TV

The Choice: DJ Pauly D and Romeo Pull their ‘Love Handles’ for the Ladies

Taking the format of NBC's The Voice and applying it to blind dating, FOX has created The Choice, a summer show sure to make you doubt humanity

By Jen Harper /

Your “celebrity” judges of The Choice

FOX’s newest summer dating show is controversial to say the least

The summer TV lineup is known for shows that give your brain a little vacation. And if your brain’s idea of vacay is watching celebs like Jersey Shore star Pauly D uncomfortably judge overly caffeinated women based on what their voices sound like — and how much the guys in the audience hoot and holler when they walk out on stage — then FOX’s new show The Choice is just for you.

The new reality series that marries NBC’s The Voice with a shallow dating show (is there any other kind?) premieres Thursday (June 7) with Cat Deeley playing host to celebrity daters Pauly D, rapper Romeo, Days of Our Lives actor Jason Cook, and Olympic skier Jeremy Bloom. During the first Blind Choice round, the guys listen with their backs turned as a bevy of beauties come out one by one to regale them with tales of having “spontanuity” and a stripper pole, participating in the debate team, and being a virgin (Pauly tries to turn his chair back around with this one — but those love handles only pull one way). Then based on their voices (but really based on how hot the audience thinks the gals are), the guys pull their “love handles” to spin their chairs around and pick three girls for their dating pools.

And if that isn’t uncomfortable enough to watch, the next round consists of the guys and their gals asking each other rapid fire questions, which mostly consisted of “What’s your favorite color?” Each of the dudes then cuts one of their girls based on the answers (but really, based on how hot they are).

In the final round, each of the ladies has to answer one question posed by their potential dates before Romeo, Pauly, Jason and Jeremy select with whom they’ll be going on a date. Romeo asks, “What’s the most impressive thing you’ve done for love?” But it doesn’t really matter what the ladies answer, because he then asks the audience to pick his girl for him (??).

Jason pretty accurately sums up the experience upon picking the gal he’ll be taking out: “Ladies, this has been the most awkward blind date I’ve ever been on.” Yeah, us too.

Tune in next week to find out what exactly went down on these “dates” and to see if things are slightly less uncomfortable with the next batch of daters. (Spoiler alert: Probably not.)