Vannessa Cross

The incredible success of shows such as “My 600-lb Life” and “1000-lb Sisters”, coupled with the worrying obesity epidemic in the USA, have made Vannessa Cross and other reality TV participants minor celebrities. When viewers met Vannessa in Season 1 of “1000-lb Best Friends”, she weighed a staggering 442lbs, about 200kgs, but had rarely, if ever, considered her vast size an issue.

“I still drove, I still walked around, so my mentality was I’m fine, I’m perfect the way I am. I could still do things,” the 44-year-old explained in an interview. As her quality of life hadn’t drastically decreased yet, Vannessa never thought of slimming down until her best friend and costar, Meghan Crumpler, went on her own weight loss journey.

When Vannessa witnessed the health benefits in Meghan’s life, she was inspired to go down the same path, and began preparing for bariatric surgery by cutting bread, sugar and soda out of her diet. Next, she began going to therapy to work on her toxic relationship with food.

“I opened my mind to try to understand what in my brain is making me want to stay fat and stay helpless,” she admitted. “Why do I have to eat three cheeseburgers and two fries instead of one cheeseburger like a normal person?”

Prior to surgery, Vannessa had already lost almost 50lbs (23kgs) on her own. The day of her weight loss surgery, she weighed 398 lbs – and went on to lose 159 more, about 70kgs. Following her surgery, Vannessa has implemented plenty of changes into her diet and lifestyle, swapping fried food with fruits and vegan smoothies, and learning how to make healthy recipes with her children.

In the past, Vannessa ate for comfort and pleasure. Now, however, she goes to the gym or on long walks whenever she’s struck by a sudden craving. “I get my joy, my comfort, my anxiety levels down, everything, from pushing myself more and more in the gym,” she said.

However, it took Vannessa a while to get to where she is today. The first time she saw Dr. Procter, she weighed 446 lbs, then lost 20lbs between appointments. Encouraged by her progress, Dr. Procter set Vannessa a goal weight of under 400 lbs to qualify for surgery. Six months later, Vannessa weighed 442lbs at the follow-up appointment, and was discouraged by her weight gain.

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Nevertheless, the TV personality was inspired to try harder, and her efforts paid off. From celebrating being able to wear a seatbelt again, to regaining her confidence and spark, Vannessa has proved herself to be a positive role model with every step she takes in this challenging but rewarding journey.

Throughout her adult life, the Georgia native weighed around 350lbs. Her weight began fluctuating in 2016 after the death of her husband, as her life “spiraled out of control”. For the next few years, her weight often fluctuated up to 500lbs, as she used food to feel better about herself.

Viewers of “1000-lb Best Friends” are thrilled to see the positive change in Vannessa, and how she’s acting as a positive role model for her children. Meanwhile, Meghan Crumpler’s journey hasn’t been going so smoothly.

Meghan Crumpler

At the start of season one, Meghan weighed approximately 500lbs, about 230kgs, and had difficulty moving around and doing everyday tasks – so much so that she relied on her husband for almost everything, and required oxygen to breathe.

Although Vannessa has been giving interviews and keeping fans posted with her exact weight so they can see her progress, Meghan has shied away from doing the same. It’s undeniable that she’s lost weight since filming began, but her recent actions have led to netizens thinking that she’s not as committed to changing her life as her best friend is.

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“I started watching beginning of S1 and I had Megan’s number right away,” a Reddit user said on the show’s official forum. “She wants to benefit from all of the free and PREMIUM NICE medical treatment and rehab, while drinking and not dealing properly with her issues, while having already had the surgery and should be benefitting from it, the fact she has stayed this large is a medical miracle.”

In one of the latest episodes of Season 2, Meghan was also seen screaming at Vannessa and having one of her frequent meltdowns. The TV personality has recently been accused of disrespecting Dr. Procter by addressing him by his surname instead of his title – with some netizens even claiming that she is sexually suggestive towards him during their appointments.

Fans of the show are of the opinion that Meghan, who is going through financial hardship, is irresponsible with her money after spending her savings on a fancy wedding and having to move in with her friend Tina Arnold and her husband. Meghan has taken to selling her second-hand clothes, bodycare products, and other random objects in an attempt to scrape some extra cash together, which has led to speculations regarding how much she and Vannessa are paid per episode.

