LOS ANGELES: The first Joe Millionaire wooed his way into the hearts of gold-digging women with horses, jewelry and expensive meals in the US. The Next Joe Millionaire is hoping to ride away with another ratings bonanza by convincing 14 beauties that he is a wealthy oil baron worth $80 million.
David Smith, a 24-year-old Texas rodeo cowboy who makes $11,000 a year roping steers and riding bucks, admits he had his work cut out for him in persuading sophisticated women that he was the man of their dreams.
"It's funny cause I'm not an actor, I'm not a model, I'm just a cowboy and I love to rodeo, and I was at a rodeo when they asked me to come to this show, which I had no idea was Joe Millionaire," Smith said.
Producers of The Next Joe Millionaire had to find European women to be in the show, because it was nearly impossible to find Americans who hadn't heard about the twist of the first hugely popular Joe Millionaire - so the follow-up will feature competitors with names such as Petra, Giada, Jerusha, Olinda and Alessia from countries such as the Czech Republic, Sweden, Norway and Germany.
Like the first Joe, Evan Marriott, Smith said deceiving the women wasn't always easy. "It got tough, there were times I didn't even want to be there, like literally I couldn't take it anymore, lying to them, 'cause I felt bad," he said. "But the lie was that I inherited $80 million from my uncle, and my family is real close and we're all in the oil business, so it made the lie easier to remember."
Another complicating factor was that these ladies are nothing like the ones Smith's used to dating. "Cowgirls are great too, there's nothing wrong with cowgirls. These women are more into fashion and style. My concern is I'm a cowboy and I don't know what Gucci is."
However, the job had its perks. "These girls were all outgoing, good-looking, very smart girls, they made my time enjoyable," Smith said.
The Next Joe Millionaire: An International Affair will premier on 20 October on the Fox channel in the US.