'a friend of a friend' appeared on one of these 'reality' shows and reported they were even told what to say when giving their 'opinions' to the camera.
The fact there is always a goodie, a baddie, an underdog to sympathise with ... etc (as in the 'talent' shows) to make it a soap opera is a bit of a clue. And if all else fails they can simply edit it to create a drama.
QJS