Forget the fiancé for a minute. Before Jake Beaudoin and Charlotte, Whitney Way Thore had a circle — and that circle carried her through breakups, family heartbreak, the loss of her mother Babs, and fourteen seasons of cameras. But as My Big Fat Fabulous Life returns on Tuesday, November 10 at 10pm ET/PT, fans keep asking: who actually shows up for Whitney when the cameras stop rolling?
We ranked her closest friends on loyalty over time — not screen time, not confessionals.
#1 Buddy Bell — Still No. 1, but the Distance Is Real
Buddy Bell has been Whitney’s best friend since high school, and no one else comes close on history alone. That is why Season 13 stung: viewers watched a growing distance between the two, with Whitney herself describing the friend group as in shambles on camera.
Life has pulled Buddy in a new direction. He married Courtney Bell in October 2023, and in April 2026 the couple announced a baby boy due in October 2026, per Parade (“Luby Francis Bell IV coming this October!”). A marriage and a baby change any friendship. They do not erase decades of it — but Buddy keeps the top spot by a smaller margin than before.
#2 Todd Beasley — The Friend Who Never Missed a Rehearsal
Todd Beasley may not get the dramatic storylines, but he passes the loyalty test in the most boring, most important way: he keeps showing up. As Whitney’s longtime dance partner and friend, Todd has been in the studio, on the road, and in her corner through every dance comeback — no crisis required, no headline chased.
#3 Heather Sykes — Quiet Loyalty, Zero Camera Hunger
Heather Sykes is the ranking’s quiet surprise. Introduced years ago as Buddy’s ex, she could easily have become a footnote in someone else’s love triangle. Instead she built a life outside television — a University of North Carolina at Greensboro graduate who reportedly became Global Director of Editorial at Market America/Shop.com, per ScreenRant’s account of her LinkedIn profile — while raising son Eli and daughter Ava.
YOU MAY LIKE“Grow Up and Realize What Your Options Are”: Whitney Thore’s Ex Lennie Just Said What No One Dares to SayHeather ranks third because she never used Whitney for a storyline — present when it counts, drama-free when it does not.
#4 and #5 Tal Fish and Ashley Baynes — The Friendship Fans Want Back
No ranking hurts quite like this one. Tal Fish and Ashley Baynes were once the show’s most inseparable duo, and their fallout is still the friendship breakup fans talk about most. According to reports, the pair were no longer on speaking terms after a behind-the-scenes argument during the Season 13 era, leaving Whitney stuck in the middle — and Buddy was shown clashing with Tal too.
Ashley has built the fullest off-camera life of the group, according to reports: still with partner Eric Hadley, raising daughter Harper and son August Daniel, born in May 2022. Fans watching the Season 14 trailer are convinced they spotted a thaw — but that is a fan reading, not an official confirmation. November 10 will tell if this friendship is truly on the mend.
The Verdict: Who Makes the Charlotte Era?
Whitney’s Charlotte era will test every one of these friendships. A new city, a new fiancé, and a wedding on the horizon reveal who travels with you and who stays behind.
So we hand it to the fandom: who is Whitney’s REAL best friend — Buddy, Todd, Heather, or the Tal-and-Ashley duo fans want reunited? And be honest: is there anyone here who only shows up because the cameras are on? Drop your ranking below, and defend it.
