A bachelor looks for 'More to Love'

In the tradition of 13 bachelors, 5 bachelorettes, Flavor Flav, Tila Tequila and the rest of the copycats, here comes Luke Conley, another young man on a very public quest for love. But there are dating shows, and then there's "More to Love," the reality show for people who would never be cast on "The Bachelor" or "Dancing With the Stars."

From the start, Conley's search was different. The casting call was for "curvy and voluptuous" women -- size 2's exit to your right -- who would compete for the heart of a "big, broad" man. Enter Conley, 26, a former college offensive lineman, who wants to find a wife more than he wants to be the next reality star.

You've heard that before. We know. We also know it's hard to trust Fox when it comes to reality show gimmicks. (Remember the lying bride in "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance," who got hoodwinked herself by the groom, who was an actor?)

A reporter was along for two days of filming of "More to Love" last month, observing Conley as he speed-dated 20 ladies in 25 days while living in the top-secret bubble of a Bel-Air mansion, without a phone, a TV or the Internet -- and in front of 150 crew members, 10 fixed cameras that record 24 hours a day and 10 additional cameras that are on the move.

Not that being filmed around-the-clock bothers Conley, a real estate investor from Santa Maria and ham by nature, who is prone to uttering lines like, "If she's got a big behind, she's a friend of mine." Conley says he's never watched the scores of dating shows that preceded his. But when he came upon a Craigslist ad seeking men who love full-figured women, he sent an e-mail on a lark that began, "Sugar, look no further. I am the man for you!"

By then, production was 10 days from beginning and the search had been narrowed to two men. "We totally switched," says executive producer SallyAnn Salsano. "We all fell in love with Luke beause he is so genuine. He makes the girls feel comfortable."

A few days later, Conley, 6-foot-3 and weighing 330 pounds, moved into the Mulholland Drive mansion, hoping to meet the love of his life in front of millions of Americans.

Selected from a pool of 5,000 applicants, the bachelorettes range in ages from 21 to 37 and in weight from 180 pounds to 279 pounds. Some are students, a few are teachers, and there's even one rocket scientist. Most told producers they seldom date.