I Wanna Marry "Harry"
A reality show where women were tricked into dating a Prince Harry look-alike.
I Wanna Marry "Harry" is an American reality television series that premiered on Fox on May 20, 2014. The show, similar in concept to Joe Millionaire, deceived twelve American women into believing they were competing for the affections of Prince Harry, when the bachelor was actually Matthew Hicks, a look-alike. It was cancelled after four episodes aired in the U.S., though the remaining episodes were released online and the complete series aired in other countries.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Competitive reality dating show
- Creator
- Danny Fenton
- Starring
- Matthew Hicks; Paul Leonard
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 1
- Episodes
- 8
- Executive producers
- Danny Fenton
- Kevin Utton
- Matt Gould
- Ryan Seacrest
- Adam Sher
- Heather Schuster
- David Tibballs
- Rebecca Eisen
Facts from the source article.
Background
Contestants were not explicitly told the bachelor was Prince Harry; they were led to infer it from Hicks' resemblance, the royal setting of Englefield House, lavish dates, professional servants, and a security detail with experience protecting heads of state. Hicks was referred to only as "Sir." In the fifth episode, Hicks told contestant Kelly he was Prince Harry, and later the butler Kingsley announced to the seven remaining contestants that "Sir is indeed His Royal Highness Prince Harry of Wales." Contestant Kimberly Birch said in a 2015 interview that the production crew "really messed with us" and tried everything to convince them, including having a crew member pose as a therapist who told contestants to stop doubting. She compared it to brainwashing. Contestant Andrea Fox said on a radio show that before filming, contestants were told the show was called "Dream Date" and was about "the experience for the girls" rather than "finding love," and that staff repeatedly said "Don't compare it to The Bachelor." The butler Kingsley was portrayed by English actor Paul Leonard. The series first aired in the U.S. on May 20, 2014, on Fox, and was cancelled on June 12, 2014, after four episodes, with the remainder made available online. It began airing in the UK on ITV2 on June 4, 2014, at 9:00pm.
Ratings
The first episode aired after an American Idol performance show and had a 1.5 household rating, with a 0.7 for adults 18–49. The second episode, following Riot, had a 1.0 household rating and a 0.4 for adults 18–49. The third episode drew 1.04 million live + same-day DVR viewers with a 0.4 rating for adults 18-49. On ITV2, the first show had 286,000 viewers and the second had 274,000 viewers.
Reviews
Time magazine reviewed the U.S. premiere, calling it "weirdly similar, down to minor details" to Joe Millionaire, but noted the deception carried no shame or guilt, attributing this to reality TV becoming "lighter in tone yet more slick and ruthless." In the UK, The Telegraph headlined its review "fodder for the braindead" and commented that the Harry look-alike was not a wild or weird enough character to carry the show, with entertainment derived solely from the foolish bachelorettes, though it praised butler Kingsley as a "genre-bender of genius." In 2024, a BBC Sounds podcast titled The Bachelor of Buckingham Palace about the series was created, hosted by Scott Bryan; The Guardian called it "an enjoyable show" and The Financial Times described it as "a hoot."
The Bachelor
Before the show, Matthew Hicks worked for an environmental consultancy and had only done minor Prince Harry impersonations, with no real acting background. To prepare, his naturally blond hair was colored ginger, and he got quick lessons in horseback riding, fencing, and ballroom dancing, plus a lot of facts about the prince. Creator Danny Fenton told Good Morning Britain he reviewed over 100 possible Harry lookalikes from several countries before picking Hicks. Today, Hicks teaches physics at Cardinal Newman Roman Catholic secondary school in Rhondda Cynon Taff.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes of I Wanna Marry "Harry" are there?
I Wanna Marry "Harry" has 8 episodes across 1 season.
When did I Wanna Marry "Harry" end?
I Wanna Marry "Harry" last aired on 11 June 2014.
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