DISCLAIMER: This Blogger Wrote This Post with Full Editorial Independence and Without Endorsement or Influence in Any Way from the Sponsor of This Series.
BY DC CUEVA
For those who are into the world of reality TV, summertime feels almost like Christmas as the schedules on the major networks are now making room for the genre's biggest hits: America's Got Talent, American Ninja Warrior, Big Brother, Love Island in both America and the U.K., The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, and Jersey Shore. And those are just some of the many reality-based series that will take to our screens on broadcast, streaming and cable in the 104 days from right now on this Friday night of this long weekend until Labor Day Monday brings this all to a close in September.
It's with this in mind that the folks at Pepsi are contributing their part to help usher in the Summer of 2021 and the first romantic reality dating show produced by MTV since the start of the panic that has plagued the past year. Starting with when it debuted during the season finale of The Challenge: Double Agents and continuing into this month of May, they and the branded content marketing arm of MTV's parent, ViacomCBS' Velocity, teamed up to create the spring's must-watch romantic show -- and provide a launchpad to the first new Pepsi flavor in five years. And some of your favorite reality stars including those familiar to us here are front and center for the experiment that is Match Me If You Can.
Starting with when The Challenge kickstarted this invasion of talent from other shows outside of The Real World and Road Rules back six years ago, the idea of crossovers have always been something that unites fandoms. From the Shore ecosystem and Teen Mom to How Far is Tattoo Far and beyond, there's been plenty of those across the entire MTV Reality spectrum over the past few years, and which has expanded to encompass the expanded ViacomCBS portfolio well before their 2019 re-merger starting with Big Brother houseguests going on Vendettas and Ex On The Beach U.S.
The idea of Match Me If You Can sees MTV and Pepsi ask the question, "What if your favorite stars from across the reality TV universe were mixed up together for a chance to find their surprising perfect match?" The soda brand's new offering, Pepsi Mango with its tropical flavor, is providing the chance for two competitors from The Challenge and a member of the most noteworthy cast ever of Are You The One? to join a new teammate from the U.S. version of global sensation Love Island, two citizens of Bachelor Nation and even a duo from a Paramount+ streaming rival the chance to explore the magic that comes with both love and crossover events like this.
The presser for Match Me If You Can states, "Pepsi Mango and MTV will bring together eight bright stars from the reality TV universe for a new five-part crossover dating series that pairs fan favorites from different franchises together for the first time. As seen with Pepsi Mango, it's often the most surprising pairings that work best together. This perfect match is what inspired show producers to not only bring together two daters from different franchises in each episode, but also set them up with unexpected activities for the ultimate dating experience."
The show is hosted by Lauren Speed Hamilton, who found love on Netflix's Love is Blind and got engaged to Cameron Hamilton on the first season of that show last year. She says of this unique new take on love, "I'm so excited to join Pepsi and MTV as the host of Match Me If You Can. While I was able to find love on reality TV, that combination doesn't work for everyone. So, we're shaking it up by bringing unexpected pairings on surprising dates to try to find that elusive perfect match, just like Pepsi Mango! I can't wait to show the world what we uncovered!"
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WHO ARE THESE NEWBIES?
MATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Before we present the episodes embedded below: in the tradition of what we've been able to do in our coverage of every Challenge season since 2013 and the entire American run of EOTB, we would like to introduce you to four of the non-MTV reality stars who are getting a chance to swipe for love. But in the case of the fifth non-MTV'er on Match Me, this site featured one who's already had his moment in the spotlight with an AYTO alum in Season 4 headline maker Julia Rose, Too Hot To Handle Season 1's Harry Jowsey, back last winter when rumors came up that he and his famous ex Francesca Farago were considered for the fifth U.S. season of Ex, but where the ladder spent her lockdown with Demi Sims, a star of The Only Way is Essex - Britain's take on The Hills.
❤️ KYRA GREEN
Love Island U.S. and
America's Got Talent
In the summer of 2019, Kyra took a break from working those vocal cords to fly out to Fiji for Season 1 of Love Island U.S., where she turned her attention to finding love. Her show bio wrote, "Kyra loves a confident guy just as much as the next girl, but it's a fine line, as she lists her biggest turnoff as someone who is too cocky. She says she can be a little dark, like Wednesday Adams, so she's looking for a guy who can make her laugh."
Kyra was the last in the first wave of Islanders to arrive in the South Pacific and take up residency in the Villa, and having arrived after the first coupling ceremony was tasked with having to pick one of the guys and break up a couple at the first re-coupling switch-a-roo when she stole Sacramento's Cashel Barnett from Caro Viehweg. They stayed together for a week before she chose Toronto's Eric Hall and Floridian Jered Youngblood before Kyra got dumped on Day 24 in Fiji.
