Participants in Fox's fake Prince Harry reality show tell all, from the brainwashing to the gaslighting

Refinery29

Fox's I Wanna Marry Harry aired for four episodes in summer 2014 before it was yanked and canceled due to low ratings. "It wasn’t easy for producers to convince the contestants they were dating Prince Harry," says Kathryn Lindsay, who interviewed several of the contestants plus Prince Harry lookalike Matthew Hicks for Refinery29. "Throughout much of filming, many of the women didn’t know what to believe. Three contestants who spoke to Refinery29 painted a picture of vulnerability and confusion that was achieved through isolation techniques, heavy-handed clues, and just plain gaslighting from the producers, resulting in one of the most ludicrous, elaborate — but ultimately forgotten — reality shows of the past decade." One contestant, Kimberly Birch, recalled feeling like she was being brainwashed -- in fact, she later wrote a thesis on brainwashing. "(The) logical part of my brain was telling me this does not look like Prince Harry," she says. "This is an absolute ridiculous premise. This would never happen in real life. But the other part of your brain is being completely brainwashed. You're secluded from your friends and family, you have no access to any sort of media outlet, and you are in this castle (being told that) if you're questioning if this is Prince Harry or not, you're crazy.”