Joe Millionaire was a hugely popular dating reality show when it debuted in 2003 on Fox.
The first season had several women competing for the love of one man who they believed was a millionaire.
The twist was that he wasn’t a millionaire, and the winner learned this at the end of the season.
Sadly, the gimmick couldn’t repeat, and Fox canceled the show after two seasons.
In 2022, Fox has brought Joe Millionaire back and everything is different this time around, and once again, fans remain obsessed with Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer.
What makes Joe Millionaire different from before?
Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer no longer has women competing to win the love of one man they believe is a millionaire.
Instead, the women are competing for two men. The women know that one of them is a millionaire, and the other isn’t, but they don’t know which is which.
The purpose is still to find true love, and the men are not giving anything away.
SallyAnn Salsano, whose company produces both Joe Millionaire and Jersey Shore, said that the men are making this show better than they even expected before it premiered.
“I really found myself surprised by the two Millionaires this season,” Salsano told US Weekly. “When the two of them are speaking to each other, those are very real conversations and I was standing there shocked by who the guys like. A lot of times it’s the same woman and it makes for a very different season than we had planned.”
What makes Joe Millionaire different from a show like Love Island USA?
SallyAnn Salsano said a lot of care went into casting the women for Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer.
While a show like Love Island USA finds a lot of its men and women from social media, and many of them have monster Instagram followings.
Salsano said that wasn’t what they wanted for Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer.
“Casting for Millionaire is a delicate process because I’m not looking for Instagram models who are there to boost followers, I’m looking for women who the audience will really root for,” Salsano said.
“I cast some women who don’t even have Twitter accounts; it’s about finding single women who really are looking for a shot at love; that’s the part I really love.”
Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer airs Thursday nights at 8/7c on Fox.