12 Secret Rules You Didn't Know Reality Stars Had To Follow

Reality television appears like a rewarding business. You get to be yourself, make a ton of money and on some shows there is plenty of travel involved. Who wouldn't want their own TV show? However, there are a few other realities that need to be considered first before jumping straight into a show.

Every star we see on reality TV has behind-the-scenes signed a legal contract agreeing to a set of strict rules. There are the obvious ones: Those who use drugs won't be allowed on the show, serious criminal convictions are also not considered a good prospective for a candidate and they have to be willing to have their entire life on display for the world to see. Then there are some hidden rules that must be adhered to that us as the public would be completely shocked by.

Thanks to many former reality stars selling their tell-alls to the tabloids, we now have a full collection of some of the strictest and most absurd rules reality stars have to follow.

12 Producers (Not The Judges) Decide Who Wins The Talent Shows

Reality shows like X Factor have come under fire almost every season for being a fix. Although the contestants are real and they do really receive coaching from the judges - the final say is down to the producers.

Former TV producer Michelle Crouch told Reader's Digest, "In most competition shows, a clause in the contract says the producer has 
the final say in who's eliminated. The judges usually make the picks, but producers do step in occasionally and say, 'This person is really good for the show; I don't want him kicked off just yet.'"

11 Contestants Are On "Lock Down" Before The Show Begins  

Before the season premiere, producers like to keep extremely tight-lipped about who will be on the show and to make this possible they physically "lock down" guests in a hotel. Reality Blurred reported one of the Survivor rules was finalists: "Spend the rest of their days in their room, where they can watch TV, use the Internet, or call people, but are not permitted to tell others where they are." They also revealed: "Finalists are assigned daily times for 'Personal Breaks': Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Pool, and Gym. Each of those was a 45-minute block."

Real Housewives also have to be extremely secretive if they are joining a show, but as they like to gossip the producers send in "moles" to catch them out. Reality Blurred revealed: "Producers insist that they have moles among the (cast members). The rules say producers have "people we call 'spies' who will try and test you to see if you engage in conversation, and threaten them with disqualification."

10 Real Housewives Are Fined If They Don't Look Their Best 

Imagine if you were so unstylish you got hit with a $50,000 fine? Well, that's the strange reality for the Real Housewives. Cast members are made to sign a contract before the beginning of the season that states they must always maintain their appearance on the show. Producers pre-select what clothing, accessories and makeup they will wear throughout the season.

Kelly Bensimon, a former cast member on Real Housewives of New York revealed, "(Producers) were like, 'The next time you film, you need to have your hair blown out and be wearing makeup. You're supposed to be a supermodel, not a drowned rat.'" How sweet.

9 Contestants Should Have No Limits For Filming 

Before filming begins all contestants must agree to the rule of "anything goes." Melissa Stanforth, a former Real Housewives casting director, claimed their was no shortage of "socialites" or "wannabes" who wanted to be on the show, but what they need is stars who say yes to everything.

Melissa said she always asks potential cast members, "What's off the table?," to find out how far they go. She revealed, "If they say, "This, this, this, and that." I say, "You shouldn't be on reality TV."

8 Some Cast Members Are Just "Fillers" And Won't Get Big Storylines

Executive producer Mike Fleiss created ABC's The Bachelor, he told ABC news, "Out of the 25 women chosen to compete for the Bachelor's affection, only half need to be sincere to make a successful season." Before he added, "We need our fair share of villains every season. We're very careful in our casting… to develop characters that the audience is going to root for and root against."

So although the Bachelor believes he has 25 women falling at his feet, in reality there are only about a dozen who actually want to be there, whereas the others are just picking up a pay check. The same concept works for reality shows such as America's Next Top Model where the finalists are already decided before the season's premiere, but they need to drag this out into a full season.

7 Conversations Will Be Heavily Edited 

Any contestant or cast member on a reality TV show really doesn't have a final say in what makes the final cut. Danielle Staub was one of the most notorious cast members in Real Housewives of New Jersey seasons one and two - almost every scene she was stirring up trouble. Or was she?

Her daughter, Christine Staub, who also featured on the show revealed to Broadly magazine: "Imagine if all of the arguments you've had in your life were filmed by a stranger, and they took out the worst things you said, edited it together, and then presented the footage on TV to define your character. Would you say that characterization was accurate?" No we wouldn't - but we would say it's damn entertaining.

