MTV’s “Are You The One?” star Shannon Duffy, a Hart High grad, spoke with KHTS about how being cast on a reality TV dating show was a life-changing experience in more than one way.

Duffy was one of the contestants featured in the MTV reality show “Are You The One?” a program that follows the lives of 22  young people living on a tropical destination as they seek to find “the one.”

As the show winds through instances of love-themed games, drunken calamity and emotional catharsis, contestants seek to find their “true match” — which was determined by the producers through personality tests the cast members took before arriving at the house.

At the end of each episode, which spans roughly a week on the island, cast members pair with an opposite-sexed castmate who they believe to be their “one,” and the show’s producers then let them know if they’re correct.

If, by the end of the 10-week shoot, all 11 matches have been found, the group splits $500,000 between themselves.

Unfortunately for Duffy and her castmates, this season did not conclude with the 22 contestants receiving the cash prize.

“People were definitely hurt by the loss because people needed the money,” said Duffy. “I thought I was going to get attacked.”

Because she stuck with Tyler, even after it had become clear to some of the housemates they were not a match, Duffy became a contributing factor to why the housemates lost the grand prize.

“I’ve never been put into a situation where I was able to be told one thing by someone and then told a completely other thing by other people,” said Duffy. “It caused a huge divide in the house, and I didn’t know if some of the girls were saying that because they wanted to be with him instead of me.”

The end was far from what she had initially expected going into the show.

Duffy said that she was working for the “Pink” Victoria’s Secret retail store in Santa Clarita, when, by chance, her friend told her to apply to be on the MTV reality show “Are You The One?”

“I was working at Victoria’s Secret ‘Pink’ and getting ready to transfer to get my bachelors degree, when I decided to apply,” said Duffy. “I started sending them pictures of myself, then I got an email, and then I was filling out surveys and questionnaires about what kind of guy I was looking for. All of the questions were extensive so I really took the time to answer them all and sometimes stayed in from going out.”

Duffy received the news that she had landed a spot on the program, and, to her surprise, she was the most tentative person in her life about going.

“I was standing at the airport and was only thinking ‘I do not want to go, I do not want to do this,’” said Duffy. “But my mom encouraged me and was real supportive, and so I got on the plane because she told me how great an opportunity it was.”

The initial nerves gave way to a good time once everyone got settled, she added.

“When I showed up I was extremely nervous, and when we first arrived on the beach we did not know each other or each other’s names,” said Duffy. “But eventually we grew comfortable with each other and with the house and it become normal.”

“There was a pool and a beach,” said Duffy. “I mean, it became a mini-vacation.”

But, following the mini-vacation and the devastating loss of the grand prize, Duffy had to return normal life, or rather the life that would become normal for her.

Initially moving to Florida to be with the man that she had fallen in love with on the show, Tyler, Duffy’s relationship began to face challenges.

“It was hard transitioning our relationship from the island to real-life, because on the show you’re trying to please one person while pleasing another, all while trying to make a great episode,” said Duffy. “I definitely lost track of what was real and what wasn’t.”

Following the decision to end her relationship with Tyler, Duffy returned home to Santa Clarita and Southern California. Duffy is now busy juggling modeling jobs and tending bar, but most of her time is spent trying to help other people, she said.

“My life really has changed because there are people from all over who reach out, telling me I inspire them and asking for advice,” said Duffy. “It’s weird when I go out and someone recognizes me from the show, I’m literally just a normal person who went on a show for love.”

What she wasn’t expecting was an outpouring of questions from fans on the show, looking for insight on how to be a good partner.

“Girls that are now in junior high or high school reach out out to me for relationship advice,” said Duffy. “I get long, thoughtful messages and I appreciate that they care about what I have to say because of what I’ve been through. I’ll spend whole days at a time simply responding to these girls and women that message me asking for help. And it’s not just girls cause sometimes because I’ll get women that are older than me sending messages, and I try to help.”

Duffy tries her best at helping, and the reason she’s able to is because of an important lesson she learned while on the show.

“It’s cheesy, but always remember to be yourself and never be afraid to walk away from someone that’s toxic,” concluded Duffy. “If you’re in any type of relationship, whether it be a friendship or romance, and you’re not satisfied and you’re not willing to make a change, then you’re not going to be happy.”

Duffy now has plans on going back to school while also starting her own business and working with talent agencies, she said.

“I’m creating my own online boutique and I’m starting my blog soon,” said Duffy. “But they’re not ready yet, so I’m not going to spoil the name of it, but be on the lookout for them.”

Visit Shannon Duffy’s instagram here.

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