Kim Kardashian is setting the record straight — and sharing a hilarious behind-the-scenes secret. During her appearance on The Graham Norton Show, the reality star denied claims that her family ever recreated scenes for their long-running reality series after All's Fair co-star Sarah Paulson asked her to 'spill the tea.'
Instead, Kim revealed the unexpected (and funny) reason they avoid doing recreations at all. The conversation began when Norton pressed her on what first inspired the Kardashian family to launch their own reality show in the first place.
'So, was it your father's fame that kind of made the Kardashians interesting? Because I know you worked with Paris Hilton and things. What was the thing that kind of sparked it?' the host asked.
Kim explained that it was a mix of factors, including her step-dad, Bruce Jenner at the time (now Caitlyn Jenner), who was already used to being in the public eye.
'Maybe a combination, but a lot like my stepdad. He was, you know, doing reality shows, and he was kind of out there in the spotlight a lot. So I think it was just the combination of all of those things, and hanging out with Paris and being a part of that life.'
She also shared that they were originally asked to film a pilot episode and agreed without knowing what it would eventually become. Another planned show at the E! Network fell through, and suddenly they were offered a full series — a moment that unexpectedly launched a twenty-year run.
'We had no idea what it would really turn into. Then a show fell through that they were doing on the E! Network, and they were like, "Can you start filming next week and film a whole series?" So we just kind of got thrown into it — and it lasted 20 years,' the Skims founder said.
Kim then joked about just how long the family has been on television. 'So yeah, it's our 37th season filming a reality show. Well, I mean, we switched networks. We did 20 seasons of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, 10 seasons of spin-offs, and now this is season seven of The Kardashians.'
With so many seasons under their belt, her All's Fair co-star Sarah Paulson couldn't resist asking her to 'spill the tea'.
'Wow. Wow. Spill the tea. Did you recreate scenes?' Paulson asked.
But Kim was quick to shut down the idea. 'Never. We didn't have to. Every time we were filming something... sometimes at the end of the season we'd be like, "Every time we're filming, we fight. We're going to be so boring. We've filmed every crazy thing that's possibly happened to us — what could we possibly film next?"'
@kardahiansclips Kylie speaks up about when her dad came out 🥺 #foryou #fyp #kyliejenner #kylie #sad #foryoupage #fypシ #viral
♬ originalljud - KC
However, she did spill to one storyline that unintentionally prolonged the show. 'And then my stepdad will turn into a woman, and it's like, "Oh, we have two more seasons — we're good!"'
How the Kardashian-Jenner Reality TV Empire Began
The Kardashians' journey into the world of reality television started when Kris Jenner pitched the idea of filming their everyday lives — and the result was the landmark series Keeping Up with the Kardashians (KUWTK).
Producer Ryan Seacrest recalled how the whole thing began: he sent a cameraman to the Kardashian-Jenner household to shoot a family barbecue, then watched the footage and thought it was 'absolutely golden.'
Seacrest later said, 'They're so funny, they're so fun, there is so much love in this family, and they're so chaotic they throw each other in the pool!' That tape, he felt, captured a kind of raw, unscripted energy that could resonate with viewers, and so the show was born.
KUWTK premiered in October 2007 and was initially, the show was meant partly to draw attention to the family's fashion boutiques — but it quickly evolved into something much bigger: a long-running reality series that charted the family's personal dramas, relationships, business ventures, and everyday chaos.
As one family member put it, at the start: 'If we're going to do this reality show, we're going to be 100 per cent who we really are.' That promise of authenticity — mixing glamour, vulnerability, and drama—helped KUWTK strike a chord and stand out among reality shows.
Over the years, the show ran for many seasons, cementing the Kardashians (and Jenners) as one of the most talked-about families in global pop culture. Their visibility on KUWTK opened doors for all sorts of opportunities from fashion and beauty brands to social-media influence, turning a reality-TV experiment into a full-blown media and business empire.
If anything, Kim's comments prove that the family never needed scripted drama — real life always delivered enough twists to keep the cameras rolling.
