Forget the fiancé for a minute. Before Jake Beaudoin and the Charlotte move, there was the friend group — the people beside Whitney Way Thore when she was just a Greensboro radio producer with a viral dance video. Nine days before My Big Fat Fabulous Life returns Tuesday, November 10 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on TLC, one question beats any trailer clue: who actually stuck around? Here is our ranking, from the friend who drifted away to the one who never did.
#5 Heather Sykes: The Friend Who Quietly Moved On
Heather Sykes was there at the start — a Greensboro friend introduced years ago as Buddy Bell’s ex, caught in an early love triangle. But Heather’s story is the quiet exit: she built a life outside television, reportedly as Global Director of Editorial at Market America/Shop.com, per ScreenRant‘s account of her LinkedIn profile, while raising son Eli and daughter Ava. Fans noticed the distance years ago. Heather lands last not because of a blowup, but because the friendship went quiet.
#4 Todd Beasley: The Day-One Dancer
Todd Beasley owns a spot no ranking can take away: he was in the video that started everything. When Greensboro radio station 107.5 KZL posted the “A Fat Girl Dancing” video on February 27, 2014, Todd danced beside Whitney, and that viral moment became the No Body Shame campaign and then a show. Todd has popped up since as dance partner and comic relief, but never as the 2 a.m. crisis call. Beloved, but fourth.
#3 Tal Fish: The Comeback Question
Tal Fish backed Whitney’s dream of motherhood hands-on: in Season 13, he showed up with a turkey baster and DIY insemination tools for her artificial insemination journey. But Tal’s ranking takes a hit for the feud nobody saw coming: Season 13 revealed that Tal and Ashley Baynes — once the show’s most inseparable duo — were no longer on speaking terms after a behind-the-scenes argument, leaving Whitney stuck in the middle, according to reports. Fans think the Season 14 trailer shows a thaw, but that is a fan reading, not an official confirmation. If they reconcile on camera, Tal shoots up this list. Until then, third.
#2 Ashley Baynes: The Truth-Teller
Ashley Baynes has paid the highest price for honesty. Friends since their college days at UNC Greensboro, she is the voice of reason when nobody else will say the hard thing — including, in the Season 14 trailer, warning that Whitney will “make a huge life-changing decision before you can blink.” Their friendship survived the brutal No BS Active firing, when Whitney replaced Ashley’s job with an app developer and told her at the last minute. Today Ashley has the fullest off-camera life of the bunch: still with partner Eric Hadley, raising daughter Harper and son August Daniel, born in May 2022, according to reports. She ranks second because she tells Whitney the truth even when it costs her.
#1 Buddy Bell: The Ride-or-Die
There was never any doubt about No. 1. Buddy Bell has been Whitney’s best friend since high school and her roommate for years, standing beside her through addiction and rehab — including the season Whitney actually asked him for a kiss on camera. Yes, Season 13 showed distance growing, and Whitney herself called the group “shambles.” And yes, Buddy’s life moved on: he married Courtney Bell in October 2023, and in April 2026 the couple announced a baby boy due in October 2026 — “Luby Francis Bell IV coming this October!” per Parade. The twist: while Whitney chases motherhood on camera, her best friend of decades may beat her to the nursery off camera. A friendship that survives all of that is not a storyline. It is the spine of the show.
YOU MAY LIKE“Grow Up and Realize What Your Options Are”: Whitney Thore’s Ex Lennie Just Said What No One Dares to SayThe Charlotte move will test all of this: a new city, a new fiancé, and a wedding plan reveal which friendships travel and which ones stay in Greensboro. So pick your side: Team Buddy — the ride-or-die who has earned No. 1 forever? Team Ashley — the truth-teller who deserves the top spot? Or Team Tal — the comeback you are rooting for hardest? Drop your team in the comments.
Sources
Parade — ‘My Big Fat Fabulous Life’ Star Buddy Bell Expecting First Baby: https://parade.com/news/my-big-fat-fabulous-life-star-expecting-first-baby-buddy-bell-wife-courtney
ScreenRant — My Big Fat Fabulous Life Season 13: Cast Guide: https://screenrant.com/my-big-fat-fabulous-life-season-13-cast-guide/
Memorable TV — My Big Fat Fabulous Life Returns in November with Whitney Back in North Carolina and in Love: https://www.memorabletv.com/news/my-big-fat-fabulous-life-returns-november-whitney-back/
Soap Dirt — ‘My Big Fat Fabulous Life’: Whitney Thore and Longtime Friend Buddy Bell Kiss In New Season: https://soapdirt.com/my-big-fat-fabulous-life-whitney-thore-buddy-bell-kiss-in-new-season/
