The Dark Side of Reality Matchmaking

By Jim Kelly

Don’t get between competing reality show matchmakers, it can get ugly.

Steve Ward, the host of VH1’s relationship show “Tough Love,” told Fancast.com that fellow dating expert Patti Stanger, host of Bravo’s “Millionaire Matchmaker,” runs a “glorified escort service,” adding, “I only know of her by reputation, and her reputation isn’t very good in Hollywood or in the rest of the country.”

Stanger was incensed by Ward’s insinuation, telling Fancast, “I’m not an escort service, and if you look up the definition of prostitution, that would mean I’d have to pay my girls to go on a date to have sex. If you watch the show, you know I say ‘Don’t have sex unless you’re in a monogamous, committed relationship’ – and I certainly don’t pay my girls to go on dates.”

Stanger also shot back at Ward, telling the website, “He has a terrible reputation in our industry. If you go to Ripoffreport.com there are a million disgruntled clients.”

She accuses Ward of “taking money from women to manage if not service them,” and also claims he was tossed out of a matchmaking event last year for being disruptive. “Not true,” responds Ward, who does, however, admit he and his matchmaker mother JoAnn walked out of a conference in Miami because “we thought [it] was a joke, and we didn’t want to be affiliated with it.” Stanger also claims Ward copies her concept of a “singles boot camp,” which, she says, “was trademarked 10 years ago.” Ward retorts, “Really? Then she should file a lawsuit against VH1.”

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Dancing With Stars Winner Julianne Hough Will Be Blogging for Fancast

Fancast announced that two-time “Dancing with the Stars” winner and recording artist Julianne Hough will be blogging exclusively on the site each day following the bi-weekly airing of the show.

Hough will share her thoughts on the seventh season competitions, and reveal behind-the-scenes views of the hit ABC show. She had this to say in her first post about Monday’s season opener:

“I thought [Cody Linley] was awesome. I was extremely happy. In rehearsal he was good, but he knocked it out of the house [Monday] night. As far as the scores, I would’ve thought the performance should’ve got 7’s instead of 6’s. But we were the first ones out. And it’s okay. The thing is, we’re right in the middle. We aren’t at the bottom and we aren’t at the top, which gives us room to grow. My season with Apollo was the same thing; we were right in the middle. The judges don’t want to see you to [sic] come out too strong and not have any room for improvement. They want to see improvement.”

“Dancing with the Stars” fans should check Fancast after each episode to get the scoop on what they didn’t see when the cameras stopped rolling.