Model Sean (Zhang Liang) and his son film the dad-kid reality show Dad, where are we going? [Photo/IC]

Moreover, a reality show doesn't only mean considerable earnings for the stars, for some, it means a platform for future money. When the celebrities fuel up the ratings of these TV programs, the show also creates new stars.

For instance, one of the cast members in the first season of Dad, where are we going?, male model Sean (Zhang Liang), who was little known at that time, gained huge popularity once the show was broadcast, with his Weibo (Twitter-like microblog) followers' number jumping from thousands to over two million. Sean admitted in a fashion event that his 'appearance fee' increased ten times after the reality show.