Not much is known about Meghan’s friend Tina, but the Reddit subforum /r/1000lbbestfriends refers to the latter as a “grifter” after she started a GoFundMe campaign for her disabled daughter’s apartment and allegedly turned said apartment into a gym for herself and Meghan. Tina, who is also trying to lose weight, often features in the show, and dramatically kicked Meghan out in one episode after a heated argument – however, the women are believed to be on good terms again, as Meghan is apparently still living with her and her husband.

Check out On the Road with Meghan and Tina by Tina Arnold on @Kickstarter https://t.co/Qxx270u1C6

— Tina1kBF (@Tina1kBf) April 29, 2023

There’s also the possibility that the show contains scripted screens, as viewers find it hard to believe that Meghan and her husband celebrated their honeymoon in Tina’s bedroom. Whatever the case, Meghan’s weight loss appears to have stalled dramatically in the last few months, and her living situation is clearly an unstable one.

For now, TLC has yet to confirm if there’ll be a third season of “1000-lb Best Friends”. The Season 2 premiere took place in early March 2023, and was viewed in around 500,000 households.

Caroline Manzo

Reality TV star and entrepreneur Caroline Manzo, became the talk of the town after swearing that she would never return to the “Real Housewives” franchise. The 61-year-old mother of three, who helped launch “Real Housewives of New Jersey” (“RHONJ”) in 2009, and left in 2013, was part of the season four lineup for “Ultimate Girls Trip”, one of the iconic series’ many spin-offs.

However, Caroline left the show ahead of schedule after a run-in with Brandi Glanville. The TV personalities were filming in Morocco when Brandi allegedly began kissing Caroline multiple times without her consent. As a source told PEOPLE: “Caroline’s distress over the matter did not seem to stop Brandi. Things escalated and physical boundaries allegedly were crossed that Caroline felt were serious and uncomfortable.”

The production team decided to report the incident to higher ups in order to decide how to proceed with filming, which continued that night and into the next morning. Then, Brandi reportedly apologized to Caroline via text message after finding out how the latter felt. Despite Brandi’s attempt at damage control, she was asked to leave the trip early because of her inappropriate behavior; meanwhile, Caroline decided to return home and process what had happened, without having to deal with cameras or her fellow cast members.

The incident between Caroline and Brandi took place in January 2023, but the whole story has yet to come out. Other sources claim that Brandi inappropriately touched Caroline in a locked bathroom on set, which led to the show’s producers launching an investigation. However, Brandi’s lawyer states that the encounter was mutual and consensual and comprised of “some flirtatious conduct and kissing.”

Three months later, Caroline was asked if she would consider filming for another season of the spin-off with different cast members, to which she replied: “Never. No. Never, never, never.” Many people were eagerly looking forward to the Brooklyn native’s return to reality TV; unlike Brandi and other members of the franchise, Caroline has kept a relatively low profile from 2016 onwards, and her appearance in “Ultimate Girls’ Trip” had the potential to be a brilliant comeback.

Caroline Manzo Breaks Silence on Early RHUGT Exit: 'I Was Going Back with the Highest of Hopes' https://t.co/GRvKYApuct

— People (@people) March 20, 2023

Fans of the “Real Housewives” shows fondly remember Caroline from the first few seasons of “RHONJ”. When the show premiered, it was more of a family affair, as Caroline starred alongside her sister Dina and sister-in-law Jacqueline Laurita. The Brooklynite departed after five seasons, and began filming a spin-off series about her family, “Manzo’d with Children”. The spin-off first aired on Bravo in October 2014, and pulled in over 1.7 million viewers; however, a ratings slump caused the show to be cancelled after three seasons.

A few years later, Bravo got in touch with Caroline to offer her a part-time role in Season 10 of “RHONJ”, but she turned the offer down, reportedly due to the low salary the network was offering. In 2022, Caroline herself confirmed that she had been asked to return for Season 13, and once again declined the offer. Now, after the negative experience with Brandi, it seems more unlikely than ever that we’ll see her on screen again.

