NBC has announced the identities of the 13 women who will try to win the heart of Mark Philippoussis on Age of Love, a new The Bachelor-like reality dating series that will follow the 31-year-old professional tennis player from Melbourne, Australia as he attempts to find a doubles partner among the group of suitors, who range in age from 21- to 48-years-old.
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"This summer we are bringing romance back to NBC by trying to answer the simple question, when it comes to love, does age matter?" said JD Roth, Age of Love's executive producer. "The answer is... love is ageless... you can't ignore pure chemistry. And as a viewer, it doesn't matter what age you are, there are women to root for and against, and that makes for great story telling."
The 13 women vying for Philippoussis' heart on the show are split into two CATegories, the "Kittens" and the "Cougars." Age of Love's "Kittens" will feature six young, enthusiastic women in their 20's who could probably better keep-up with Philippoussis' fast-paced lifestyle, while the "Cougars" will consist of seven women in their 40's who are more sophisticated and thus probably better equipped to deal with his fame as a tennis pro.
Similar to the manner in which the "geek versus hunks" twists on NBC's Average Joe reality dating shows played out, Philippoussis will initially be introduced to his older "Cougars" suitors. Later, he will learn that the younger "Kittens" -- who will also initially be unaware of the "Cougars" and vice versa -- will also be attempting to win him over. Once the "Cougars" meet the "Kittens," the claws come out and all the bachelorettes will try to win him over. From there, the field of suitors will be narrowed until Philippoussis picks his final bachelorette.
The eight-episode series is scheduled to premiere Monday, June 18 at 9PM ET/PT on NBC. Age of Love's cast of felines differ in more than just age, as some of the "Cougars" even have kittens of their own. The 13 women competing on Age of Love are:
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The Cougars
- Angela, a 40-year-old property manager from Lakeside, MI who has been married twice before and has a 21-year-old son
- Jayanna, a 38-year-old mortgage loan officer from Newport, CA who has been married once before
- Jennifer, a 48-year-old executive assistant for the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers from Carson, CA who has been married twice before
- Jodie, a 46-year-old vice president for a commercial real estate company from Dallas, TX who has been married once before and has an 8-year-old son
- Kelli, a 40-year-old legal secretary from Los Angeles, CA
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- Lynn, a 40-year-old makeup artist from Nashville, TN
- Maria, a 42-year-old photographer from Playa Del Rey, CA who has been married once before
The Kittens
- Adelaide, a 26-year-old editor for Esquire magazine from Manhattan Beach, CA
- Amanda, a 25-year-old financial planner's assistant from Nashville, TN
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- Lauren, a 27-year-old lighting consultant from Greenwich, CT
- Mary, a 24-year-old hemodialysis technician from Albuquerque, NM
- Megan, a 21-year-old Loyola University student from Chicago, IL
- Tessa, a 23-year-old executive assistant from Peoria, AZ
(Photo credit NBC/Mitchell Haaseth)
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio