12:51pm UK, Wednesday July 16, 2003

A gay version of Big Brother has been launched in America.

The Boy Meets Boy reality show will see 15 men compete to win the heart of a gay leading man and a luxury holiday with him.

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The boys get acquainted

The show involves group activities and one-on-one dates, with leading man 'James' eliminating would-be suitors at the end of each episode.

Producers have included some secretly-straight contestants to spice the show up. If James picks any of them, they win a cash prize.

Celebrity hostess Dani Behr guides the audience through the contest, set in Palm Springs, California.

She said: "My biggest challenge in life is to turn him (James) straight but that's never going to happen."

The gay heartthrob can't wait to get down to business, saying: "When I first met them, I couldn't believe, especially when I talked to them for a few minutes, I couldn't believe how cool everyone was, how nice, how sincere, how fun.

"I really thought they were going to have a couple of bad guys, a couple good guys, a couple sweet guys, a couple wild guys, a couple interesting guys, a couple reserved guys and it would be really easy to start knocking them off the first day.

"But I've had a really tough time, a really tough time."

Another contestant, 'Jim', said: "I think this show is going to kill a lot of people's stereotypes as far as sexuality is concerned."

Boy Meets Boy has already sparked outrage from America's religious right, which says it is a new low in reality television.

Some gay activists also complain it may play up to gay stereotypes.

The show premieres on the Bravo network on July 29.