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In an exclusive interview with The List, Joe Millionaire stars Kurt Sowers and Steven Mcbee talked about their journey on the show. The show has been a breath of fresh air for viewers, considering it's starkly different from other reality dating shows on television.
FOX's new dating series, Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer was inspired by the 2003 show Joe Millionaire. This time, the women were competing for two eligible bachelors, among which one is a millionaire and the other one isn't. 18 women compete on the show without knowing which one of the bachelors is rich.
The duo said that they were not "typical reality TV show guys" and talked about their experience with reality TV, their much-talked-about bromance, and their relationship with the women on the show. The article will address five things they spoke about in the interview.
5 things Joe Millionaire duo Kurt and Steven said about their experience on the show
1) The duo's thoughts on being approached for the show
The Joe Millionaire duo confessed that they were new to the reality TV dating show concept. For the two men, the support they gained from their respective families urged them to pursue dating in the public eye. Steven said,
"I don't even have cable in my house. I don't watch reality TV. Kurt doesn't even have a TV in his bedroom. This is not something I ever dreamed of, but at that point, I was 26 years old, still single to that point in my life. I figured, "Why not try something unconventional and go on a dating show?"
Kurt revealed that he used to make fun of dating shows that aired on television and would pick on his exes who would watch those shows. He said,
"I used to call it trash TV and hate on it, and then here I am. My family, actually they were pretty supportive of it. They thought, 'Why not? You're at a point in your life where you can step away from what you're doing professionally, and you're single. You might as well put yourself out there and see what happens.'"
2) The Joe Millionaire duo talked about dating in front of the cameras and their relationship with the women
Kurt and Steven regretted not being able to spend as much time as they desired due to the show's concept. Moreover, with 18 women and such less time, it felt unfair for the duo to eliminate women based on their gut instincts in the beginning. Steven said,
"When we got to, probably, the top ten, that's when you really can start to make true connections and figure out who everyone is....For the most part, Kurt and I see things through a similar perspective, as far as what we're looking for in the women with and so we were very consistent as far as our eliminations go, honestly, throughout the entire show."
The duo confessed that it was difficult with around 25 cameras pointed at them, but after a while they felt at ease. Kurt said,
"Yeah, it was a bit awkward. In the first couple of episodes, we're struggling to find our feet, but the cameras disappear after a little while. It becomes second nature, and you realize that every conversation you're having is for the world to see."
3) Kurt and Steven talk about their friendship they share on and off the show and their experience with falling for the same woman
When asked if the Joe Millionaire duo had bonded well since the beginning, Kurt revealed that by this time, viewers would have gotten to know the "bromance" between the two. Steven looked back at the first time they met each other and said,
"Episode 1, where you see us meeting for the first time, that's genuinely us meeting for the first time — we didn't meet off camera. We hit it off right off the bat going into it. Kurt and I kind of carried the same confidence though, we carry it in different ways. We really are pretty self-confident."
Steven also revealed that they had eliminated the "bro code" during filming and kept it open for the men to have connections with the same woman. Kurt said,
"It was a friendly competition, if anything. At the end of the day, we're on each other's teams. One of us would decide to step back [if that happened]. We would've done that but as you'll see, as the show plays out, those things happen naturally."
4) The Joe Millionaire duo on managing their work while filming the show
Both men felt stressed managing work as well as dating and filming on the show. Steven revealed that they lost sleep and were emotionally exhausted managing calls and meetings from work.
Kurt spoke about their daily schedule on Joe Millionaire and said,
"We would get up -- between 6:00 am and 8:00 am is when they allowed Steve and I to work. We would crunch out as many calls as we could...We'd be in the chair doing interviews by 9:00 am, and then from 9:00 a.m. till, who knows, 2:00 am? We'd be shooting. Pretty brutal."
5) Kurt and Steven talk about their favorite moments on Joe Millionaire
For Steven, favorite moments were of the brotherhood that he shared with Kurt. Speaking about the bond they shared off the show, he said,
"Going into it, again, I did not know what to think of it. I was a little nervous about how it'd work out but honestly couldn't have worked out any better. We've been together, hell, near about every single weekend since."
Kurt was impressed with how the camera crew, the production, and the directors worked and operated together. He confessed that he was inspired by how they worked as "well-oiled machines" in the industry.
With the finale episode just a week away, viewers are looking forward to seeing who the men end up with. Four women are left, out of which two will find life partners in Kurt and Steven and the others will have to leave the show alone.
Joe Millionaire season 2 airs next Thursday at 8.00 pm ET on Fox.
