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Carl Lee Schmidt may have single-handedly saved the reputation of Denver’s single men with his run on “Love Island USA.”
The 28‑year‑old Coloradan quickly captured the nation’s hearts when he joined the reality dating show, standing out as a rare gentleman among the villa’s mostly terrible men. Schmidt and his partner Aniya Harvey won second place during the season eight finale on Sunday, July 12, despite being the newest couple remaining.
Schmidt grew up in Colorado and attended Kent Denver School in Englewood, based on his Instagram posts. He left the state for undergrad, but returned to study physical therapy at the University of Colorado Boulder from 2023 through 2025, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before heading to Fiji, Schmidt worked as a fitness instructor and therapy aide in Denver. (Schmidt’s love interest also has Mile High ties, as the daughter of former Denver Nuggets player Donnell Harvey.)
Schmidt made it further in “Love Island USA” than any Coloradan in the show’s history, but he’s not the first reality television contestant to put us on the map.
Here are the top 10 local reality TV icons who have previously graced our screens. Where do you rank Schmidt among these hometown heroes?
Netflix
10. Jordan Keltner, “Love is Blind”
“Love is Blind” season nine was doomed to fail as soon as it selected Denver as its host city, becoming the only season in the franchise’s history to end with no marriages. However, single father Jordan Keltner found success amidst the failure. Keltner enjoyed the most functional relationship of the season with Megan Walerius. The pair called it quits before their wedding day, opting for a surprisingly civil discussion rather than a dramatic fight at the altar. In the end, Keltner made off with a hefty social media following and a positive impression among viewers — if you can get over the fact that he drinks blended chicken for breakfast.
Seventeen
9. Nicole Fox, “America’s Next Top Model”
The youngest-ever winner of “America’s Next Top Model” is a Louisville native. Nicole Fox won the modeling competition at just 18 years old while she was a sophomore fine arts major at the University of Colorado Boulder. Fox competed in Cycle 13 in 2009, near the height of the show’s popularity, during its first and only petite season. Fox shifted to acting and art after the show. These days, she appears to be living a private life, which is an impressive feat in the reality television world.
Disney/Michael Kirchoff
8. Taylor Frankie Paul, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives“
The creator of MomTok and face of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” Taylor Frankie Paul, was born and raised in Pueblo. She later moved to Utah, where her eventual “soft swinging” arrangement with other married Mormon couples earned her online fame and a reality show contract. Paul landed in hot water earlier this year when footage of a 2023 incident leaked, showing her throwing barstools at her ex-boyfriend. The controversy led ABC to pause her already-filmed season of “The Bachelorette.” Despite this, Paul is undeniably one of today’s biggest reality stars, and with rumors that “The Bachelorette” might air this summer, she’s not going away any time soon.
Lifetime
7. Emily Balch, “Married at First Sight”
The Denver-based season of “Married at First Sight” was marred by record-setting failures, including ending without any relationships for the first time and having the only instance of a contestant being left at the altar. But Emily Balch was somehow still the greatest source of chaos in the show. She suffered broken bones, a life-threatening ATV crash and an agonizing relationship with Brennan Shoykhet that ended in a series of bitter blowout fights. Some called Balch a villain, but her unfortunate antics made the hopeless show watchable. For that, she is my hero.
Ken Hamblin
6. Mondo Guerra, “Project Runway”
Denver designer Mondo Guerra has always made his hometown look good. Mondo got his start in fashion as a kid, taking thrift-store clothing and repurposing it with scissors and a glue gun. He went on to attend Denver School of the Arts and the Community College of Denver before landing on “Project Runway” in 2010. While Guerra didn’t win his initial season, his talent and vulnerability won the hearts of viewers, as he shared his HIV-positive status, marking a defining moment in the show. Mondo returned for “Project Runway All Stars” in 2012, taking home the crown and making the Mile High City proud.
CBS
5. Ami Cusack, “Survivor”
Last year, Denver rocket scientist Steven Ramm had a good run on season 49 of “Survivor,” but no Coloradan has touched the legacy of Lakewood barista Ami Cusack since she played in 2004. Cusack is the only Coloradan to play the game twice, during seasons nine and 16. The so-called ice queen dominated her first appearance, leading an all-female alliance to eliminate three of the four remaining men. Though she was ultimately eliminated in sixth place, she became a fan favorite and an LGBTQ+ icon as one of the first openly queer women on the show.
YouTube
4. Heidi Montag, “The Hills”
Heidi Montag got her start on MTV’s “The Hills” in 2006, following a group of wealthy young frenemies living in Los Angeles. But she was actually born and raised in Crested Butte. Montag’s public plastic surgery and tumultuous relationship with now-husband Spencer Pratt earned the pair a bad rap, once being called “everything that is wrong with America.” Regardless, she managed to spin the infamy into a varied reality TV career, including appearances on “Celebrity Big Brother,” “Celebrity Wife Swap” and, most recently, “The Masked Singer” — not to mention her newly charting-topping music career.
ABC
3. Ryan and Trista Sutter, “The Bachelorette”
Many Coloradans have enjoyed stand-out features in the Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise, like Blake Horstmann of Bailey and Ben Higgins of Denver. However, no one can top the original. Trista Sutter appeared on the very first season of “The Bachelor” in 2002, finishing in second place and becoming the star of the inaugural season of its companion show, “The Bachelorette.” There she met and fell in love with Fort Collins native Ryan Sutter. The couple has been married for 23 years. They raised their two children in Vail and now reside in Denver.
Brian Degenfelder
2. Yvie Oddly, “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
Drag queen Yvie Oddly was born and raised in Denver, where she still lives today. She got her start in the local drag scene before entering “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2019. Oddly reigned victorious in the competition, winning the 11th season and later returning for an all-stars season. She solidified herself in the Drag Race Hall of Fame with an entirely unique approach to the craft, proving that drag doesn’t have to be all glamour and that leaning into the weird can bring success. Shout out to Oddly’s drag sister Willow Pill, a fellow Denver native, who won drag race season 14.
1. Gabby Windey, “The Traitors”
Before she was reality TV royalty, Gabby Windey was a Denver Broncos cheerleader and a critical care nurse in the UC Health system. She launched her television career in 2022 on “The Bachelor,” going on to become the titular bachelorette in her own season. She followed it up with a stint on “Dancing With the Stars” that earned her second place. However, her best performance might be on last year’s season of “The Traitors,” where her wit and humor made her a breakout star and helped her co-win the show along with three other faithfuls. Now, she’s upgraded from contestant to host with her role leading Hulu’s new dating show, “Love Overboard.”
Dishonorable mentions
- Duane Chapman — Better known as “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” the Denver native’s reputation has been tarnished by allegations of racism and abuse.
- Ebony Jackson — The Colorado Springs teen was featured on the first season of “16 and Pregnant” and later arrested for child endangerment.
- Colton Underwood — This former Denver resident and accused stalker is known for his appearances on “The Bachelor” and “The Traitors.”
- The entire cast of “The Real World: Denver” — Seven deeply problematic people gave Denver a bad reputation in this terrible season of television.
Itching for more local representation? Thornton native Melody Morris is currently competing on season 28 of “Big Brother.” Watch the show live on CBS or stream it on Paramount+.
