Earlier this month, the cast of #RHOAKL cast were revealed during the launch of new network, Bravo New Zealand. The cast consist of six women: Angela Stone, Ann Batley-Burton, Gilda Kirkpatrick, Julia Sloane, Louise Wallace and Michelle Blanchard.
Apparently, each cast member will be getting paid $15,000 for their roles on the show. According the New Zealand Herald, one of the clauses in the RHOAKL contract is that they're not allowed to alter their "physical appearance in any material manner (eg, hair length, style or color, facial characteristics, weight, etc)" during the period they are contracted to the show without the pre-approval of producers.
Any such changes would be deemed a "material breach" of the contract.
The clause was last night criticized as "controlling" by a women's health advocate. A leading expert in TV and film branded the document "controversial" and questioned the "reality" of the upcoming show.
"The producers of the programme obviously want to take control of their products," said Dr Brett Nicholls, senior lecturer in media, film and communication at the University of Otago.
"What's interesting is the weight clause. Controversial for sure, it isn't promoting a healthy image to its female audience.
"Reality TV has always premised around the idea that you have an individual behaving like themselves.
"It is interesting that [with] the degree of control the producers want to exercise over these people - how much they are being themselves is questionable."
Auckland Women's Health Council co-ordinator Lynda Williams said people "shouldn't be signing contracts that are that controlling".
"I think the weight thing is wrong and misleading, it gives the wrong impression to viewers and women."
The show's publicity team would not comment on the topic. When the site reached out to cast member Angela Stone, she simply said she was "unable to comment" because of a confidentiality agreement with the show's producers.
The Real Housewives of Auckland which is set to premiere sometime in August on the new MediaWorks channel Bravo New Zealand. The show is being produced by Matchbox Pictures, the same production company behind the Australian installments, The Real Housewives of Melbourne, and newly announced The Real Housewives of Sydney.
Photo Credit: Bravo New Zealand