MILF Manor 2 contestants nearly QUIT over fears the controversial show would ruin their reputation
MILF Manor was nearly thrown into chaos after two contestants threated to quit the new season after one was asked to strip in front of his own father.
TLC's controversial reality dating show has returned for a second season, and it wasn't just viewers left stunned by the shock twist - which sees a group of young bachelors move into a mansion and compete against their fathers in a bid to find love with single older women.
Father-and-son duo Anthony, 54, and Joey, 21, told DailyMail.com they had no idea they would be starring together after initially applying for what they believed to be two different dating shows.
They feared some of the more outrageous challenges could impact their family business - with their frustrations coming to a head when Joey was asked to take part in a strip tease in front of Anthony.
MILF Manor 2 contestants Anthony, 54, and Joey, 21 exclusively told DailyMail.com they almost quit the series due to the wild challenges they had to take part in
'It was traumatic... we almost left the show,' Anthony admitted. 'I was like, "What type of show is this? What are you get me involved in?" They had to calm me down and talk me off the ledge.'
Joey added: 'It was hard because we have family-oriented restaurants. [Our restaurant] Nino's is our everything.'
Anthony explained that the pair often had to stop and debate whether to continue during filming.
'It took us by surprise a little bit,' he said. 'We had to process it and debate if we're going to do it or not.
'In the end we were like, "Come on, let's just make the best of it. Let's be respectful to the women and have some fun".'
Joey joked: 'We actually have this thing where we communicate telepathically and we understand each other very well in certain scenarios. I think it's an Italian thing.
'We definitely kept an open book between the both of us. We always talked, we always communicated and I think that was key. We always respected each other.'
The father and son duo from New Jersey are close and have previously been on double dates with former partners - but Anthony said there were situations that they did not feel comfortable with.
A new crop of cougars are seen searching for love in the follow-up to the controversial TLC series
The TLC series sees the contestants taking part in a series of risqué challenges, and not all of them went down well with the men and their fathers
The duo revealed that they threatened to walk out completely after Joey was asked to take part in a strip tease in front of his father
'Some of the situations got into things we're not comfortable with,' he teased. 'There was some crazy twists, crazy twists... But at the end of the day, we just made sure that we respected the women.'
Recalling the moment they discovered they were on the same show, Joey said: 'I didn't know I was going on MILF Manor at first. I actually wasn't too familiar with the show prior when I found out what it was.
'I was all for it, but there was a lot of twists and turns that made it pretty interesting.'
Anthony added: 'They did a really good job on keeping it a secret. We both thought we were going on our own dating shows.
'So when I arrived, and I see Joey I’m like, "What's going on?" I was just stunned so it was a surprise.'
Anthony continued: 'Joey came running up to me and said, "Dad, I gotta tell you what's been going on up till now." We had a lot of fun.'
The restaurant owner then joked that his son didn't really leave many ladies for him to seduce having already kissed some of the MILFs - and had even taken a playful bite of 46-year-old Christina's butt during an intimate moment in the first episode.
'It's a love language,' Joey joked. 'I think that it's different. It's unique. It catches a lot of women off guard, which they always like. If they say no, they say no. But I guarantee you, they will come around.'
The pair claim they had no idea they would be competing against each other on the series, but Joey was more than happy to get stuck in once the truth was revealed
In the first episode he was seen getting up close and personal with Christina, 46, as he playfully bit her behind during some alone time in the hot tub
He shared a kiss with the 46-year-old, who previously confessed she never thought she would find love after her 20-year marriage ended
The MILFs - an abbreviation for 'mother I would like to f**k' - taking part include a 45-year-old former stripper, a 51-year-old twice divorcee, a 48-year-old makeup artist who recently lost her son, and a 59-year-old Pilates instructor.
The women participate in a series of activities with the young men in order to win dates with their favorites.
Reflecting on his preference for older women, Joey said he is drawn to confidence.
'I think it's that they know what they want,' he said. 'They're not afraid to say it and I like the confidence. Since birth. I think I've always been that way.'
He continued: 'I'm not against dating woman my age at all. I just find that there's always going to be more experience in older women. I like that better than having to always have to teach and guide. Sometimes I want to be taught and guided.'
While some parents might be surprised to learn of their son dating someone close to their age, Anthony claimed he was already aware of Joey's romantic preferences.
'Me and Joey go out a lot,' he said. 'We go out on double dates with his girlfriends or whoever I'm dating so we're comfortable to be around that situation.'
If anything, it appears Joey may have developed his appreciation from his father.
While some parents might be surprised to learn of their son dating someone close to their age, Anthony was already aware of Joey's romantic preferences
The pair admitted that they were concerned their antics on the show would damage their reputation
US viewers can catch MILF Manor 2 on TLC, while viewers in the UK and Ireland can stream it on Discovery+
Sharing his thoughts about dating older women, Anthony quipped: 'I just always like the challenge. I feel like when women are a little older, they have a little more experience and they have a little more knowledge. We like that.'
The pair admitted that they were slightly worried about what the backlash to their antics might be when watched by their family members as Anthony stated: 'I was a little worried about.
'But, besides the activities that we had no control over and we had to participate in, we kept it classy. We kept it cool.'
The first season saw a crop of cougars joined by their Gen Z sons on the hunt for love.
US viewers can catch MILF Manor 2 on TLC, while viewers in the UK and Ireland can stream it on Discovery+