverage, the promotional value of the show for UNL was estimated at tens of millions of dollars. Watch the first episode of “Tommy Lee Goes to College” here.
Ndamukong Suh, a 2010 graduate and Husker football standout, appeared in three reality TV shows, including the Discovery Channel’s “American Muscle” in 2014. Suh also appeared on the dating show “The Choice” on FOX in 2012 and “Splash,” a celebrity diving contest on ABC, in 2013.
Maggi Thorne, a 2005 graduate and Husker track and field athlete, participated in “America Ninja Warrior” in 2014. The show features competitors trying to overcome a series of obstacle courses of increasing difficulty. Thorne competed as a spokesperson for Souls4Soles, a charity that provides shoes to those without.
In 2012, alumna Amanda Valentine was chosen to compete on the 11th season of “Project Runway.” After earning a UNL degree in clothing and textile design, she shadowed the fashion stylist of her brother’s band and then began apprenticing under Los Angeles’ top stylists. In 2006, Valentine moved to Nashville where she co-owned a vintage shop, managed some of the city’s hottest boutiques, and played in a couple bands before returning to wardrobe styling and working on countless music videos, photo shoots, commercials and red carpet events. She was voted back by fans to compete on season 13, finishing second with a show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.
Rulon Gardner, a former Husker wrestler and Olympic gold medal winner, was a contestant on the 11th season of “The Biggest Loser.” The NBC show centers on overweight contestants attempting to lose the most weight in pursuit of a cash prize.
Diane Ogden, a UNL student, participated in the third season of “Survivor” in 2001. Unfortunately, Ogden was the first contestant voted off the show during her season.
Former UNL students Zach Wooten and John Patrick Gieringer participated in NBC’s “The Sing-Off” as members of the a cappella group Cat’s Pajamas.
Scott Tollefsen, a College of Law graduate and Lincoln attorney, appeared on “Pawn Stars” in February 2012. The History Channel show follows daily activities at the World Famous Gold and Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas. Tollefsen took a letter written by legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne to the shop. Watch the episode here.
In 2013, UNL was featured in “College Hunt USA,”, which followed two teens from India experiencing student life at three United States universities. A joint production between the U.S. Department of State and Channel V, an international TV network owned by Star TV and Fox International Channels, the show allowed one student to have the opportunity to attend college at a university of his or her choice. Read more about the show here.
Shari True, a UNL graduate, and her daughter McKaylee were featured in the second season of “Abby’s Ultimate Dance Competition” in 2013. The show is a spinoff of Lifetime’s “Dance Mom” series. McKaylee won the dance competition, earning a $100,000 prize and scholarship to attend the Joffrey Ballet School in New York.
Twin brothers Keith and Ken Knoop, both UNL graduates, competed in the military edition of “America Ninja Warrior” in 2015. Read more about the brothers here.
Jessie Graff, a UNL graduate and Husker pole vaulter (2003-2006) who is now a stunt woman and actress, competed on “America Ninja Warrior” in 2015. The show features competitors trying to overcome a series of obstacle courses of increasing difficulty. Graff was the second woman to reach the finals of the show. Watch Graff in the competition here. She was also a contestant on Wipeout in 2008. Read more about Graff here.
Two UNL student organizations and David Manderscheid, former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, participated in a 2011 episode of “Dining with the Dean.” Produced by BYU Television, the show pitted students in a culinary competition. Manderscheid served as the judge for the UNL episode. Watch the episode here.
Chris Bainbridge, a UNL graduate student, staged a marriage proposal as part of the TLC television series “Perfect Proposal” in 2004. “Perfect Proposal” is TLC’s romantic half-hour daytime series where one hopeful fiance or fiancee arranges his or her partner’s ideal marriage proposal with the help of host Nikki Boyer.
