Megan Danielle

Millions of viewers tuned in to the Season 21 finale of “American Idol” on 21^st May 2023. Many were rooting for young Georgia native Megan Danielle to win the coveted $250,000 and recording contract; however, the talented brunette lost out to Iam Tongi, despite wowing the crowds and judges with her performances throughout the evening.

Megan donned an eye-catching blue dress for her first performance of the night, an incredible cover of Keith Urban’s “God Whispered Your Name”. The show’s judges – Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan – were blown away by her soulful vocals, with Katy complimenting Danielle’s artistic growth and newfound abilities.

“It’s a version of you that’s always been inside of you, and it’s so comfortable and proud of how far you’ve come and I think our job here is done because that’s the gift,” Katy declared.

Later, Megan sang Journey’s “Faithfully”, her debut single “Dream Girl”, and a duet with Lauren Daigle. Throughout the night, she was showered with praise, with Luke Bryan describing one performance as “beautiful from top to bottom”.

As is the case with every season finale, netizens took to social media platforms almost immediately when the results were announced to voice their discontent. However, many criticized Megan’s debut single and blamed it on her not winning, with one Instagram user writing: “This performance was painful to watch. From her audition to all of her other performances… I don’t feel her at all in this song and thus [sic] is her ‘new’ already? She looks like she doesn’t truly want to be singing this.”

Meanwhile, Megan’s fans felt that Iam didn’t deserve to be the winner. “He [Iam] is someone that you would see playing in a coffee house or something similar… he was voted on for his story and his heart instead of his talent… he has talent just not at the level of Meghan [sic], too often Idol is a popularity contest!!” one disgruntled Instagram user commented.

Image source

Megan is no stranger to talent shows, as she was also in Season 18 of “The Voice”. The brown-eyed brunette became part of judge Kelly Clarkson’s team, following a heartfelt rendition of “Remedy” by Adele. During the Battles stage of the competition, she covered the Dixie Chicks’ “On Top of the World” and won against Samantha Howell, soon becoming a fan favorite. Similarly, she fought for a spot on the show against CammWess in the Knockouts stage, and was later saved by Kelly during the Live Playoffs.

Ultimately, Megan was eliminated in the semifinals after a lackluster performance. She was just 17 years old At the time, and would take a break from TV for the next few years until her grand comeback on “Idol”.

The Christian singer-songwriter was born in Douglasville, Georgia in November 2003. Her parents, DJ Phillips and Monica Page separated during her childhood, with Monica becoming Danielle’s primary caregiver. Her father, who is the owner of Phillips Electrical, has always worked in the residential and small commercial electricity sector.

Many details of Megan’s personal life and education remain a mystery, but we do know that her boyfriend, Levi Walker, is her number-one supporter, and will surely remain at her side while she works on taking her promising career to the next level.

Iam Tongi

Next up we’ll discuss Iam Tongi, the unlikely winner of this year’s “Idol”. At just 18 years old, the Hawaii native has been considered a force to be reckoned with since his audition, a performance of James Blunt’s “Monsters” that quickly went viral and racked up millions of views on YouTube.

“I really love performing live,” Iam told HollywoodLife. “It just feels good when I’m on that stage and the lights and I just close my eyes and get into that feel. When other people witness that and also can connect to it’s just crazy.”

*pass the tissues* @wtongi is making us emotional. 😭 #IDOLpremiere pic.twitter.com/cxMe9Cc8OJ

— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) February 20, 2023

Iam, who moved to Seattle in 2020, suffered the devastating loss of his father a few months before his “Idol” audition; after that airing, Iam shared a photo of his father’s graveside and captioned it: “I got that golden ticket dad, wish you were here.”

The high school senior, who has made history as the first Hawaiian to win the talent show, is also the first non-country singer to take the first place since 2020. Iam, who’s of Tongan, Samoan and Irish descent, hails from the small town of Kahuku and was forced to move with his family when they were “priced out of paradise”.

Iam studies at Decatur High School in Federal Way, Washington, and previously auditioned for “Idol” when his father was alive. Despite not passing the initial screening, he was encouraged to keep working on his music by his father, who always had high expectations for him.

The Hawaii native is aware that his father wasn’t a perfect man, but has said that he was the best father he knew, adding: “I want everyone to know that he’s a tough guy. He always told me the truth, he always loved me. And I always loved him too.”

Interestingly, Iam often loses his voice before performing, and makes sure to wear a warm scarf around his neck and drink plenty of fluids to avoid that from happening. Before being crowned the winner of the 21^st season, he also performed his original single “I’ll Be Seeing You”, which he dedicated to his father.

With over 335,000 followers on TikTok and another 615,000 on Instagram (and counting), the future is looking bright for Iam. Despite being accused by some of Megan’s fans of using his father’s death to his advantage in order to win the public over, many others felt that the high school senior was deserving of the prize.

Just a couple of days after winning, Iam’s original single was #1 on iTunes USA and #36 worldwide. Although we don’t know what the future holds for him or Megan, both are reportedly planning on doing as many live shows as possible, while they work on original music.

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.

Image source

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.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmkS2AyvBIc/?hl=en

“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.

Image source

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.