Lizzo’s ‘Watch Out for the Big Grrrls’ is truly joyful reality TV

All the rumors are true: Lizzo’s reality TV show just took a DNA test, turns out it’s 100 percent that bitch.

The Grammy-winning superstar has long encouraged people of all shapes and sizes to feel good as hell about themselves, campaigning through her music and social media for body positivity, self love, and empowerment and against fatphobia, abuse, and body shaming. Now, she seeks to do exactly that in her new Amazon Prime Video show, Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.

In the eight-episode series directed by Nneka Onuorah, Lizzo’s on the hunt for more performers to join the Big Grrrls, her top tier squad of touring dancers, primarily for a headlining performance at major Tennessee festival Bonnaroo. It’s Lizzo’s first live show in two years after the outbreak of the pandemic, so the stakes are high, pressure on — you get it.

When Lizzo put the call out, thousands responded with audition videos, which she explains has not been the singer’s experience before now. “I’ve asked dance agencies for big girl dancers, and they gave me nothing,” Lizzo says in episode 1. “Girls that look like me simply don’t get representation. So, time to pull up my sleeves and find ‘em myself.”

Sydney Bell, Charity Holloway, Arianna Davis, Ashley Williams, Jayla Sullivan, Asia Banks, and Kiara Mooring
Credit: James Clark / Amazon Studios

Long before this TV endeavour, Lizzo has spent years amplifying body positivity and self love, most recently calling out hate speech she received after the release of “Rumors” with Cardi B in Aug. 2021. “It’s fatphobic, it’s racist and it’s hurtful,” Lizzo said in an Instagram Live at the time. “What I won’t accept is y’all doing this to Black women over and over and over again, especially us big Black girls. When we don’t fit into the box that you want to put us in, you just unleash hatred onto us. It’s not cool.”

In the show, Lizzo explains this discrimination extends to the stage and her dancers, regardless of how much energy, talent, and expertise goes into the performance. “When I hit the stage, I hit the stage. We hit them with the best Big Grrrl dancers in America, and we make the crowd go crazy. And still we get hit with that judgmental shit,” she says in episode 1.

So, Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls goes the way of Queer Eye and RuPaul’s Drag Race, in which positivity, support, and development of someone’s inner strength and potential is paramount. Throwing both abusive jerks and your inner critic in the bin and getting out of your own way is the goal, with finding and amplifying your most authentic self the name of the game. “To be your real, raw, true embodied selves is the goal,” says Big Grrrl dancer Grace Holden on the show. 

Watch out for the (hopeful) Big Grrrls

Lizzo narrowed the thousands down to a group of finalists, the real stars, as it goes with any reality TV show: Charity Holloway, Kiara Mooring, Moesha Perez, Ashley Williams, Arianna Davis, Isabel Jones, Jasmine Morrison, Asia Banks, Jayla Sullivan, and Sydney Bell. Lizzo declares early in the show that she’s looking for dancers with clean lines, star quality, stamina, ability to perform under pressure, and full-out commitment, but most importantly wants someone who will bring their story to the stage — which means we need to get to know them too.

Watch Out for the Big Grrrls intentionally makes you fall for every dancer vying for the stage — mainly because Lizzo, her team (including original Big Grrrls Chawnta’ Marie Van, Shirlene Quigley, and Grace Holden, creative director and choreographer Tanisha Scott, sensual movement coach Rashida KhanBey, choreographer Charm La’Donna, and holy crap…SZA), and the dancers themselves actively want them all to win. Each dancer has personally been through so much crap to get here — unsolicited comments online and off, fatphobic abuse, experiences with overt sexualisation and desexualisation, alongside their own personal obstacles — that they unwaveringly support each other through what is a tough process.

