In 2008, MTV launched a new reality competition series where people across the country competed in challenges to become the new best friend of 2000s reality TV queen Paris Hilton on her new reality TV venture Paris Hilton's My New BFF. The show was a ratings success for the music-oriented network and launched a second season, as well as international spin-offs where people in the U.K. and Dubai also competed to become Hilton's new best friend forever.
Since the show's conclusion, it seems many contestants have gone back to their lives and decided to stay private, though there are some who remain an open book. Furthermore, there are some who have even remained in touch with Hilton despite not winning the competition. Below is a list of updates on six contestants who competed on the American edition of My New BFF.
6 Brittany Flickinger Won Season One And Revealed The Show's Fakeness
Beating out 15 other contestants, Brittany Flickinger was declared Hilton's new BFF at the end of the show's first season. Months after it aired, a second season was announced and aired in the summer of 2009, as Hilton claimed the two were no longer friends. In a 2019 episode of the interview series Oversaturated, Flickinger revealed she joined the show as a joke and that she was cast to be the winner before the show began filming, calling the show fake. Since the show ended, she has remained active in various fields, such as writing and production design. According to her Instagram, she seems to now live in Hawaii, enjoying surfing and playing guitar.
5 Onch Has His Own Brand Paris Has Supported
Known for his frequent emotional outbursts during his time on the show's first season, Nelson Chung, mainly referred to as "Onch" was eliminated due to his "issues" and contestants thinking he was the fakest. Despite not becoming Hilton's BFF, the two became good friends throughout the years. Since the show ended, Onch has launched his own brand of jewelry and various other products under his name, which have been worn by celebrities such as actress Kristen Chenoweth, rapper G-Eazy and even Hilton in a photoshoot for the Indian edition of L'Officiel magazine.
4 Zui Watts Is A Mom Of Two
On the first season of My New BFF, Zui Watts became close with Onch, though was later eliminated after making physical threats towards contestant Corrie Loftin after she made a racist comment about Asians. Nowadays, Watts is a married stay-at-home mother of two. In her Instagram bio, she describes herself as a "natural skincare and beauty lover" and she frequently shares the skincare and beauty products she likes through her posts and stories.
3 Stephen Hampton Won Season Two And Has Remained Private
During season two, contestant Stephan Hampton was eliminated because Hilton believed she couldn't have a male best friend. However on the season finale when most of the contestants returned to see Hilton choose one of the final two contestants, she tells Hampton she made a mistake eliminating him and ultimately declared him her new BFF. The two were spotted together in the months after the show concluded, though it is unknown if the two still speak. Hilton follows him on Instagram, though his account is private. Based on his bio, he seems to perhaps have been married as his last name is now Holgate and he may have become a father, according to his emoji consisting of two men and a child. Any other info is unknown.
2 Elena Miglino: Makeup Artist, Wife, Soon To Be Mom
Although she got along with Hilton well, Elena Miglino realized she didn't want to move to Los Angeles to be closer to her, thus was eliminated. Despite this, Hilton's goodbye message was "TTYS (talk to you soon)," meaning she was open to continue some sort of friendship with Miglino. Nowadays, Miglino works as a makeup artist, with one of her most famous clients being singer Billie Eilish. She recently did the makeup for Eilish's hosting gig on Saturday Night Live, expressing "shock that she [she] got to be a part of the amazing iconic SNL experience" on her Instagram. In addition, she is now married and announced her pregnancy in September 2021.
1 Arika Sato Is An Influencer With A Large Following
Being the third contestant to be eliminated on the show's second season, Arika Sato managed to stay in the limelight. Before and after the show, she was an entertainment TV host, interviewing various celebrities and eventgoers at red carpets and other events happening around Los Angeles. Today, she is an influencer with over 500,000 Instagram followers and nearly 300,000 YouTube subscribers, where she frequently posts vlogs centered around fashion, beauty, traveling and her lifestyle. In 2020, she was part of a photoshoot for Kim Kardashian's Skims for the brand's one year anniversary.