Fasten your shoe laces (and bolt your table to the floor if you’re prone to flipping them), because Rebekah is taking us around the world, but mostly to Missouri for this “rule breaking” and triumphant story.

Ryan Ferguson is not merely an author, podcast host, and former Amazing Race 3rd Place winner; he is also an exoneree whose remarkable story captured national attention. While his appearances on two reality shows garnered recognition, it was the events of 2003 that truly thrust him into the spotlight.

Oh, and the Holderness Family makes an appearance in the story.

Melissa gave the following clues for next episode:

Towels
Traitor
Tips

Here’s what the hosts are watching as of today’s episode:

Melissa: Curb Your Enthusiasm, MAX
Rebekah: Farmer Wants a Wife, Hulu

Follow us on social media! We are @criminalityshow on IG/FB + Twitter, but mostly just IG. TikTok @criminalitypodcasktiktok

You can say hi and tell us what you’re watching: criminalityshow@gmail.com
Enjoy the show? Please rate/review then share with a friend because loving REALITY isn’t a CRIME! https://pod.link/criminality

Check out our website and new holiday MERCH: https://www.criminalityshow.com/criminality-shop

Sources:
CBS
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ryan-fergusons-fight-for-freedom/

ABC
https://abcnews.go.com/US/murder-convict-freed-case-unravels/story?id=20207994

Entertainment Weekly
https://ew.com/tv/the-amazing-race-season-33-cast/
https://www.komu.com/news/liveblog-ryan-fergusons-release/article_bc8d1463-e583-54db-972c-b1ae9fb28172.html


Mid Missouri news
https://www.komu.com/news/midmissourinews/Chuck-erickson-released-from-prison-after-serving-nearly-20-years-for-kent-heitholt-murder/article_26c2f4aa-9034-11ed-b341-9bdec775b490.html

KOMU.com
https://www.komu.com/news/liveblog-ryan-fergusons-release/article_bc8d1463-e583-54db-972c-b1ae9fb28172.html


Dream/Killer Documentary

Amazing Race YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a76HmSuUGbA   

Holderness Family YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kjoUjOHjPI





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Ryan Ferguson: Amazing Grace

CRIMINALITY is a podcast for those of us who love reality TV, true crime, and want to hear all the juicy stories where the two genres intersect. Every other Friday, hosts, Melissa (one half of Moms and Murder podcast) and Rebekah (host of DIE-ALOGUE podcast), will share the true story of a reality personality who faced more than just champagne problems. You won’t find murder stories here, but fear not, there are crimes a plenty - fraud, arrests, mugshots, scandals, and more.CRIMINALITY: Because loving reality isn’t a crime!

TV & Film

True crime

Reality TV loves little more than romantically pairing rich people with the poors. But what happens when the rich people frauded their way to wealth, and their rap sheet is larger than their stock portfolio? Rebekah will tell you as she shines a light on the OG matchmaker, Patti Stanger and her thrice retitled TV show, Millionaire Matchmaker.

Patti herself was also the victim of a crime that remains unsolved and will have you double checking your hotel room the next time you travel. But you will really demand justice when you hear Patti ridicule the matchmaking hopefuls. Tyra walked so Patti Stanger could run.

Come for the Tori Spelling segment, stay for Rebekah and Melissa’s real-time Patti Stanger discovery at the very end!

Here’s what the hosts are watching as of today’s episode:
Melissa: Improv Broadway, TikTok
Rebekah: Dear Child, Netflix

Rebekah gave the following clues for the next episode!