6 Too Little Or Too Much Drama Will Get You Fired 

Real Housewives of Atlanta star Sheree Whitfield told WetPaint that she had "quit" the show. The mother of three claimed, "After four solid seasons of helping Bravo build the show into its most successful Housewives franchise, I have decided to leave. The direction the show is going in is no longer a fit for my lifestyle. I'm tired of the fighting and the cattiness." However a different source claimed, "Executives think she's just boring and they want someone new on the show." That's the truth of reality shows - not enough drama and you will be fired.

On the complete opposite side of the scale, Real Housewives of Orange County star Lynne Curtin brought too much drama to the table. The 53-year-old was served eviction notices on camera and it was also revealed that her husband Frank concealed a $10,000 defaulted deposit on their rental home. It was too real for even a reality show and Curtin was given the chop. Clearly devastated by the further loss of finances, she wrote on her Facebook page: "I am broken hearted! I was so let down the way this came about! We were the last to know! I guess Bravo has to do what they have to do! I thought we had a great relationship! I guess I was wrong! Funny how life can be! We tried to be honest about our lives! I thought thats what reality TV is supposed to be!"

Producers don't have to give notice either. Brandi Glanville was one of the main cast members on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, she would have almost everyone talking about her after each episode. Then she got sacked. Brandi told Inquisitr, "I talked to Yolanda Foster and Kim Richards. Lisa Vanderpump actually emailed me. She was like the first to email after I got fired, which was very weird. I was shocked, it was very unexpected."

5 Contestants Are Not Allowed To Sing In The Big Brother House 

There will be no breaking out into song in the Big Brother house as it messes with the audio recording. The producers don't want to miss a single word when it comes to housemates' conversations, so the last thing they need is someone singing close by to a group gossiping and they can't capture the conversation. As singing comes naturally to people when they are bored, producers often voice over the intercom: "Please stop singing."

Also music is very limited and often only played for special occasions, this is so the production budget isn't wasted on paying for entertainment rights to use that song in the show.

4 Sleep Is Practically Banned Too 

Emily Cheung, star of 2012's My Kitchen Rules, also revealed to News Corp that she was forced to work with exhaustion so there would be more drama. She revealed, "(Producers) used to say "tired equals tears" and make us get up at 4am for hair and make-up - even though we did our own."

Australian Idol star Em Rusciano also claimed she was forced into sleep depravation so they could turn up the dramatic tempo. She claimed, "When we got to Sydney we had to stay up for 24 hours straight, we didn't eat," before she added she was asked personal questions on camera and then broke down.

3 During Filming The Cameras Have To Be With You Everywhere 

Snooki was one of the main cast members of Jersey Shore between 2009 to 2012. After the show had come to an end, she revealed to V magazine that when it comes to the filming the cameras go everywhere with you. She said, "You can't leave without a film crew with you… If you want to leave, you have to tell them an hour before so they can get ready."

The now mother-of-two added, "There are no cell phones, no TV, and you can't read. You can't write or pass notes. You can't listen to music, you can't do anything. It's kind of like being in jail for two months-and people wonder why all we do is drink! It's because there's nothing else to do! It passes the time and makes it fun. If you're sober the whole time, you will go insane and kill yourself." That sounds a tad extreme, but that's a meatball for you!"

2 Cast Members Take A Psychology Test 

Another way producers can secure themselves against a giant "emotional distress" lawsuit is by making cast members take vigorous psychology tests before the show begins. The New York Post reported that over the past ten years there has been "21 reality-contestant suicides since 2004 - afflicting lesser-known programs such as Storage Wars as well as ratings mammoths like the Bachelor franchise, which has lost three former stars to suicide."

Psychologist Dr. Catherine Selden who has carried out evaluations on similar shows told The Huffington Post, "It can be a somewhat emotionally taxing, people don't realize how fast emotions get involved. We want to make sure that people are going to be OK with coping with the stress involved, and make sure that they are going to be offered the help that they need if it's the case."

1 Contestants Have To Take A Health Test

In reality shows where the theme is pretty much cast members hooking up with each other, (ie. Jersey Shore, Love Island, The Bachelor, Big Brother) then they must all undergo an STI check before they are allowed on the show. In Love Island there is one bedroom, six double beds and 12 contestants - so there is no mistaking that there will be romance. Having the checks done early saves the producers a huge lawsuit in case something goes terribly wrong.

In season 13 of Big Brother, one housemate "Evel Dick" Donato was asked to leave the show by producers. He stated that it was due to a "personal matter" which he lated revealed to People magazine was that he had tested positive for HIV. He said, "(Producers) told me that something was wrong with my blood test. They had done two HIV tests. One had come back positive and the other had come back negative. When they told me, I just went numb. They had a car take me from CBS to my mother's house. She was the first person I told."