The breakout star of A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila was certainly Domenico Nesci, the enthusiastic Italian with a thick accent and a fun-loving attitude. Despite being eliminated, Domenico’s quest for love continues this Sunday at 10pm on MTV with That’s Amore!, the new dating reality show that puts Domenico at the center as 15 women long to find love with him.
BuddyTV spoke to Domenico Nesci about this upcoming series. In our interview, he talks about what he learned from A Shot at Love, his relationship with fellow Shot at Love reject Ashley McNeely, and his difficulty in telling the difference between meatballs and his testicles. You’ll have to read and/or listen to the actual interview to understand that last one. Continue reading for a full transcript of the interview and to listen to the audio file.
Hi, this is John from BuddyTV, and I’m talking to Domenico, a former contestant on A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, and now the star of his own reality dating show on MTV, That’s Amore! Having done this reality dating show once before, why decide to go through it again?
Because this time I was looking for love, and it’s different than being a contestant. Finally I got the chance to find love after three years. I got this need about looking for love, and MTV is giving me the chance to do everything. It’s really nice for me to have the chance finally to be able to express myself again.
Being through the experience on the other side, is there anything you’ve learned being a contestant that makes you better as someone looking for these contestants?
As a contestant you don’t have any responsibility. When she sent me home I couldn’t say, “Why is she sending me home?” When you’re on the other side though it’s even worse, because you gotta send people home and then you’re sad.
Do you have more sympathy for them? If they do something crazy or they’re appearing out of control, you’re like “I know where you are, I’ve been in that situation.” Do you identify with them better?
Yeah, I can understand crazy things better. I was on the other side before, and for some girls it’s not comfortable being on camera, for some of the girls it’s not comfortable being in the house all together. I understood all of the girls much better because I was in their position months before.
Having seen Tila Tequila and how she approached having all of these people try to win her over, did you learn anything from being around her that you’re sort of mimicking in how you act as the star?
I guess I saw how the show was, but I got a totally different personality than Tila, so I approach the show in a different way. I like to approach things in a funny way, no matter what it is. Even if it’s something serious, I try to laugh or something in a sarcastic way sometimes, or in a funny way. Being on the Tila Tequila show and watching her I got an idea of how it works, but I want to put my talent and personality into what is going to happen.
Are a lot of the competitions girls can win on That’s Amore! sort of different and more fun?
They’re much more fun and much more Italian.
Can you give us an example of some of the dates or the competitions that you’re going to be putting these girls through?
Yes, first competition is a huge pool of spaghetti meatballs. Probably 2,000 dishes of spaghetti meatballs, and the girls have to do some stuff with the meatballs in their mouth. Then I ended in the pool, and I cannot tell you how, but I’ve never been in a pool full of spaghetti meatballs. The feeling is really nice though. It’s no good when you find meatballs in your underwear. It was in my underwear and I couldn’t realize, because it was a little cold, which ones were the meatballs and what was going on also the same…I was confused between the meatballs and my real balls.
I think we understand. One of the girls is named Ashley, which is a little confusing because the guy Ashley from A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila is helping you out. Is that at all confusing?
No, because one is a total redneck, and the other one is not that redneck, so it’s not that confusing. The other one, she’s a girl. Ashley became, right after Tila Tequila, my best friend. That’s why I decided to bring him in the show, and he’s really a good friend with me. He’s helping me out with the show. He’s really a kind guy. I love him because he’s sweet.
Does he help you out a lot with making decisions, or on the show is he a good support for you?
He is a good support, because he knows the culture obviously way better than me. As an American guy he gives me little tips about what guys usually do here and what they don’t do. I use his tips to be able to treat them in a certain way, and be able to decide who was good and who wasn’t good for me.
-Interview conducted by John Kubicek
(Image courtesy of MTV)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
John watches nearly every show on TV, but he specializes in sci-fi/fantasy like The Vampire Diaries, Supernatural and True Blood. However, he can also be found writing about everything from Survivor and Glee to One Tree Hill and Smallville.
