Press Release
Read an interview with Mr. Romance
NEW YORK, April 19, 2005 — Make room Fabio, Oxygen has discovered America’s next romantic icon! Randy Ritchwood was crowned Mr. Romance during Monday night’s season finale which dramatically culminated with a grand man-pageant in front of a live, all-female studio audience. Mr. Romance, Oxygen’s latest reality series created by Gene Simmons of KISS, chronicled the trials and tribulations of aspiring Adonises who competed to see who will grace the cover of the next Harlequin romance novel.
A truck driver from East Orange, NJ, Ritchwood out-charmed and out-romanced 11 other contestants during the season finale of Oxygen’s search for the next Fabio. Two of the 12 beefy contestants were eliminated during the two hour finale before competing in the live man-pageant. The remaining romancers danced, posed and performed for throngs of screaming women and a panel of celebrity judges/guests and romance professionals, including Fabio, Gene Simmons and TV personality Tina Malave. Ritchwood, a single father of three, walked away with three guaranteed appearances on Harlequin romance book covers and a $50,000 cash prize.
Comedian Fred Willard of Best in Show and Anchorman joined the finale as a pageant commentator, similar to those of more traditional televised beauty pageants. Alongside Fabio and Malave, Willard provided the TV audience with color commentary punctuated by his notable humor and satiric observations.
For the viewers at home, Mr. Romance contestant Andrew Larson proved to be their favorite as he won Oxygen’s online Viewer’s Choice contest. Over 45,000 fans voted on www.oxygen.com for their choice of Mr. Romance with Larson, of Portland, Ore., winning by 2,500 votes. Oxygen’s website benefited from the contest, contributing to a 67% increase of traffic after each episode premiere.
Throughout the series, romancers-in-training entered a veritable “romance boot camp” and prepared to compete in the Mr. Romance man-pageant. Cameras rolled for six episodes as the participants trained to strike the pose, walk the catwalk and sculpt their bodies into temples worthy of worship. Viewers were left breathless and begging for more as their future knight in shining armor got lessons in seduction and kissing for the camera.
Fabio, featured on the covers of over 1,000 romance titles, acted as a role model throughout the series, providing the contestants the inside knowledge and know-how on what it takes woo and charm the ladies. Whether making a gallant entrance on his white horse or dishing out words of wisdom, Fabio added a flavorful and fun approach to finding the newest romance novel cover model.
Cindy Guyer, who has appeared on more romance novel covers than any other model, acted as the “headmistress of the romance academy.” Guyer, the former model for Nancy Drew book covers, has appeared on over 2,000 national magazines and book covers.
The Greif Company (Lifetime’s Intimate Portraits, Headliners & Legends) and Jude Weng (The Mole 3 and The Next Action Hero) are the series’ producers.
