We're all voyeurs. We like nothing better than to sit inside our bubbles and watch other people in their bubbles. It’s no wonder then, that reality television shows are such a hit. Shows like Bigg Boss, MTV Roadies, Splitsvilla, Fame Gurukul and Biggest Loser Jeetega have provided many hours of mindless entertainment and enough fodder for cooler talk.

One of the biggest factors which make reality shows a hit is that contestants are often kept isolated from their family and friends. According to Ashish Patil, MTV GM, that works for two reasons. “Firstly, we watch these shows because we want to see these contestants react to their surroundings and we want to compare it to how we would react in a similar situation,” he explains, “Secondly, we often feel that we can’t act out in the way we want and when we see the contestants doing just that, we get viewing pleasure out of it.” Patil says isolation works because then the contestants have no choice but to react to their surroundings. “If they had access to books and phones and the Internet, then they’d just get busy with those.”

Natasha Grover, first runner-up on the show Biggest Loser Jeetega, acknowledges that it is separation from ones usual surroundings which makes life tough for contestants on shows. “You need a really strong mind to get through the whole show, since you can’t rely on your usual support system,” she says, “The only thing that gets you through is complete focus on the tasks at hand. It’s worse on shows like Bigg Boss where you don’t even have so many tasks consuming your time.”