A&E
JEWELS
JINX
We are @criminalityshow on IG/FB + Twitter
We are @criminalitypodcastTikTok on TikTok
You can say hi and tell us what you’re watching: criminalityshow@gmail.com
Enjoy the show? Please rate/review then share with a friend because loving REALITY isn’t a CRIME! https://podfollow.com/criminality
We have a website where you can see all past episodes, our TV recommendations, and buy MERCH! https://www.criminalityshow.com/

SOURCES:

Nicki Swift.com
https://www.nickiswift.com/1492133/millionaire-matchmaker-biggest-scandals-behind-the-scenes/

Ny Post
https://pagesix.com/2019/05/03/shocked-patti-stanger-says-hotel-robbery-served-as-a-wakeup-call/

Distractify
https://www.distractify.com/p/patti-stanger-married#:~:text=As%20of%20April%202024%2C%20Patti,Beyond%20The%20Velvet%20Rope%20podcast.

Daily Mail UK
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4239876/Patti-Stanger-named-lawsuit.html

Vulture
https://www.vulture.com/2011/11/watch-a-compilation-of-patti-stangers-most-cutting-insults.html

Reality Tea
https://www.realitytea.com/2011/09/27/millionaire-matchmakers-patti-stanger-apologizes-for-insulting-gays-jews-women-andy-cohen-calls-her-a-jackhole/

WKYC
https://www.wkyc.com/article/entertainment/entertainment-tonight/patti-stanger-reacts-to-alexis-bellino-slamming-her-fraught-romantic-history-exclusive/603-0be6da8a-1a11-4dda-bfef-44b770c797a9

Variety
https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/nick-viall-patti-stanger-the-matchmaker-cw-1235911728/

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Patti Stanger: A Million Ways to Match Make

In the surprise of all surprises, Melissa announces that today’s story is about actor Gary Busey. Perhaps you will be surprised to learn that he was a regular on reality TV shows and really made the rounds from Celebrity Apprentice to Celebrity Rehab. Or maybe you knew that. Don’t worry, because that is the LEAST crazy part of today’s episode.

Melissa teaches us Gary Busey 101 which involves “busey-isms,” and walks us through his legal troubles which range from pretty comical to very criminal. Tune in for a story you didn’t see coming. Speaking of seeing, watch out for Gary if you are driving in Los Angeles.

Come for Busey, stay for a correction corner, previous story update, and another segment of “Under Tori’s Spell.”

Here’s what the hosts are watching as of today’s episode:
Melissa: The Jinx Season 2, MAX
Rebekah: Vanderpump Villa, HULU

Rebekah gave the following clues for the next episode!

BRAVO
NET WORTH
DATING
We are @criminalityshow on IG/FB + Twitter
We are @criminalitypodcastTikTok on TikTok
You can say hi and tell us what you’re watching: criminalityshow@gmail.com
Enjoy the show? Please rate/review then share with a friend because loving REALITY isn’t a CRIME! https://podfollow.com/criminality
We have a website where you can see all past episodes, our TV recommendations, and buy MERCH! https://www.criminalityshow.com/

SOURCES:

Sources:

N/A, Celebrity Rehab, VH1, 2008

Eaton, Kristi, Dean, Anna Holton, The road to fame | Archives, tulsapeople.com, 2011

Homann, Samanthat, Busey: OSU professor 'instrumental' in my success, casinfo.okstate.edu, 2019

Okura, Lynn, Gary Busey On His Life-Changing Cocaine Overdose And Motorcycle Accident, HuffPost, 2014

JoBlo Originals, WTF Happened to GARY BUSEY?, YouTube

Hattenstone, Simon, Gary Busey: 'I passed away after brain surgery. Then I came back' | Television, The Guardian, 2020

Hyde, Marina, I'm Gary Busey and I've been clean for 13 years | Life and style, The Guardian, 2008

N/A, Gary Busey Celebrity Apprentice Greatest Hits, YouTube

N/A, Gary Busey - Biography, IMDb

Dodge, Shyam, Gary Busey hits pedestrian with his car in a Malibu grocery store parking lot, Daily Mail, 2015


Due to character limits, a complete list of sources is available upon request. 
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Gary Busey: Celebrity Menace

Rebekah is not so reluctantly delving into the TLC waters today. When Melissa mentioned a possible cult connection for one of the couples on the current season of Seeking Sister Wife, it became clear Rebekah would need to dive in and report back. Even she was shocked by what she uncovered about a cult called The Alamo Christian Foundation.
 