Moving on to Caroline’s personal life, she’s married to the successful businessman Albert Manzo, who is a co-owner of an upmarket event and catering facility in Peterson, New Jersey. Caroline and Albert share three children named Albert, Lauren Michele and Christopher Thomas, who were born in 1986, 1988 and 1989 respectively.

Albert and his brother Tommy Manzo inherited the event and catering facility The Brownstone from their father; if the building appears familiar, it’s probably because it was used as a location for “The Sopranos”. The Manzo family are said to live in an opulent $1.69 million house in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey; Caroline and Albert bought the property for $265,000 in 1996, and built the house six years later. With over 5,000 square feet and 1.56 acres of land, it’s clear that the Manzos aren’t hurting for cash, if their beautiful home is anything to go by.

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Ironically, Caroline and Albert were once considered the poor neighbors in Franklin Lakes; however, that didn’t bother the reality TV personality at all. “We had no landscaping for seven years,” Caroline explained in a 2009 interview. “The pool isn’t gunite. I’m not spending that kind of money… I don’t look to impress.”

Caroline, who grew up in a homely Italian household where “the door was always open”, wanted to raise her children with the same traditions. Despite their privileges, the Manzo children had as normal an upbringing as possible, with Caroline and Albert’s home always being full of friends and family. These days, the Bravo alum shares a close bond with her offspring, especially Lauren, who welcomed her first daughter with Vito Scalia – her brother Albert’s best friend – in February 2017.

Despite not wanting anything to do with Bravo or the “Real Housewives” franchise, Caroline’s time on the series still follows her around wherever she goes. In 2015, co-star Teresa Giudice and her ex-husband Joe Giudice were convicted on several counts of fraud, since when Teresa and others have accused Caroline of being the one who informed the feds on the couple.

During Page Six’s “Reali-Tea” Live event in mid-May 2023, Caroline was once again asked about her involvement in Caroline and Joe’s conviction, and sensationally shared that she was present when the ‘phone call to the government took place. Her daughter Lauren then quickly added: “But we’ll never say who it was.”

“I miss the days of Season 1, Teresa,” Caroline reminisced. “We were there for each other. We were on this journey.” She then added that Teresa had let the fame go to her head, and had become a ‘monster’. Understandably, Teresa has yet to respond to Caroline’s comments, but a few irate netizens accused the latter of trying to keep herself relevant by any means.

Even if she never returns to reality TV again, Caroline has plenty on her plate for the time being. Be it an herb garden, a book club, or participating in fun activities with her granddaughter, the Brooklynite always keeps herself busy. In the past, Caroline also had a bath and body company named Friendly Monkey Soap Co. with a successful Etsy store; these days, she has her own podcast named “Food, Love, Chaos”, in which she shares cooking tips with her fans.

Chess is becoming mainstream, primarily through players with charismatic personalities who stream the board game on platforms such as Twitch and YouTube. Anna Cramling has a similar story; only people intimately familiar with the board game knew her and her chess-playing family before 2020. She changed that by starting a Twitch channel, AnnaCramling, and amassing over 330,000 followers since, and a YouTube channel, @AnnaCramling, on 16 February that year, with over 520,000 subscribers in late May 2023. However, many of her followers have yet to learn about her history, which is where we come in.

Anna is branching out

Anna gained prominence as an amateur chess player for Spain, then Sweden, and achieved a career peak in 2018 after becoming a Woman FIDE Master (WFM). Although she was successful the following year, her rating dropped, and the COVID-19 pandemic reduced her chances to play in person. Instead of sitting on her hands, Anna accepted the opportunity to comment on chess matches and started YouTube and Twitch channels which quickly took off. Although she competed a few times during the lockdowns, and played at the 2023 Reykjavik Open, Anna’s streaming career is at the forefront. Thankfully, she uses her engaging personality to bring attention to the board game in media, persuading more girls and women to start playing.

Her parents are renowned chess players

Anna Yolanda Cramling Bellón, born on 30 April 2002 in Málaga, Spain, started playing chess at three. Pia Cramling, her mother, is a Swedish Grandmaster (GM), while her father, Juan Manuel Bellón López, is a Grandmaster (GM) and a five-time Spanish chess champion. Her parents regularly competed in chess tournaments when she was a child. Her mother took a 10-month break during her pregnancy with Anna, which included three months after her birth, arguably her longest pause from playing.

