Reality stars in politics, from Spencer Pratt to Trump
Caitlyn Jenner at the 60th Anniversary party for the Monte-Carlo TV Festival in 2020. (Gregg DeGuire/Getty)
Caitlyn Jenner at the 60th Anniversary party for the Monte-Carlo TV Festival in 2020. (Gregg DeGuire/Getty) (Image: Getty Images)
Caitlyn Jenner joined California’s 2021 recall ballot
Caitlyn Jenner, known for Keeping Up with the Kardashians and the docuseries I Am Cait, ran as a candidate in California’s 2021 gubernatorial recall election. She publicly campaigned as a Republican, drawing extensive LGBTQ+ media attention and debate. The recall ended with Governor Gavin Newsom remaining in office.
Spencer Pratt launched a Los Angeles mayor run
Spencer Pratt, known for MTV’s The Hills, announced a run for Mayor of Los Angeles. Pratt rose to fame on the show alongside Heidi Montag, and his campaign announcement was widely covered after he filed official paperwork to appear on the ballot.
Arnold Schwarzenegger mixed politics with reality TV hosting
Arnold Schwarzenegger served as Governor of California from 2003 to 2011 after winning the 2003 recall election. He later became host of The Celebrity Apprentice, replacing Donald Trump in 2017. Schwarzenegger is also known for film roles including The Terminator franchise.
Ronald Reagan’s TV fame predated the White House
Ronald Reagan hosted the television series General Electric Theater, which aired in the 1950s and 1960s with Reagan as host for multiple seasons. He served as Governor of California from 1967 to 1975, then was elected President of the United States in 1980.
Imran Khan paired TV judging with political power
Imran Khan served as Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022 and appeared as a judge on the reality TV show The Kapil Sharma Show. He led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup as captain and founded the political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He became Prime Minister after the 2018 Pakistani general election.
Donald Trump turned The Apprentice into votes
Donald Trump hosted NBC’s reality competition series The Apprentice before first being elected President of the United States in 2016 as the Republican nominee.
Vitali Klitschko traded boxing belts for city hall
Vitali Klitschko, a former WBC heavyweight champion in professional boxing, was elected Mayor of Kyiv in 2014. He has been re-elected as Mayor of Kyiv in subsequent elections. Klitschko also founded the UDAR political party in Ukraine.
George Weah took football stardom into the presidency
George Weah, a former professional footballer who won the Ballon d’Or in 1995, was elected President of Liberia in 2017. He served as President from 2018 to 2024. Before becoming president, he served as a Senator for Montserrado County after winning election in 2014.
Manny Pacquiao’s world titles led to a Senate seat
Manny Pacquiao, the only boxer to win world titles in eight different weight divisions, served as a Senator of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He previously served in the Philippine House of Representatives, first elected in 2010, and ran for President of the Philippines in the 2022 election. He has faced criticism for past anti-LGBTQ+ remarks during his political career.
Al Franken went from SNL sketches to the Senate
Al Franken, a former Saturday Night Live cast member, was elected as a US Senator for Minnesota in 2008. He served in the US Senate from 2009 until his resignation in 2018, and he was re-elected in 2014. Franken was also a writer and performer on Saturday Night Live for multiple seasons beginning in the 1970s.
Glenda Jackson brought Oscar wins into Westminster politics
Glenda Jackson was elected Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate in 1992 and served as an MP from 1992 to 2015, later representing Hampstead and Kilburn after boundary changes. She won Academy Awards for Women in Love (1970) and A Touch of Class (1973). Jackson also served as a junior transport minister from 1997 to 1999.
Kanye West ran for president and made ballots
Kanye West ran for President of the United States in the 2020 election and appeared on the ballot in multiple states. He held a campaign rally in July 2020 in North Charleston, South Carolina, and received tens of thousands of votes nationwide in the general election. He has appeared in reality TV contexts through his relationship and marriage to Kim Kardashian.
Dr. Mehmet Oz turned daytime TV into a campaign
Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of The Dr. Oz Show, ran for the US Senate in Pennsylvania in 2022. He won the Republican primary for Pennsylvania’s US Senate seat, before losing the general election to Democrat John Fetterman in November 2022. The Dr. Oz Show premiered in 2009 and ran for 13 seasons.
Sean Duffy moved from MTV fame to Capitol Hill
Sean Duffy, who appeared on MTV’s The Real World: Boston, was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2010. He represented Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district from 2011 until resigning in 2019, and also appeared on Road Rules: All Stars. He is married to Rachel Campos-Duffy, who appeared on The Real World: San Francisco.