And along the way, Kyra dropped a bomb when she revealed that she's bisexual having been brought to Love Island by an ex-girlfriend and where her first love was with a girl before going the other way when she moved west. She told People Magazine before entering the Casa, "I'm bisexual and I've had relationships with girls and guys. I just hope everyone can be themselves and America is supportive." And below, her biggest moments on the island and her performance on AGT.
❤️ JOEY SASSO
The Circle Season 1 WINNER
When it was all over, a man from upstate New York reigned supreme... but before entering The Circle, Joey Sasso was a 24-year-old bartender and aspiring actor from Rochester who, at first sight, seemed like someone who was a Jersey Shore reject. Indeed, the Italian guido bro shares traits with some of the guys of that show in being a mama's boy and family man like Vinny, a gym enthusiast like the Sitch, a ladies man like Ronnie, and a party kid like Pauly... "Yeah, buddy" quote included.
But along with all that, Joey has also been passionate about filmmaking and acting, which after high school brought him west to Los Angeles to pursue a passion he's had since age 3: directing, acting and writing screenplays. As a fan of horror flicks and one who's been carefree when it comes to his choices for entertainment, Joey has always been fascinated with the work of Wes Craven and doing special effects on the makeup side of things. And when he contemplated going with the Hollywood route or pursuing a career in boxing, he opted to stay the course with getting that acting bug.
As one who was reluctant to do a reality show but who changed his mind at last minute, Joey was one of the original eight who began the competition with low expectations in possibly being cast as the one who would likely get sent home first. But his authenticity, flirting with the ladies and over-the-top persona as well as his loyalty ultimately scored him fans as he played the game differently than his opponents in telling it like it is. Joey eventually shared a kiss with eliminated houseguest Miranda when she was sent home, and formed a bromance with Indian-American Shooby. And at season's end, he would reign supreme with a $100,000 winner's check.
❤️ ERIC BIGGER
The Bachelorette and
Bachelor in Paradise
Eric Bigger came to her 2017 season of the show as an L.A.-based personal trainer from Baltimore who described himself as "the life of the party," and a neat freak who loves watching the movie Bad Boys. It was when he went for love that he embraced that title in garnering group and solo dates with Rachel along with advancing to the hometown dates phase in taking her around Charm City as she met Eric's family, played hoops and became the first girl that he's ever brought home to his parents. After heading down to her hometown of Dallas and then flew to Spain, Eric received her only fantasy suite card... but he was sent home before Rachel scored her love in Bryan Abasolo.
Eric has appeared two other times on Bachelor Nation's fellow spinoffs: in 2018 he was on two shows in having a brief stint on a Winter-themed Bachelor miniseries followed by taking part in Season 5 of Bachelor in Paradise with Juliette's ex Robby Hayes and Colton Underwood.
❤️ ONYEKA EHIE
The Bachelor and
Bachelor in Paradise
Onyeka made quite an impression in the villa, starting with when she went in on Catherine for stealing Colton several times on that first night, then winning a mini-challenge to see who is the strongest suitor. From when she entered the house, she felt an instant attraction to Colton due to his genuineness and Christian roots, and her preferring to only date those who really appreciate where she comes from.
But the biggest moment of Onyeka's Bachelor season was getting into a beef with fellow contestant Nicole over claims that she was getting bullied before a heated rose ceremony that eventually saw her get no rose and the ride home in the limo. And she then appeared on the subsequent (and most recent) sixth season of Bachelor in Paradise where, she too, also went home early from Mexico.
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Kyra, Joey, Eric, Onyeka and Harry have joined Challenge champ and Real World alum Ashley "Millionaire" Mitchell, Big Brother houseguest Natalie Negrotti and Are You The One? Season 8's Kylie Smith for this unique experiment to find if these reality stars can find their soulmate in this small world that we call those who have done a reality show before. And their quest for love will take on a horseback ride in the mountains, the comforts of a hot tub, a retreat in the woods and some intimate yoga involving paint as the following videos will answer if they can find their perfect match.
EPISODE 1 Ashley & Eric
EPISODE 2 Kyra & Natalie
EPISODE 3 Harry & Onyeka
EPISODE 4 Joey & Kylie
And after those first four dates, as is always the case for the last act of any reality dating show they will come together in the same spot to join Lauren and find if they are meant for each other, or if a switch-up in the partners can really cause things to get out of control.
EPISODE 5 The Finale
Trying to find love is something that is hard to find, whether it's looking through an app or around town - and especially with the limitations offered by the events of the past year. But there is always cool when those who you know from the shows you watch come together for the joy of the thrill of love and a bit of lightheartedness for your entertainment. And during this time we're in, Match Me If You Can seems to hit it on the target when it comes to love in the world of reality television.
- I AM DC
#DCBLOG
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