Patti Stanger returns to television with a new series and a new twist on finding love. The third-generation matchmaker and love guru has moved to WE tv with Million Dollar Matchmaker, and is determined to find her high-profile clients the loves of their lives. But of course, finding love can be difficult, and Patti says that she demands her clients put in the work to reap the rewards.
New this season, Patti takes her clientele to an exclusive resort to undergo an intensive boot camp where they’ll work on the root causes of their relationship issues. Stanger promises that viewers will get advice that they can put to use and was excited to share deets about this season’s high profile clients and the show’s exciting new format. And of course, Stanger was as hilariously chatty and no-nonsense as ever. TV has missed you, Patti!
Channel Guide: Patti, dish about the show’s new format…
Patti Stanger: It’s very Intervention meets Let’s Make a Deal. There are Barbara Walters moments — I’m going for her record — because I make everyone cry in the hot seat. We still have the crazy millionaires, and we’ve got celebrities like Farrah Abraham [Teen Mom and adult film star] and Ashley I. [The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise] and Tony Tripoli, who’s the producer of Fashion Police. Plumpty Dumpty comes back — Robin Kassner — one of our original fan favorites from Millionaire Matchmaker, and Destin [Pfaff] and Rachel [Federoff] make an appearance.
We have a lot of crazy going on, but at the end of the day, I like to say we’re doing God’s work, because we’re healing America of their love affairs. We’re breaking bad. That’s basically what’s happening, and you’re going to get a lot of tips, a lot of information. People are going to watch the show whether they’re in a relationship or not and say, “Oh, my god. That was me. That’s me.” They’re going to see the cure. We give them the remedy.
CG: Why are some people repeatedly unlucky in love?
PS: I think what happens is people get stuck in a rut and it’s like the definition of insanity — they do the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.
There are many reasons why we get off on the wrong road. We take you back to that time frame, we clear up the vibration and the next thing you know, you’re on your merry way!
CG:You mentioned a few of the personalities we’re going to meet this season. Why do they have such a hard time finding love?
PS: I’ll give you an example. The finale has Ojani Noa, who is J. Lo’s first ex-husband. He was the first one that she fell madly in love with. He came over in a raft from Cuba with a dollar in his pocket, and met her a restaurant when he was a waiter. What you’re going to find is that he still doesn’t believe anyone’s going to be a greater love than J. Lo. He doesn’t believe it’s out there. In his case, he’s stuck on his ex. This is a lot of peoples’ stories. A lot of people are stuck on people from the past. They can’t get forward.
CG: Another top guest this season is former Teen Mom and adult star, Farrah Abraham. How does her reputation put her at a disadvantage for love?
PS: Something happened during the pregnancy, when she lost the boyfriend, when he got in the car accident, something happened. I don’t want to give too much away, but you are going to find out why did she thinks she has to get plastic surgery and sell sexual items online and do a DVD. She really thought she was going Kim Kardashian’s route. She was underage, and she made poor decisions that leads to other poor decisions that leads us to choices that we should never have done.
Take a look at Million Dollar Matchmaker!
CG: Who do you think is this season’s toughest client?
PS: There’s two — Derek and Sonya. You won’t know who they are, because they’re not celebrities, but the thriller on the show this season, you will see thrillers, and you will see people I revoke memberships from. You’ll see. They’ll be crazy, and you will scream at the television. Obviously, everyone deserves love, but the problem is you’ve got to do the work. It’s just like A.A.’s twelve steps. You don’t get alcohol-free unless you do the steps. Well, there are Patti-steps you’ve got to follow too.
Are clients still surprised by how unabashed you are, or do they know what they’re getting into?
PS: No, they’re still surprised! … Sonya and Derek came along — one was a fan of the show, the other said he had never seen the show. We were like, “Did you do your homework before?” They’re like, “No.” They’re shocked that I’m showing them what they’re thinking.
With Derek’s case, he had trauma in his childhood and I said it out loud and he had a heart attack on me. The show is different from Millionaire Matchmaker because on this show, right when we meet the client, we get right into it. They’re in the interview process, which is the intake, like you would do with a therapist. The next day, we’re more about being in front of the cameras, and they want to leave the resort, because I’ve already gone far. Gone deep, deep, deep. I’ve crucified them in a lot of ways, because I make them see Jesus. A lot of people could just leave the resort, where in the old days we make sure it was at the end of the week shooting.
This is like you’re facing your fears full on. I have a track record that I’m breaking, which is Barbara Walter’s track record. I’m trying to make everybody cry in the hot seat because when the crying happens, the cleansing begins. That’s a process I do.
Patti, on Million Dollar Matchmaker, you’ve removed your clients from their everyday lives by bringing them to a resort. How does this help them find love?
PS: This place has everything! There’s a spa. Great restaurants. Casino. Everything you need to say, “This is a vacation.” It’s really a ruse because we’re actually putting you through Patti’s Boot Camp! And you can’t not do it. You cannot escape me. I’ve got eyes and ears all over the hotel. I’ve got the staff working. I’ve got TV crews everywhere. I can see anyone in any room that I’m working with. I need to know what’s going on and what you’re feeling at all times, so that at the end of the week, you return back to your life with love.
CG: So when people leave Patti’s Boot Camp, are they transformed?
PS: They’re transformed forever, whether or not they get love or not. There’s some people that walk out without love because they’ve made poor decisions. But they’re still transformed. I get texted all the time saying, “My life has been changed.” I’ve had people call me all the time and say, “If I’d never done this show, I would’ve never found my husband,” or, “If I never did this show, I would never have realized the mistakes I was making in love,” because no one ever tells them.
CG: It sounds like therapy…
PS: Most therapists just want your money every week and they don’t really clean your bad habits. Their job is to make money. I say, I really don’t want to see you ever again, so let’s get a month going and let’s fix you. By the end of the thirty days, goodbye! I never want to see you again. Let’s just get you in love and get you out of here — unless I’m at your wedding!”
CG: Patti, if there’s a lonely millionaire out there who’s looking for love, how can he or she contact you for help?
PS: Millionairesclub123.com. And if they’re not right for me, I have an affiliate program. I’ll refer them to another matchmaker.
Million Dollar Matchmaker > WE tv > Fridays at 10pm ET/PT, beginning July 8.
