Too famous to fall in love? Eight single celebrities, who’ve all publicly failed in relationships, gathered together on the Tuesday, June 14, premiere of Famously Single with one mission: to find “the one.”
Here, The Knot gets acquainted with the cast of E!’s new docu-series, and learns what’s holding them back from finding love.
The Cast
Brandi Glanville: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star and former model, 43, wants to date, but she hasn’t been able to find a solid relationship after the demise of her high-profile marriage. Glanville endured a painful (and very public) split from ex-husband Eddie Cibrian in 2010, after he cheated with country singer LeAnn Rimes. The RHOBH alum says she now tends to “sabotage relationships” when she gets “even the smallest amount suspicious.” She also believes “there’s a very small amount of men who actually can keep it in their pants.”
Jessica White: This 31-year old beauty has enjoyed success in her modeling career. Relationships, however, are another story. While she’s dated numerous famous men (Sean Penn, John Legend and most recently Nick Cannon), White describes herself as “a gypsy,” and admits that she has a “two-year commitment phobia.”
Aubrey O’Day: The Danity Kane singer, 32, is best-known for the time she spent on Making the Band with Diddy. She’s also posed for the cover of Playboy magazine and has dated some noteworthy celebs. “I’m hitting foul balls left and right,” the singer says of her failed relationships with stars such as Jesse McCartney and Donnie Wahlberg. “I have no idea how to find love. Every person that I’ve ever dated has been involved in whatever career opportunity was occurring at that time.” Aubrey claims she’s a pro at recognizing “red flags,” and is ready to fall in love.
Somaya Reece: With her success on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop, this actress is finding the dating process increasingly difficult. “It’s hard dating in general, but once you reach celebrity, it is even harder,” she says. The 32-year old admits she hasn’t dated many famous people. “Either they’re too busy, I’m too busy, or everything was a competition,” Somaya tells viewers. “My choices are very slim.”
Pauly D: As a DJ and Jersey Shore housemate, this 35-year old has met his fair share of women. The problem? He doesn’t date them, but he scores the occasional hook-up. He has a reputation for being a “ladies’ man.” He’s tired of waiting for the perfect girl to come along, and he’s ready to find “the one.”
Josh Murray: This 31-year old thought he had found the love of his life in Andi Dorfman when he won season 10 of The Bachelorette. Sadly, the romance didn’t continue once they attempted an off-camera relationship. Josh is quick to admit he hasn’t dated many women. “I am pretty picky,” he shares with Famously Single viewers, “but I think if you’re gonna spend the rest of your life with somebody, you need to be picky.”
Willis McGahee: As a former NFL running back, this 34-year old became accustomed to women chasing him. He doesn’t hide that he’s cheated in the past. Willis has eight children with seven different women.
Calum Best: While he’s been considered “a bit of a playboy” in the past, this 35-year old model is ready to ditch his promiscuous reputation. He is ready for a serious relationship.
Speed-Dating 101
Dr. Darcy Sterling — the resident relationship specialist of Famously Single — introduces herself to the celebs, she announces that the housemates will be kicking things off with four rounds of speed-dating. The expert wants to see what kind of first impressions they make, and encourages them to “be playful and honest” during their interactions.
Brandi recalls a time she modeled with Calum, but thinks he’s clueless. “He’s basically banged all my friends,” the reality star says as she remembers her modeling days.
Pauly D. tells Aubrey that he hasn’t dated since high school. But she’s completely turned off when he won’t admit how many women he’s slept with. He also has a difficult time not staring at Brandi’s “massive cleavage.”
Pauly D.’s One-on-One with Dr. Darcy
After the famous housemates get settled in their temporary home, Dr. Darcy meets with Pauly D. to learn about the successful DJ. Pauly D. maintains that he never cheated on his high school girlfriend, but it bothers him that his ex believes he was unfaithful.
“The extent to which somebody’s jealousy in a relationship is usually not a reflection on the person that they’re with – it’s a reflection on them,” the doc explains. Pauly D. surprises her by admitting he’s never been in love. Dr. Darcy believes he needs a strong woman who won’t “dim [his] light.” Pauly D. wants to find a partner who is with him “for the right reasons.”
Part of the reason the DJ has difficulty meeting potential mates is he rarely leaves his home. “The downside of celebrity,” Dr. Darcy explains, “Everything comes to you, – you don’t have to go out – so how on earth are you gonna meet somebody?” She encourages Pauly D. to be proactive, stating he’s “ripe and ready” for new experiences.
A Meet-and-Greet Gone Wrong
The housemates are just getting acquainted with each other, but the cat fights have already begun. Brandi sparks annoyance in her fellow female singles. “I brought my vibrators and lingerie,” she shares openly with her seven roomies. Somaya is disgusted by Brandi’s admission. “She’s the real typical type of basic chick,” Somaya tells Famously Single viewers. “She’s very mediocre.”
Aubrey whole-heartedly agrees with Somaya’s outspoken opinion. She tells viewers she met Brandi a month ago, and the exchange didn’t go well. “It was like the most painful 45 minutes I’ve had in a long time,” Aubrey shares. “I had to reduce my mind a lot to converse with her.”
Later, the housemates dish on their celebrity crushes – Pauly D. is a Nicki Minaj fan. He loves her “dope body” and the fact that she’s “hilarious.”
Somaya’s celeb crush is Eva Mendes. She dates both men and women. “Love is love,” she shares – making viewers wonder whether she’ll fall in love with a man or a woman.
The Social Experiment
The Famously Single celebs are hitting a local nightclub. Dr. Darcy has sent in two dating coaches to see how the stars interact. The catch? The singles have no idea who the dating coaches are or that they’re being watched at all.
Pauly D. and Somaya start to hit it off immediately. She likes that he’s a “total gentleman,” but his maturity soon takes a turn. A man in a pink shirt enters their VIP area and starts chatting up Brandi. Pauly D. repeatedly asks, “what are those?” referring to the stranger’s shoes.
Somaya asks the stranger in the pink shirt to leave their table, but Brandi is offended and wastes no time confronting Somaya. “That was super disrespectful,” she says to Somaya after the women go outside. Somaya appears to have no idea what she’s done wrong. Neither of the women back down – Pauly D. and Josh finally break them up before they all go home.
Coming Clean
The next day, Dr. Darcy meets with the singles to discuss the previous night. Brandi opens up about the argument – and Pauly D. explains he was joking. He goes onto say that he often wonders why women approach him. Aubrey agrees – she wonders if men seek her out because of her fame. “There’s a sense of desperation in seeing that somebody wants to come rush into the light,” she shares. Brandi adds that she prefers to date other actors simply because they “get it.”
“We’re all a little damaged – a little broken,” Dr. Darcy tells the group. “We have to be willing to look at our own stuff.” She encourages the singles to “lean into the process even when it’s uncomfortable.”
Speaking of discomfort, Dr. Darcy reveals that two of the people the singles met at the club were actually dating coaches. Viewers – and the celebs – are left wondering who the mystery coaches could be.
Famously Single airs Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. ET on E!