Justin and Becky Ryan seem like a pretty average couple, at least on the TLC spectrum of rankings. But once Rebekah reveals just how central the Alamo Christian Foundation was in their upbringing, it becomes impossible to view their creepy behavior the same way.
She explores the serious crimes of Becky Ryan’s step-dad, Tony Alamo, which include body smuggling and kidnapping, and examine the Ryan’s dating tactics - are they simply peculiar or actually predatory?

And you don’t want to miss Melissa and Rebekah’s newest “segment” at the top of the show where they share what they’ve learned from Tori Spelling’s new podcast, MisSpelling.

Here’s what the hosts are watching as of today’s episode:
Melissa: Unlocked: A Jail Experiment, Netflix
Rebekah: The Tourist, Netflix

Melissa gave the following clues for the next episode!

BUDDY HOLLY
TEETH
ARKANSAS
We are @criminalityshow on IG/FB + Twitter
We are @criminalitypodcastTikTok on TikTok
You can say hi and tell us what you’re watching: criminalityshow@gmail.com
Enjoy the show? Please rate/review then share with a friend because loving REALITY isn’t a CRIME! https://podfollow.com/criminality
We have a website where you can see all past episodes, our TV recommendations, and buy MERCH! https://www.criminalityshow.com/

SOURCES

Religion News Blog
https://www.religionnewsblog.com/8506

Encyclopedia of Arkansas
https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/tony-alamo-4224/

Refinery 29
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/06/202525/tony-alamo-cult-leader-denim-jackets

News.com/AU
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/child-brides-of-apocalyptic-christian-sex-cult-break-silence/news-story/afa04bf046e656922cf7e75fe95920cd

The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/09/ministry-of-evil-the-twisted-cult-of-tony-alamo-review-an-astonishing-tale-of-brainwashing

NY Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/us/obituary-tony-alamo-minister-sexual-abuse.html

People
https://people.com/crime/tony-alamo-child-brides-speak/

Yahoo
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/seeking-sister-wife-becky-ryan-170009446.html

Cheat Sheet
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/new-seeking-sister-wife-cast-members-linked-notorious-cult.html/

Oprah
https://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/tony-alamos-alleged-child-brides/all

In Touch Weekly
https://www.intouchweekly.com/posts/seeking-sister-wife-are-the-merrifields-still-together/
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Seeking Sister Wife: Dating, Denim and Delusions

“Extreme” really is the only way to describe the ABC show that sometimes blew up old homes to create new ones for deserving families. And sure, carousels and fountains in your home SOUNDS amazing, but when that bus moves on, sometimes families were left with astronomical electric bills and unfinished work in its wake. 

Melissa is rolling up her sleeves for today’s story about Extreme Home Makeover, and she cautions you to put on your safety glasses  because the show’s host, Ty Pennington’s frosted tips are blinding.

Between a few show reboots due to pending lawsuits and the need to tweak the show’s premise (families going bankrupt after the show wasn’t great for ratings), and Ty’s own brush with the law, this episode is full of nostalgic moments, a heated debate over Ty’s attractiveness, and a very necessary processing of feelings after listening to Tori Spelling’s new podcast.

Here’s what the hosts are watching as of today’s episode:
Melissa: The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys, Peacock
Rebekah: Quiet on Set, MAX

Rebekah gave the following clues for the next episode!

