Farmer Wants a Wife returns for season 2 on February 1. Jennifer Nettles is back as the host of the dating series and will help guide the 4 new Farmers as they try to find love. Hollywood Life spoke exclusively with Jennifer, 49, about the new season and whether or not there are any changes fans can expect.
“There are a few things, but I don’t want to spoil them,” Jennifer said. “There will be a few surprises this season that we didn’t get in the first season. You’ll get to see some new surprises, but the format and the concept are the same.”
The new Farmers are Ty Ferrell, Mitchell Kolinsky, Brandon Rogers, and Nathan Smothers. Right away, Jennifer was impressed with their dedication to finding love on their Farmer Wants a Wife journey. “Three of them had watched the first season, so they knew what to expect,” the host revealed. “I think that really made a difference in all the people that actually signed up for this season. They knew what the show was about. They knew its authenticity. I think these guys came in much less curious, with much fewer unknowns, so that they could focus on what they were there for, as opposed to like, what even is this show? What’s it going to be like? What’s it going to be about? They could just focus on their own individual experience within it.”
Jennifer believes the “authenticity” of the show is what sets it apart from other dating shows on television. “These folks are all in it for the right reasons, and I love that people saw that authenticity when they watched the show,” the singer told Hollywood Life. “I’m not a big fan of dating shows because typically I find them off-putting. I think that they’re like fake drama and a lot of people want to be Instagram influencers and want their 15 seconds of fame. I think, in contrast, this show is very authentic. It’s a unique circumstance and people are on television and people are upgrading their lives to get a chance to try out a new life on the farm to see if it’s for them. Those things are definitely unique, but the inspiration behind being on the show is super authentic for all these people.”
The Farmers aren’t just finding love on Farmer Wants a Wife, they’re also bonding with each other. Jennifer gushed that the Farmers told her that they “talk every day.” At the mixers each week, the Farmers “get to connect with each other” over what they’ve experienced. “They really, really value that time,” she said. “They’re looking for lifelong love but also finding lifelong friendship.”
She added, “I think it adds to the heart of this show because it’s not just one person and however many other people competing quote-unquote for someone’s attention or some sort of rose at the end. It’s like, no, we have people that you can see forming friends and supporting each other.”
With the success of The Golden Bachelor and now everyone’s curiosity about The Golden Bachelorette, could Farmer Wants a Wife get a spinoff? “I have thought about that,” the Sugarland singer admitted. “Wouldn’t that be so fun to have either a female farmer or a gay farmer? There is lots of fun that could be had. I think the challenge is going to be, how many people can you find in the farming community? How much diversity is there?” Farmer Wants a Wife season 2 will air Thursdays on FOX.