21 today 🥳 pic.twitter.com/VvC6hL0gOg

— Anna Cramling (@AnnaCramling) April 30, 2023

Her mother was the top-rated female chess player in the FIDE International Chess Federation in 1984 and a few other times. Thus in 1992, Pia became the fifth woman to reach the rank of Grandmaster. Anna spent most of her childhood at tournaments, watching her parents play. Her maternal grandfather babysat her whenever that wasn’t possible, which was tricky because he’s from Sweden. However, her parents noted that Anna was unbelievably calm and quiet as a kid.

Interestingly, Anna later stated that her parents never pressured her to play chess. Instead, she said that she felt pressure from herself and the community to live up to being the daughter of two Grandmasters.

She briefly played for Spain

Anna started competing early but only participated in a small number of chess tournaments under the Spanish flag. However, that’s when she earned her first FIDE rating of 1519, competing in the Amateur A contest at the Gibraltar Chess Festival in February 2013 aged 10. Anna returned the next year and won the women’s prize, which earned her considerable praise and publicity. That was unsurprising; her parents actively competed there many times, and she had watched them for nearly a decade. Anna crossed the 1600 FIDE rating mark at the event, and ended her chess career under the Spanish flag.

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Anna moved to Sweden in 2012

Anna and her parents relocated to Sweden when she was 11, but she only officially switched to a Swedish chess federation in 2014. In hindsight, that was the right move, as her rating increased by 300 in early 2015. Towards the year’s end, she had a chance to compete in the girl’s U-14 division of the World Cadets Chess Championship, where she finished 58th out of 125 competitors.

Anna wasn’t discouraged and crossed the 2000 FIDE rating mark in mid-2016, at 14, during the Hasselbacken Chess Open event held in Stockholm. Although she didn’t win the event, she beat her fellow Swede, Michael Backman, with a FIDE rating of 2161.

Her success was noticed, and she got to represent Sweden in Azerbaijan during the 2016 Chess Olympiad and helped her country win 23rd place. Furthermore, Anna played for Sweden in 2017 during the Master’s competition in Gibraltar, at the European Youth Chess Championships in the girls under-16 category, and the World Junior Chess Championships in the under-20 girls division. She praised Sweden’s government programs for cultural projects, chess included, for children under 20. However, she disliked that newspapers with a chess column were far more common when she was growing up.

2018 was both great and disappointing for her

Anna had her most successful year in 2018, when she performed well in four tournaments, earning her peak FIDE rating of 2175 and the title of the Woman FIDE Master (WFM). Moreover, she beat the Spanish International Master (IM) Renier Castellanos Rodriguez, who held a rating of 2498, at the Open Internacional Villa de Benasque event in Spain in July. Unfortunately, she underperformed towards the end of 2018, and her rating fell below 2000.

She started making changes in 2019

Anna didn’t rest on her laurels, and participated in several tournaments in 2019. She ended up in 13th place at the European Youth Championships, and beat a fellow WFM with a rating of 2307, Govhar Beydullayeva. Consequently, Anna’s rating rose to 2164 by October of that year, shy of her highest.

Anna combined her parents’ styles

When asked to describe her playstyle, Anna replied that she plays aggressively, particularly online for practice, as she finds it more fun. She got that part from her father, who is very aggressive and tactical. In contrast, her openings are calculated and calm; her mother taught her many of them, and like her, Anna prefers the 1.d4 opening with white pieces, the second most popular chess opening after 1.e4, also called the Queen’s Pawn Game. Therefore, Anna stated that she ‘plays her mother’s openings with her dad’s style.’

Her parents, who still compete, have frequently been by her side  – for instance, during two European Team Chess Championships and the 2016 Chess Olympiad, her mother was on her team while her father organized their efforts as the team captain. Her mother’s absence from the team was also why Anna didn’t participate in the Chess Olympiad two years later.