TLC
CULTS
MULTIPLES
We are @criminalityshow on IG/FB + Twitter
We are @criminalitypodcastTikTok on TikTok
You can say hi and tell us what you’re watching: criminalityshow@gmail.com
Enjoy the show? Please rate/review then share with a friend because loving REALITY isn’t a CRIME! https://podfollow.com/criminality
We have a website where you can see all past episodes, our TV recommendations, and buy MERCH! https://www.criminalityshow.com/

SOURCES
Sources:

N/A, Pennington, Ty 1965-, Encyclopedia.com, 2024

N/A, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (TV Series 2003–2020), IMDb, 

Rodgers, Casey, Ty Pennington: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The TV Host, Wide Open Country, 2020

Scipioni, Jade, Former Sears spokesman Ty Pennington on the retailer's decline, Fox News Business, 2018

N/A, Ty Pennington Has a Brand New Show Coming to HGTV, HGTV News, 2021

Pennington, Ty, Television | Ty Pennington, typennington.com, 2023

Madormo, Carrie, Brook Gordon, Erica, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: Facts About The Controversial Home Reno Series, thelist.com, 2023

Pompeo, Joe, ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ duped by family’s sick claim, Yahoo News, 2011

Carter, Brooke, What Happened to Ty Pennington From Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? - Now in 2024 Update, Gazette Review, 2024

N/A, EMHE - Miller Home Explosion,  YouTube, 2017

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK23aPPEYQo

Trading Spaces

https://youtu.be/bZPQgSxGKW4?si=M699Ioyz58axZFdZ


https://youtu.be/YX7ABhDgQss?si=LW5PK8RgrZvddXfc 


Additional sources available at criminalityshow.com. 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Extreme Home Makeover: The House That Ty Built

Love may or may not be blind, but six seasons in, Love is Blind contestants should be able to see the writing on the pod wall; this show is a mixed bag of questionable motivation and irresistible mess, served up in a gold goblet.

15 men and 15 women falling in love sight unseen and then committing to marriage in the span of 3 weeks — what could go wrong? A lot if you’re the network, production, or casting company.
There are three active lawsuits against Netflix and their partner production companies ranging from “inhumane working conditions,” to “sexual assault” and “false imprisonment.”

Is this just a case of bruised egos who didn’t get enough screen time, or part of the larger reality reckoning happening in unscripted television?

Listen as Rebekah walks us through some of the more memorable Love is Blind moments, and the accusations against the show and its producers, and then you decide if love — and justice — are blind.

Here’s what the hosts are watching as of today’s episode:
Melissa: Apple Never Fall,, Peacock
Rebekah: Expats, Prime
We are @criminalityshow on IG/FB + Twitter
We are @criminalitypodcastTikTok on TikTok
You can say hi and tell us what you’re watching: criminalityshow@gmail.com
Enjoy the show? Please rate/review then share with a friend because loving REALITY isn’t a CRIME! https://podfollow.com/criminality
We have a website where you can see all past episodes, our TV recommendations, and buy MERCH! https://www.criminalityshow.com/

Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-original-tv-shows-ranked-2020#45-killer-inside-the-mind-of-aaron-hernandez-limited-series-19

https://www.businessinsider.com/love-is-blind-season-5-lawsuit-tran-dang-sexual-assault-response-2023-10

Texas Monthly
https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/love-is-blind-contestants-lawsuits/#:~:text=In%20June%202022%2C%20season%20two,the%20cast%20trip%20to%20Mexico.


Marie Claire
https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/a-complete-timeline-of-lawsuits-and-allegations-brought-against-love-is-blind/

Deadline (Tran Dang and Renee Poche Lawsuits)
https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Dang-love-is-bind.pdf
https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Love-Is-Blind-suit-conformed-copy-1-1.pdf

People
https://people.com/love-is-blind-season-5-renee-poche-files-lawsuit-alleging-forced-to-stay-with-abusive-fiance-carter-wall-8422102

Today
https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/love-is-blind-sexual-assault-lawsuit-tran-dang-thomas-smith-rcna119321

https://www.today.com/popculture/love-is-blind-lawsuit-renee-poche-engagement-explained-rcna132127

Variety
https://variety.com/2023/streaming/columns/bethenny-frankel-bryan-freedman-mark-geragos-reality-stars-1235682247/


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Ryan Ferguson: Amazing Grace

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