Money, Money, Money: How Much Does the 'Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets Cast Make?

Many old concepts can become new, especially in reality TV. In July 2024, The Surreal Life, a show once created for celebrities who were deemed "has-beens," is back with a new name, cast, and network. In MTV's Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets, eight celebs of various career stages live in a Colombian villa where they spill too much tea about themselves in front of their new roomies and the world.

Surreal Live Villa of Secrets' cast has seen the finer things in life at least once in their careers. So, one would assume each cast member discussed money with MTV's team before signing on the dotted line. While money likely came up, many fans want to know how much it pays to live a surreal life.

Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets aired on MTV on Tuesday, July 23, 2024. The premiere included a cast of singers, actors, actor's kids, and reality stars. Among the cast is Macy Gray, Chet Hanks, Kim Zolciak, O.T. Genasis, Ally Brooke, Josie Canseco, Tyler Posey, and Johnny Weir. The season opened with the cast exploring their villa and getting to know one another before the inevitable drama and hookups began.

It's unclear how much each cast member enjoyed filming Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets, but they likely got paid for their time on the show. Unfortunately, the exact amount they earned is unclear. Unlike other reality shows, Surreal Life doesn't have prize money at the end of the season. However, the cast's salary possibly came before or after the show aired.

Although we don't know how much the Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets cast gets paid for their time on the show, we're sure none of the housemates voluntarily decided to tell all of their business in front of the world all season long. According to The U.S. Sun, each cast member will be "pushed out of their comfort zones" as they "participate in different missions where secrets about each contestant would be revealed."

The entire season airs on MTV, a swift change many day-one Surreal Life fans didn't see coming. Since Surreal Life debuted in 2003, the series ran on VH1, even when it returned from a 16-year hiatus in 2022.

VH1 and MTV were once considered sister networks under Viacom. However, in 2022, the companies separated, with VH1 being part of BET Media Group, as Paramount CEO Bob Bakish believed it would be a "better alignment opportunity," per the Economic Times. Both VH1 and MTV are still owned by Paramount.

Surreal Life: Villa of Secrets airs on MTV on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST.