Joe Jonas, The Situation Surprise Cat Deeley On 'The Choice'

Deeley dishes on the celebs competing on the kitschy dating show.
By Jocelyn Vena

Cat Deeley
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Fox's new dating show "The Choice" gives fans the unique experience of vying for the heart of a celebrity and getting the chance to go out on an actual date with him (or her), all with the cameras rolling.

"It's basically this idea of, we take celebrity eligible bachelors and bachelorettes and they have to compete for sexy singles across America," host Cat Deeley told MTV News. "So it's basically normal people ... it's like 'The Dating Game,' and then they go out on a date that night."

The show is like that classic small-screen game show, paired with the more modern idea of spinning chairs as seen on "The Voice." The kitschy reality show kicked off last week with "Jersey Shore" star DJ Pauly D and performer Romeo looking for love. On Thursday night (June 14), Joe Jonas and "Suburgatory" actor Parker Young will try to score on the show.

"I was quite surprised about him," Deeley noted about Jonas when asked which celebrity booking shocked her most. "I imagined him to be quite conservative, but he was kind of up for it. I think that's the big thing about the show, it's just to be fun and entertainment. It doesn't take itself too seriously. Its tongue is firmly planted in its cheek."

Not to be outdone by his "Shore" castmate Pauly D, Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino will also appear on the show in an episode airing later this month. "The Situation? Actually, he had a girl that was a real homebody and she sorted him out," she recalled. "She literally got him out of his chair, and she sat in the chair and, in the end, he was like a little puppy dog with her."

Ultimately, it was a guy who competed on another Fox reality show that left Deeley with a bit of a crush. "I really enjoyed [former 'American Idol' contestant] Taylor [Hicks]. I hadn't met him very many times before," she recalled. "I think probably Taylor [surprised me the most]. There was one moment where his chair knocked me off the podium, literally, almost decapitating me, and he was very gentlemanly with me — a Southern boy with Southern charm."

Related Artists

• Joe Jonas
• The Situation

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