Instead of looking for men on dating apps, in bars or at the grocery store – a former Miss Delaware USA winner is taking a more creative approach.
Middletown native Mia Emani Jones, 26, hopes to find her boo on season two of HBO MAX reality show “FBOY Island.”
It debuts Thursday, with HBO MAX dropping the first three episodes of the 10-episode season, followed by three additional episodes on July 21, two episodes on July 28 and the final two episodes on Aug. 4.“FBOY Island” is hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser and follows three single women who are surrounded by 26 men – 13 “nice guys” looking for love and 13 “Fboys” (or promiscuous men) looking to win a cash prize.
Jones and her peers walk blindly into this situation, not knowing exactly which men are the “Fboys,” and which are seeking love.
Improbably, Jones ended up on “FBOY Island” because her aunt and father encouraged her to do it.
‘Big Brother’ season 24 stars Bear manA $750,000 prize is on the line
“I know that’s very interesting,” she told The News Journal / Delaware Online during a phone interview. “My dad is actually a huge fan of the show. He loved it and watched the whole first season. He never really told me why he wanted me to be on there.”
The reality star said her grandfather always called her “Hollywood” when she was younger. He’d say, “She’s gonna be famous one day,’ ” Jones recalled. “[But] I’m like, I don’t know about that.”
Someone else who believed Jones was destined for the bright lights is her employer Shana Williams, owner of Cecile Boutique in Newark. Williams has known the Miss Delaware Teen USA winner since she was 13.
“She is a star. She has this bubbly, outgoing personality that is unmatched,” Williams said. “That personality led her to being crowned Miss Delaware Teen USA, and Miss Delaware USA. Everyone loves Mia. So I’m not surprised that she is going to be on television, because people are drawn to her.”
With nothing to lose, “Hollywood” took her dad’s advice and threw her name in the hat for a chance to land on “FBOY Island.” She got a call back and then did a couple of interviews. Then she was flown out to Los Angeles and interviewed with multiple producers.
“Then I got a call that said, ‘Hey, we want you to come back out for it.’ But I never would have thought,” Jones explained.
Bullying, dyslexia and hope
Although Jones’ family and boss have seen greatness in her for years — she quietly struggled with self-esteem from the bullying she experienced between the ages of 10 and 16, she said.
Jones is 5-foot-11 and used to be teased for her height. She also was mocked for having ADHD and dyslexia, a learning disorder that can make it difficult to read, or process numbers.
Jones remembered riding in the car as a child to dance competitions with her mom. They relied sheets of paper from MapQuest to guide them to their destination, because GPS wasn’t as accessible as it is now.
“She would tell me to read where we were going,” she recalls. “I would get us lost all the time, because I would get things mixed up or streets mixed up, or I wasn’t reading quick enough.”
At 14, the bullying took a toll on Jones and she attempted suicide.
“I felt like I couldn’t communicate with my parents what was going on. And I should have, because I know my parents, they would help me. But I kept everything in instead of letting everything out.”
After recovering from her suicide attempt, Jones entered the pageant world and reinvented herself. She’d become a sash magnet, winning the Miss Delaware Teen USA title in 2014 and the Miss Delaware USA title in 2017.
Ex-Wawa employee ‘hated’ jobNow she’s a TikTok star with a new record deal
Williams has noticed Jones’ transformation since she was a teen and believes beauty pageants are a recipe for building faith in yourself.
“Anytime you have to walk around the stage in a bikini, you’ve got to be confident. It forced her to develop in her confidence,” said Williams, 2011 winner of the Mrs. Delaware USA pageant.
The dyslexic girl with ADHD went on to graduate from Delaware State University with a bachelor’s in art education, joining her mom and dad as fellow Hornets.
In 2019, she moved to Tampa, Florida, where she’s working as a dental assistant while attending dental school to become an orthodontist. She’s set to graduate in 2025.
Jones also juggles her dental assistant job with being a senior buyer and consultant for Cecile Boutique.
And her time is also spent mentoring aspiring pageant winners.
Delaware man lands on ‘Chopped’Is he the next winner of Food Network’s reality show?
Now that she’s in the national spotlight, the reality star hopes her platform on “FBOY Island” inspires young girls to go after their goals.
Jones doesn’t think being on a dating show about people seeking love and lust makes her a bad spokesperson for pageantry, because the pageant world is shifting and isn’t as conservative as it used to be.
“I am the voice for other women. I sit there [on ‘FBOY Island’] and I can cry, and I’ll laugh, and I’ll joke and then I’ll yell and scream,” she said.
“But these are all reactions that women have in relationships, every single day that people don’t see; and they expect us to put on a front to be strong and to be like this perfect, I call them the ‘Pageant Patti.’ But we’re not perfect. None of us are.”
‘Momma Mia’: Instagram shows former Miss Delaware love
Jones’ followers on Instagram are waiting with baited breathe for her debut on the show.“Wait!! That’s a DSU alumni on HBO!!!” wrote Francine Edwards, winner of the 2012 Mrs. Delaware USA pageant.“momma mia!!” an excited fan wrote.“Proud of you babes,” a happy commenter said.“Can’t wait yassssss,” a stoked supporter said.
Season two of “FBOY Island” will debut on HBO Max on July 14. For more information, visit hbomax.com.
Andre Lamar is the features/lifestyle reporter. If you have an interesting story idea, email Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com.