She started streaming during the pandemic

As a successful chess player, Anna has much experience deliberating and voicing moves to her peers. The number of chess tournaments dwindled when the COVID-19 outbreak grew in severity in late 2019. Thus, she decided to comment on one of the rare ongoing competitions, the 2020 Women’s World Chess Championship, held in Russia and China. Anna created her Twitch channel, and alongside her mother, commented on the match between the title defender, world champion Ju Wenjun, rated at 2584, and the challenger, Aleksandra Goryachkina, who won the new Candidates Tournament the year before, and was rated 2578.

Additionally, Anna competed in the “Femme Batale” Twitch event alongside IM Anna Rudolf, WFM Alexandra Botez, and WGM (Woman Grandmaster) Jennifer Shahade in March of that year. All proceeds from the event were donated to the World Health Organization’s Solidarity Response Fund during COVID-19. Anna also did live commentary during the first portion of the 2020 Women’s Speed Chess Championship alongside GM Robert Hess.

Anna joined the Panda esports team

Anna liked what she was doing on Twitch, and the audience tuned in to listen to her expertise and fun personality. Her mother and father periodically voiced their opinion, making things more interesting. For instance, they discussed the chess opening that Anna invented, “the COW opening,” and played against chess hustlers in Union Square Park in New York City. Anna realized that combining chess with entertainment was a career worth exploring, and she started posting on social media, Twitter and Instagram. The esports company Panda spotted her in late 2020, and signed her the following year, making her their first chess streamer.

Anna credits the mini-series “The Queen’s Gambit,” which premiered a few months after she became active online, for her sudden surge of followers. Moreover, Anna’s prominence grew after she signed up with a renowned talent agency, Evolved Talent or Evolved.GG. It represents well-known streamers such as xQc, Kitboga, Alinity, and Jerma985, and esports gamers Gorgc, Elevate, Babybay, and GarrettG. She mentioned that one reason for getting into esports is that chess was neither a sport nor a part of the culture, making it harder to earn money and get government assistance. She felt that chess becoming an esport would motivate more people to join clubs and play online. Moreover, she wanted to inspire girls to play and thought that the more girls started, the more they would join her as streamers or competitors. Her mother also said that chess needs better marketing, higher prizes, better playing conditions, and more women.

She had a boyfriend

Anna prefers to keep many things a secret, and separates her private and public life. Fans mostly know about her love for coffee, home workouts, and the beige color. However, observant fans noticed a minor mention of a previous relationship in a CNN article from March 2023, that revealed the most about her as a person, Anna mentioning that she used her ex-boyfriend’s laptop to start her first stream. That means that the relationship is over, and her followers have yet to discover whom she dated, and whether she has a new partner.

Sadly, in the same interview, Anna described her experience as a woman during chess tournaments as ‘lonely and sometimes uncomfortable.’ She said that adult men had complimented her since she was a kid. Moreover, some of her chess opponents admitted that they couldn’t stop looking at her. It’s important to note that chess bouts can last to five hours. Even worse, Anna revealed that a chess official warned her not to wear shorts, to avoid distracting male players.

She successfully transitioned

Anna started playing chess at three and had a successful career, reaching the third-highest rank in 2019. However, she used an unfortunate situation, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, to pursue her dream of making chess accessible and fun for everyone. She wanted more women to join the board game and eradicate the misconception that it was only for ‘old, intelligent men.’ Additionally, Anna claims that streaming helped her start playing chess ‘in a relaxed way, and not trying to be the best,’ which weirdly led to better results in the International Chess Federation matches.

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Anna will continue streaming

Anna was nominated in the Best Chess Streamer category at The Streamer Awards in 2023, suggesting that her popularity is rising. Plus, Anna has taken a gap year after matriculating from high school, and is expanding her reach by partnering with Chess.com and Menē, a jewelry company that ,presented a 24K gold and pure platinum chess collection during Paris Couture Week, with her help. Sadly, her official website, www.annacramling.com, doesn’t work in May 2023, although probably temporarily. Most importantly, her parents, neither of whom knew that streaming existed, supported her way of sharing her love of chess with the audience.

Anna competed in Reykjavik Open 2023, but stated that she would still upload or stream on YouTube or Twitch if she weren’t a chess player. However, she would post traveling live streams or vlogs instead. As proof, she explained that she talked to her camera about the video games that she played, or the things that she’s purchased since she was eight. Finally, Anna recently diversified her content by live-streaming video games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and Valorant and cooking.