REALITY television has been around for decades, and one show in particular has become one of the longest-running reality shows in history, credited with launching the genre.
Sarah Becker, who appeared on the fifth season of MTV’s The Real World, set in Miami, Florida, tragically passed away in June 2024 after struggling with her mental health in recent months.
Who was Sarah Becker?
Sarah Becker was born on November 3, 1970.
After graduating from Indiana University, she began working as an editor, working primarily on graphic novels.
Previously, she was also an editorial producer for skaterboardermag.com.
During her time on the show, Sarah, then 25, worked at Wildstorm Comics in La Jolla, California.
She described herself as a “19-year-old trapped in a 25-year-old body,” and MTV labeled her a tomboy.
According to her MTV biography, Sarah enjoyed skateboarding and dressing up as TV characters, and reportedly collected Swatch watches and “empty Blistex tubes.”
During her time on the show, she is best remembered for:
- Starting a side business delivering restaurant supplies to customers on the beach in episode seven
- Getting into a heated argument with her roommate Flora in episode 11
- Bringing home a puppy named Leroy in episode 13
- Flying to Staniel Cay in the Bahamas with his roommates Cynthia, Dan, Joe and Mike in episode 19
- Confronting Melissa, who later leaves the house, in episode 20
On June 23, 2024, TMZ broke the news that Sarah Becker had died early last week at her home in Illinois.
Sarah, who previously resided in California, moved to the Midwest in 2023.
She moved closer to her family’s home to help care for her sick sister and mother.
Her father, Roberto Beckerpassed away earlier this year, on February 10, 2024.
Although Sarah had plans to return to California, a skateboarding accident set her back even further and she began to struggle with her mental health in recent months.
A family member confirmed the tragic news, saying Sarah took her own life.
She was only 52 years old.
A family member of Sarah’s says she will be remembered as a “selfless person” and “for always looking out for others” before even looking out for herself.
Family and friends began posting tributes to Sarah on social media, including Facebook.
“Sarah Becker was made of pure sunshine… Full of energy and positivity, you couldn’t help but feel her warmth in your presence. I’m grateful for our adventures and laughter,” wrote Daniel Norton.
“Big hugs to the entire Wildstorm family!” he added.
“I just found out that one of the nicest people to ever come into my life, especially during my impressionable years, has passed away,” Joel Benjamin wrote.
“Every time I thought of her, I always saw her smile and her cheerful personality. You were loved and will be missed. RIP Sarah Becker,” she added.
When did Sarah Becker appear in the real world?
Sarah Becker appeared on The Real World: Miami, the show’s fifth season.
Set in Miami, Florida, it was the first season of The Real World to be filmed in the South Atlantic States region of the United States.
It was also the first season filmed in the US, outside of New York and California.
The show premiered on July 10, 1996 and aired 22 episodes, with the finale airing on December 4, 1996.
The Real World: Miami featured a group of people who lived in a house at 445 E. Rivo Alto Dr. in Miami Beach.
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home was located north of the Venetian Causeway on Rivo Alto Island.
The show’s seven participants included:
- Sarah Becker, 25, of San Diego, California
- Dan Renzi, 21, of Overland Park, Kansas
- Melissa Padrón, 22, of Miami, Florida
- Joe Patane, 25, from Brooklyn, New York
- Cynthia Roberts, 22, of Oakland, California
- Flora Alekseyun, 24, of Boston, Massachusetts
- Mike Lambert, 24, of Jacksonville, Florida
The Real World: Miami was the first season of the series where the group of residents received a “task” during the season.
The group was given $50,000 for startup costs and tasked with creating their own business.
Ultimately, despite many great ideas – most of which came from Sarah – the group was unable to start a business before their time in the house ended.
Following her appearance on the show, Sarah was interviewed by The Chicago Tribune in 1997.
“For me, The Real World was a six-month vacation, I knew from the beginning that it couldn’t be a stepping stone to bigger and better things.”
“One day I want my own magazine and I don’t think Sarah from The Real World has anything to do with that,” she said at the time.
She also reportedly struggled with her initial bout of fame.
“I kind of liked being anonymous,” she said.
“Now I walk into a place and people recognize me and say, ‘Hey, real world girl!’ So when I go out, I sometimes wear a hood.”
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When did The Real World first air?
The Real World premiered on MTV on May 21, 1992.
The first season of the show was set in New York City.
Each subsequent season has been set in different major cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Boston, Denver, and Atlanta.
Some seasons were set in different countries, including England, Mexico, Australia and the Virgin Islands.
The premise of each season was simple: a small group of young people, selected from thousands of applicants across the country, would move into a house together.
The Real World emphasized that each participant chosen would represent different races, genders, sexual orientations, religious and political beliefs, and even levels of sexual experience.
Although reality television is often considered vulgar, The Real World has been applauded for being one of the first non-fiction TV shows that simultaneously appealed to a young audience but also educated that audience about contemporary issues, including:
The show ran for nearly 30 years, from May 21, 1992, to August 29, 2019.
The show’s previous episodes were 30 minutes long and, starting in 2008, they moved to hour-long episodes.
The Real World has aired for 33 seasons and officially broadcast 614 episodes in its history.
It was reportedly inspired by An American Family, a PBS documentary series that followed the lives of a California family in the 1970s.
Several of the show’s cast members have also launched successful careers in the entertainment industry, including:
The Real World also spawned two successful spin-offs, the Road Rules and The Challenge franchises.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, please call or text 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.orgor text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
