Jay Overbye was forthcoming about his upcoming appearance on “The Bachelor” but declined to answer the question about whether contestants are permitted to have sex.
Then again, the Chicago-connected Overbye, a part-time model, said he actually is looking for love, a wife and, specifically, three kids. He’s very serious, and he thinks that if such a thing can be accomplished, there’s no reason it can’t be done via a major network TV format versus the randomness of two ships passing in the night.
Overbye, a native Easterner who lived in Chicago as a successful businessman for 14 years before recently moving to New York to sell real estate, is part of a dramatically retooled version of the ABC show, which airs at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Retooling can’t hurt, because “The Bachelor” won’t be up for an Emmy in the reality-show category. (The awards show airs at 7 p.m. Sunday on ABC.)
But a couple of things about this version of the show seem to foster intrigue. Previously the power was all in the guy’s hands, but this time the women will choose between two bachelors, one of whom will be sent packing in the first episode. Too, maturity abounds: Both bachelors are 40, and the women range from 27 through 39.
Overbye’s competition is Byron Velvick, a professional bass fisherman. (We aren’t biting.)
“I’m a big believer in taking chances,” Overbye said. “The possibility of meeting my wife on that show took over any anxiety about the cameras.”
And a few other thoughts:
– “Chicago is a great dating town. It’s easy to have a conversation, and women are relaxed.”
– The show provides all the clothes, so he didn’t have to worry about wearing ratty old stuff on national TV.
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– His lineage is Norwegian and English. Of Norway, he said, “I think, per capita, it has the most beautiful women in the world.”
– His eventual wife may have a tall order: Twins run in his family, including him and his twin sister.