Here's What Joe Millionaire's Evan Marriott Has Been Up To
Remember the FOX hit reality show, Joe Millionaire? Well, for those who can't remember or were too young, Joe Millionaire was FOX's answer to The Bachelor, but with a twist. The contestants thought they were competing for the chance to marry a wealthy aristocrat, but the alleged "millionaire" was in fact a working class construction worker.
The series was a phenomenon, at least for a while. But enthusiasm for the show petered out after the end of the first season. There was a second season with a different "Joe Millionaire," but compared to the sensation of the first season, it was a flop and the end of the series. The man who became known as "Joe Millionaire" was Evan Marriott. When the show was on the air, and for a few months after it ended, Marriott was a major celebrity and a tabloid favorite. He was all over the place between 2003 and 2004, and now as Joe Millionairereturns with Joe Millionaire For Richer or Poorer in 2022, fans are wondering, what's Evan been up to?
8 Evan Marriott Was Not Just A Construction Worker
First, some background on Marriott. Marriott was beloved by fans for his jaw-dropping good looks, and many could not believe that Fox had found a construction worker who looked like he could be an underwear model. Well, it turns out that Marriott was a model. He was a construction worker, that much is true, but he was also modeling as a side gig. Although the show would have fans believe he was basically picked up off the street, he was in fact already in the industry, he just wasn't famous yet.
7 The Show Broke Records For FOX
Viewership for Joe Millionaire brought in some of the best numbers the FOX network ever did. Famous for constantly airing shows that would be canceled mid-season due to low numbers, Joe Millionaire was a huge change of pace. The season finale, the episode where Evan finally revealed to the woman he picked that he was not rich, grossed more than 33 million viewers. This made the episode one of the most-watched events in reality TV at the time, second only to the conclusion of the very first season of Survivor.
6 The Second Season Was Not Nearly As Successful
Producers thought they could make lightning strike twice, but finding a group of women who had not seen or heard about a show that was such a phenomenon was no easy task. Also, fans were pretty much over the hype by the time the second season rolled out. The second season finale only brought in 9 million viewers.
5 Evan's Relationship Crumbled To Pieces
Evan choose Zora Andrich and because she stayed with him after she learned he was not rich, the show awarded the new couple a prize of $1 million. The two then became a favorite subject for celebrity tabloids for months after, but sadly, like most reality TV romances, it did not last. The pair broke up within a year, but they split the prize money.
4 He Tried To Launch An Acting Career
After the show, Marriott tried to cash in on his new stardom by becoming an actor. He did some cameos as himself in a few other FOX shows like MadTV. He also starred in some low-budget movies like Miss Cast Away and Motor Cross Kids. He also hosted the game show Fake A Date in 2004, but not for very long. His last moment on television, save for a few reunion specials and interviews, was in 2009 on Get Dirty With Evan.
3 He Started A Business With His Prize Money
With his fame quickly fading away, Marriott gracefully bowed out of Hollywood, but he did not go very far. He moved to Orange County and he used his prize money as start-up capital for a contracting and construction business. He continues to run that business as of 2022 and seems poised to do it for many years to come.
2 He Looks Completely Different
When he was on Joe Millionaire, Marriot was what some people would refer to as "classically handsome." Strong chin, thick curly hair, and an impressive physique. Today, he is still turning heads but with long silver locks and a bushy gray beard that reminds one of Jason Mamoa's. He might look different, but there are still plenty of women out there who dig the rugged Viking look. Ironically, he is now a millionaire in real life with an estimated net worth of $1.5 million.
1 But What Ever Happened To The Butler Paul Hogan?
"But what happened to Paul?" some might be asking. Paul Hogan was the butler on Joe Millionaire. Hogan was "the glue" of the show according to FOX big wigs, and fans loved his narration, witty repartee, and just his overall demeanor as a classically designed butler. He enjoyed celebrity status a little longer than Marriott. In 2006, he hosted the reality series Groomed which gave men makeovers and turned them into proper gentlemen. After finishing his tenure on reality TV he tried his hand at politics. He ran for the New York state legislature as a Democrat in 2013 but lost his primary. He has since retired and his replacement on the reboot series is Martin Andrew, an actor and (no joke) a professional Rod Stewart impersonator.
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