Staten Island comedian Nicky Paris hosts new dating show ‘Date on a Plate’

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — These dating shows just keep getting more creative.

Staten Island born-and-raised comedian Nicky Paris is taking on the latest — and maybe the weirdest — addition to the dating show genre, premiering Monday, May 19, on YouTube.

Hosted by Paris and created by “The Masked Singer” producers Jeff Kmiotek and Andrew Watnick, “Date on a Plate” is exactly what it sounds like: four singles meet, flirt and compete in challenges while only seeing each other’s heads, which are served on dinner plates.

The concept clicked instantly for Paris, a stand-up comedian who was named one of New York Comedy Festival’s Comics to Watch in 2023.

“It just took one phone call, and I don’t even think I hesitated,” Paris told the Advance/SILive.com. “As soon as they said it, I was like, that’s a great idea.”

They’ve already shot eight episodes with more on the way, and new installments will be released weekly on Elixir’s YouTube channel. According to Paris, the creative process with Kmiotek and Watnick was collaborative from the start, including developing challenges and writing jokes on the fly.

“Nothing is scripted, really, like at all,” Paris said. “But it was exciting that way, and it worked.”

The show has already drawn buzz, with the trailer debuting last week on “Access Daily” with Mario Lopez and Kit Hoover. A teaser of the first episode released on social media Monday also hit overnight viral success, with over 1 million views and climbing.

The pre-release excitement has already outpaced Paris’s expectations, and he’s hoping to keep the momentum going.

“I just wanted to reach as many people as possible,” he said. “I hope that people are like, ‘My life sucks, and I have nothing to live for,’ and they see this show and it makes them laugh for 20 minutes.”

In addition to “Date on a Plate” and his own stand-up, Paris has been touring nationally as an opener for comedian Becky Robinson this year and will head to Europe with her in June. This summer, he’ll also appear in a new stand-up series.

“I’ve done a lot of TV, but this has been the biggest. It was a spectacle,” Paris said. “And I really do believe in this, honestly. This is like our little seed, and the three of us [Paris, Kmiotek and Watnick] gave it the sunlight and the rain and the water, and to watch it blossom into what it has … I’m so proud.”

And, yes, he’s dreaming big about his hometown.

“I went to the Michael J. Petrides School, and I’d love to be involved with the arts there someday. I’d love to have the Nicky Paris Auditorium for the Arts,” he said. “They really flourished the arts in me. I don’t think I would be where I am today if I didn’t go to Petrides.”

Follow Nicky Paris on Instagram (@nickyparisbitch), TikTok (thenickyparisbitch), Facebook and YouTube (@nickypariscomedy). For the latest on show dates and more, visit nickyparis.com.