Twenty years ago, Rachel Love took part in a bizarre televised experiment that transformed her — inside and out. It all began one morning as she drove to work in downtown Seattle. An ad came on the radio announcing a casting call for a new reality TV show about women who wanted to change their lives through plastic surgery and therapy.
“I was at a really low point in my life,” Love told The Times in a recent phone call from her home in Las Vegas. About a month before she heard the ad, Love’s sister-in-law, Jill, had died by suicide, leaving behind an infant son. Love had been close to Jill, who was married to her brother, and was devastated.
She was also newly married but already questioning the long-term viability of the relationship. “Something made me think, maybe I want to do that ,” Love said. Little did she know she was about to become a key figure in one of the most notorious reality shows from an era of anything-goes unscripted TV.
After a lengthy screening process, Love was cast in the inaugural season of “ The Swan ,” which premiered April 7, 2004 — and immediately sparked controversy. Created by former Telemundo executive Nely Galán , “The Swan” premiered during a period of rampant experimentation in reality TV. This trend was especially pronounced at Fox, which had a reputation for manipulative, headline-grabbing shows like “ Joe Millionaire ,” where a construction worker dated a group of women who believed he was a wealthy bachelor.
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