The 10 most bizarre reality TV appearances by footballers - From Love Island to Turkish Masterchef
In this week’s edition of ‘Do we live in a malfunctioning simulation or is existence just a futile fever dream?’ football fans the world over were shocked to find out that Pepe Reina has been playing the part of a lavishly-dressed anthropomorphic penguin on Spain’s version of the Masked Singer.
The premise of the show is simple enough – celebrities dress up in massively outlandish disguises and make fools of themselves by awkwardly butchering chart smashes.
But while there have been some unexpected reveals over the course of the show’s lifespan – who could have predicted that Kermit the Frog would be the celeb inside a giant snail on the Masked Singer US? – absolutely nobody could have guessed that former Liverpool safe hands Reina would turn his attention to playing Happy Feet.
Nonetheless, it got us thinking about other footballers who have popped up on reality TV in recent years.
We’ve gathered 10 of the best, and weirdest, below...
1. Erik Pieters - The Real Housewives of Cheshire
The Stoke City defender's wife Nermina Pieters-Mekic signed up for the reality series, and it wasn't long before the full-back was dragged into the drama. The Dutchman leapt to his partner's defence during a party hosted by teammate Phil Bardsley. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) Photo: Alex Pantling
2. Lee Sharpe - Love Island
Once upon a time, Sharpe seemingly couldn't turn down any landfill reality series that was thrown his way. Aside from appearing on the first ever series of Celebrity Love Island back in 2005, he's also done the rounds on Dancing on Ice, Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Celebrity Wrestling, and something called Charity Lord of the Rings. His CV reads like that scene where Alan Partridge is desperately pitching to the BBC for a second series. Anyone for Monkey Tennis? (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images) Photo: Francois Nel
3. Tugay Kerimoglu - Masterchef
The cult Turk made a named for himself by cooking up a storm in the centre of park for Blackburn Rovers, but it was his culinary prowess that wowed judges on the Turkish version of Masterchef back in 2010. Tugay actually won the show outright, but reports that his signature dish was a Lancashire Hotpot are unconfirmed. (Photo by Gary M.Prior/Getty Images) Photo: Gary M. Prior
4. David Seaman - Dancing On Ice
The former England number one's time on the rink was quite the success. Not only did he finish fourth, but he went on to marry dance partner Frankie Poultney in 2015. (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images) Photo: Henry Browne