Executive producer Matt Odgers joins Lacey on Talk of Love. Have you ever wondered who was actually pulling the strings on the iconic "Of Love" reality shows? Meet Matt Odgers — who helped build the entire "Of Love" brand from the ground up. Matt Odgers served as executive producer at 51 Minds Entertainment from 2004 to 2012, overseeing the development and production of the entire "Of Love" franchise on VH1, working on shows including Rock of Love, Flavor of Love, I Love New York, Daisy of Love, Real Chance of Love, Charm School, I Love Money, For the Love of Ray J, and more.

In this episode of the Talk of Love podcast, Lacey sits down with Matt for a deep-dive, no-holds-barred conversation about what really went on behind the scenes of VH1's most beloved reality TV era. Matt breaks down the origins of 51 Minds Entertainment, how the "Of Love" shows were designed with comedy as the foundation, and why Flavor Flav was always going to be enormous before they even finished shooting the pilot.

Topics covered in this episode include:

• How the Flavor of Love pilot was shot in just 3 days — and how it sold the entire franchise
• Why Bret Michaels was the only rockstar that producers ever seriously considered for Rock of Love
• The real story behind Brigitte Nielsen and Flavor Flav's unexpected romance on Surreal Life
• How elimination decisions were actually made (spoiler: it's more collaborative than you think)
• The unaired show pitched for "Heat" (aka Jason Rosell) called "Betrayed-ed" — and why it didn't get picked up
• Shows that were in development for cast members including Lacey, Heather, 12 Pack, and others
• The major "Of Love" star who didn't have a passport the night before an international trip to film the season finale (and what the producers did about it)
• The time a cast member got arrested at the airport just after filming
• The infamous "Somethin'" incident — and why the footage that aired was the watered-down version
• The legendary Daisy of Love skunk scene — and confirmation that no, the producers did not plant it
• Why the "Of Love" shows got people through the 2020 pandemic, and what Matt hopes Viacom does next

Matt also shares his thoughts on what made the "Of Love" shows different from every other reality show of that era, why they hold up today, and what it would take to bring them back.

This is the Talk of Love episode that "Of Love" fans don't want to miss.