Getty "Joe Millionaire" star Evan Marriott in 2015 (left) and 2004 (right).
In 2003, Evan Marriott starred in FOX’s “Joe Millionaire.” According to the show’s description on IMDb, “A 28-year-old heavy equipment operator courts twenty prospective mates under the guise that he has inherited nearly $50 million.”
According to the network, the series marked “the highest-rated and most-watched debut season for an unscripted series of the past 20 years” and its finale “remains the highest-rated and most-watched unscripted entertainment series telecast of the past two decades.”
With the latest iteration of the series, “Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer,” set to premiere on FOX, fans are left asking what happened to Marriott?
Here is what you need to know:
Marriott & His Winner Broke Up
The season finale saw Marriott choose Zora Andrich. The substitute teacher welcomed the revelation that he was not a millionaire, according to ScreenRant, claiming his wealth was intimidating.
Since she chose love over money, the couple split a bonus prize of $1 million. However, their romance was short-lived.
Now of days, Marriott strives to live an anonymous life, according to a 2015 Entertainment Tonight interview. At the time he was still single.
According to The Sun, he has still not found love in the nearly seven years since then.
Marriott Is Glad His Fame Fizzled
Marriott told Entertainment Tonight in 2015 that he did not know what he was walking into when he was cast on “Joe Millionaire.”
“I thought it was a blind date, it was a half-hour show,” he told the outlet. “And then they sprung it on me that I was going to France, and I’m thinking, ‘What the hell?’ And then they offered me $50,000.”
He continued, “The popular phrase is ‘You knew what you were getting into.’ No, I didn’t. I mean, it was so embryonic. It was so new, that, that, no, you didn’t know what you were getting into. You didn’t know the repercussions.”
In the year following the show, he appeared on game shows and even a few acting gigs. According to IMDb, he had roles on series such as “Charmed,” “The Simpsons” and “Half & Half.” ScreenRant reported he even worked as an underwear model.
But as for his fame, he told Entertainment Tonight, “It fizzled just as quick. Um, thank God!”
As the outlet reported, Marriott returned to construction work.
Andrich Is Now a Mother of 2
As for Andrich, she is found the fame “overwhelming” according to a New York Post interview.
Now of days, she told the outlet, “I’m a busy mom of two (and a half). I am currently caring for a 1-year-old foster baby — hence the ‘half.’ I work in healthcare and teach yoga on the side, as a hobby.”
While their relationship did not last, the two still speak occasionally. “Evan and I have talked over the years,” Andrich told the New York Post. “We share an experience of which few others can relate. Despite our differences, I really like Evan. His heart and character are intact — and I appreciate his unapologetic, bold personality.”
The two-hour premiere of “Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer” airs on January 6, 2022, at 8 p.m. Eastern time on FOX.
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