'Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer' Is Another Wonderfully Messy Dating Show
Published Jan. 6 2022, 11:47 a.m. ET
Even though The Bachelor premiered in 2002, a year before the original Joe Millionaire popped up on Fox, it's hard not to compare the two. Of course, we all know one went on to pave the way for successful spinoffs and reality TV stars on ABC and the other sort of fizzled out. But now that Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer is here, some fans might be wondering if it's somehow part of The Bachelor franchise.
This isn't exactly a "which came first, the egg or the chicken?" type of situation. The Bachelor premiered on ABC before Joe Millionaire premiered on Fox. And the premises of the shows aren't exactly identical. But both shows include a leading man and more than a dozen women competing for his love.
The beauty of Joe Millionaire rests on its twist. The suitor, or in this case one of the two male suitors, is actually a lot less wealthy than he claims to be. Does it somehow connect to The Bachelor universe?
Is 'Joe Millionaire' part of 'The Bachelor'?
Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer and The Bachelor are on two different networks. They also each have a different team of producers behind them. So no, Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer is not part of The Bachelor franchise.
Producer SallyAnn Salsano, known for shows like Jersey Shore: Family Vacation and Floribama Shore, is behind the Joe Millionaire reboot and she has nothing to do with Bachelor Nation.
Fox Entertainment's president of alternative and specials Rob Wade praised SallyAnn in a statement obtained by Today.
"This revival of Joe Millionaire represents a potent combination: one of the most innovative and popular dating shows of all time with SallyAnn Salsano, who ranks among the most fearless producers in the business," he said in the statement.
'Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer' features two leads.
Unlike the original series, which featured one man and 20 single women, the reboot stars two suitors, Steven McBee and Kurt Sowers, and 18 women ready to fight over them. And if the OG twist wasn't enough, this time there's double the men and double the stress of keeping a huge secret from the contestants. One of the men is indeed a millionaire, but the other isn't. And the women have no idea which man is which.
Even though hearts are bound to get broken and vases are all but guaranteed to be thrown across the room, Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer is like a social experiment you can't look away from. Whether or not the subjects will be happy about the end result when the dust settles is still unclear.
Watch Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer on Thursdays at 8 p.m. EST on Fox.