This is what rehearsing for Bonnaroo in the backyard looks like, right?
Credit: James Clark / Amazon Studios

There’s Asia Banks, former captain of the Alabama State HoneyBeez, the first exclusively plus-size dance team at an HBCU, who shares her grief over losing her father who was killed by police. There’s Houston influencer Sydney Bell, whose introductory audition is enough to make Lizzo throw every cushion off her couch. There’s next-level freestyler Jayla Sullivan from Portland, who shares her experience of being trans in the dance industry. “The world just kind of looks at you and doesn’t expect you to be able to do what I’m striving to do,” she says. “If anything, it just fuels the fire and I just want to say ‘fuck you’ to everybody.”

Yes, there’s much at stake to join Lizzo’s troupe, but at its heart, the show is a joyful, strong montage of women honouring their bodies and destroying dancefloors, and it’s an absolute joy to watch. For the most part, finalists reflect on their own progress rather than complaining about other performers’ success, and when this does happen, Lizzo makes it clear there’s no room for toxicity in the house (or on tour) early on. 

Lizzo has a number one rule in the Big Girrrls Mansion: no toxicity.
Credit: James Clark / Amazon Studios

Look up in the mirror like damn she the one

On Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, Lizzo is an absolute natural at hosting — her talking head moments deserve their own TikTok account, they’re so empowering and funny. She’s personally invested — this is her inner circle of dancers she’s recruiting for, after all — but she balances her authoritative superstar energy, demanding high standards, with genuine love and encouraging energy. Basically dancing in front of Lizzo should be the most intimidating thing anyone’s ever done, yet she encourages each performer to get out of their own heads and leave everything they’ve got on the floor. Imagine turning out your best moves while Lizzo is calling out “Fuck it up!” at you. Pure magic. 

Excuse me, Ms Lizzo, this DRESS? 💖
Credit: James Clark / Amazon Studios

One of the most moving parts of this show for fans is the journey Lizzo herself goes on with the finalists — she even personally attends one of the group’s movement classes with healing artist Deja Joelle. There’s a scene in episode 3 where Lizzo shows the group her just-released track “Rumors” — the one she spoke out against hate speech after — and the room descends into glorious rhythm while she sings over the top. Then, Lizzo speaks to the release, being “humiliated on the internet,” and her experience receiving constant comments on her body. It’s one of the highlights of the series because she really digs into authenticity in this moment.

“I’ve had a lot of love, I’ve had some hate, because of the way that I look. As an artist, that’s happened a lot,” she says. “They don’t want big girls to be sexy. They don’t want us to be happy. And that’s why this show is so important to me because…It’s hard to love yourself in a world that doesn’t love you back. And I’ve been trying to do it so boldly. I put myself out there. When you put yourself out there, you get attacked.”

Lizzo gives dancer Charity Holloway a major hug after her audition. There are a lot of beautiful hugging moments, so prepare..
Credit: James Clark / Amazon Studios

Help you with your career, just a little

Beyond the inner and outer work we join the dancers for during the series, Watch Out for the Big Girrrls‘ unapologetic joy and amplification of personal power comes down to the camera work and editing, thanks to director Nneka Onuorah, who also appears in the series. Performers complete dance challenges directly to the camera, as well as to Lizzo and each other, with stitched sessions fully demonstration incredible choreography, personal expression, and timing. In episode 1, the first dance battle challenge is a throwdown of pure talent, shot and edited like a scene from Step Up.

Of course, this is a competition reality show, so as well as the big prize of joining Lizzo’s dance crew, the artist hands out two regular awards to keep everyone motivated. There’s the Juice Award, a cute juicebox shaped trophy named for Lizzo’s single and given to the person who has heart, who has overcome an obstacle. And there’s the 100 Percent That Bitch award, of course, a trophy named for Lizzo’s iconic line from “Truth Hurts,” and given to someone who has nailed the choreography, teamwork, and just crushed it overall. Yes, I’m personally going to strive to award these to myself on the regular, and no one can stop me except Warner Music’s copyright department, probably.

Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls is one of the most uplifting, joyous reality TV shows you’re likely to watch, with eight episodes of sheer triumph over society’s bullshit soundtracked with the artist’s biggest hits. We know Lizzo’s her own soulmate, but after this series, you’ll be pledging your allegiance.

Watch Out for the Big Grrrls is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.