TLC returns to pageantry: Meet Coach Charming

He’s no Mr. Congeniality, but Bill Alverson has one impressive track record. The prominent Alabama attorney and brutally frank pageant coach is the subject of TLC’s new docu/reality series Coach Charming.

“The last four Miss Americas were girls I knew personally. Worked with, developed and coached. They won,” Alverson boasts in the first episode. “But there is a common denominator, and that would be me.”

You get it fast. This guy’s got one incredible ego, but it’s completely entertaining.

Coach Charming turns the spotlight away from the beauty surrounding pageants and focuses on the brains — that would be Alverson, who is the secret to winning a pageant. The new eight-episode series debuts tonight (Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 10pm ET) on TLC.

Alverson (pictured above with a client) definitely has a polarizing personality, in fact, he reminds a bit of Todd Chrisley (from USA Network’s Chrisley Knows Best). Cameras follow Alverson as he toggles his two professions – attorney and pageant coach – along with his busy family life. Divorced after 29 years of marriage, Alverson, 54, is an endearing father of three. His oldest son William practices law with him, and apparently lives right around the corner in their small Andalusia, Alabama, town. The town is just north of Florida. His son William is married to Helen Anne who Alverson describes as a spitfire (she’s also carrying his grandchild). His middle daughter Blanche was a top collegiate Division 1 basketball player for Auburn, and a former homecoming queen (I’m sure she got just a few pointers from her dad on that). And, his baby is Stella, a beautiful 15 year old.

The series is filled with plenty of lighthearted humor – Alverson working with his pageant contestants and drilling them on their thoughts on ISIS and immigration was entertaining. He specializes in the pageant interview process. “You’re boring the hell out of me with that answer,” he tells one of his clients before advising that “we have to learn about crap we don’t want to learn about it.”

In addition to his candor, he brings an extremely expressive approach to his coaching style (watch for those facial expressions). He’s never shy on opinion, even when it’s not wanted, and he knows a thing on tap dancing, too. Go figure.

“Life’s a pageant people, why not put it on stage,” Alverson says.
He’s definitely found his stage in TLC’s Coach Charming.

Coach Charming airs on TLC Wednesdays at 10pm ET.

Let us know what you think about the new series below.