Gilbert mom fights for man’s love on ‘Who Wants to Marry My Dad’

When self-professed reality TV junkie Tammy Clark tuned in to watch NBC’s ‘‘Who Wants to Marry My Dad’’ last year, the 35-yearold Gilbert resident wished she could be a part of the show.

"I would make my kids watch it with me,’’ says Clark, who has three teenagers. "It was like the whole world had to stop so I could watch this show. It’s funny because we’re not a TV-watching family.

‘‘I have this tiny 13-inch TV and we carry it from room to room in the house and we would watch (the show) in my bedroom and I would say, ‘I want to do that.’ And my kids would say, ‘Mom, you would be so good on this show.’ ’’

So when Clark, who has been divorced 10 1 /2 years, received an e-mail from a speed-dating service announcing an upcoming casting call for the second season of ‘‘Who Wants to Marry My Dad,’’ which begins tonight on NBC, she knew she had to apply.

And how did she win over the casting directors?

"I was very warm and friendly,’’ says Clark, a claims adjuster for Amica Insurance. "I guess maybe they were looking for a certain type of personality or something.’’

After a series of interviews, reference checks and a background investigation, Clark was given about two weeks’ notice before she flew to Los Angeles to share a swanky pad with a dozen other women and the man — 47-year-old Marty Okland of Denver — they would ultimately fight to win.

The women also had to share the home with Okland’s three daughters — 25-yearold Brooke, 27-year- old Jennifer and 28-year-old Nicole — who would choose the winner.

Clark says she adored Okland, who works in sales and distribution for Frito Lay.

"He’s an attractive gentleman and an all-around nice guy,’’ she says. ‘‘His heart was very into it. He was very sincere about finding love and finding a passionate relationship.’’

According to Clark, the show was filmed over three weeks in late February and early March.

‘‘People will say, ‘How can you possibly fall in love with someone in three weeks?’ And really it’s such a concentrated time. . . . There’s no cell phones, no e-mail, no personal contact with your friends and your family.’’

Given the fickle state of reality TV romances, it might seem like the odds of a relationship lasting aren’t strong.

"Who’s to say that the odds are any worse than out there in the real world?’’ Clark says. ‘‘Maybe nine out of 10 times it won’t happen, but why couldn’t this one time be that one in the 10?’’

On TV

‘‘Who Wants to Marry My Dad’’ airs at 9 p.m. on KPNX-TV (Channel 12).