BRAVO MEDIA HEADS TO ITALY IN SEARCH OF LOVE WITH NEW SERIES "TO ROME FOR LOVE" PREMIERING SUNDAY, JANUARY 7 AT 9PM ET/PT

NEW YORK - November 15, 2017 - Bravo Media escapes to Rome to find love Italian style in the new docu-series, "To Rome for Love," premiering Sunday, January 7 at 9pm. For decades, love expert Diann Valentine has been traveling to Italy to enjoy the great food, amazing architecture, and history. Along the way, she discovered the best-kept secret in town: Italian men love black women. In this picturesque country where women of color are celebrated and adored, Diann is on a mission to help single ladies who can't find a good man in America. With her years of experience in the relationship space, she teaches them to move beyond the stigmas and stereotypes they face in the United States and seek love abroad. For a sneak peek, please visit http://www.bravotv.com/to-rome-for-love/season-1/videos/your-first-look-at-to-rome-for-love

In "To Rome for Love," Diann Valentine takes five beautiful women - Gina Neely, Shay Atkins, Nakita McGraw, Ashley Russell, and Mercedes Young - to Italy. Each in a different stage of their life with unique stories of love, but all share in the same challenges of dating as a black woman in America. The adventure begins in a decadent villa in the heart of Rome where the women will reside as they explore who they are and what they want from love. Joined by her two assistants, D. Micah Lindsey, a larger-than-life personality who offers a strong male perspective, and Christine "Cece" Counts, Diann's right-hand woman who is of Italian heritage and helps vet the perfect men, Diann curates the ultimate foreign experience with Rome's most eligible bachelors. Going on organized one-on-one dates and small group excursions may all sound as sweet as gelato, but it's not all nightly strolls on the piazza and delicious wine for these single ladies, as they must face their fears, get past their emotional baggage, understand cultural differences, and open themselves up to the chance to fall in love.

Meet the Cast:

Diann Valentine

Diann Valentine, an intrepid traveler with connections all over the globe, is the mastermind behind The Venus Affect, a matchmaking company for women looking to date internationally. She started visiting Italy 25 years ago and fell in love with the country, but it was visits with girlfriends who were interested in testing the international dating scene that sparked her idea for a business. It was a natural evolution in her career, given her unique insight into Italy from years of travel, and her experience with women in love - and with women who often make bad decisions when it comes to love...

Gina Neely

Gina Neely, 52, is a celebrity chef who spent 25 years in a challenging marriage trying to balance motherhood, career, and fame. She's been out of the dating game for two decades, but after a very public divorce, this Southern belle is ready to take a leap of faith on love...

Shay Atkins

Hopelessly in love with being in love, Shay Atkins, 38, tends to fall too fast and settle for men that are not worthy of her. She gravitates toward the bad guys but is ready to break the cycle of bad relationships for herself and her daughter, Ashleigh...

Nakita McGraw

Nakita, McGraw, 37, is a divorced mother whose inability to find love has taken a toll on her self-esteem. She's looking for answers as to why she has been so unsuccessful with dating and is ready to get her groove back...

Ashley Russell

Ashley Russell, 32, from Covington, Louisiana, is a small-town girl who thought she had the perfect life with her pro-footballer fiancé and cute kids, but infidelity shattered her dreams. She got snatched to soothe her heartache and boost her confidence, but will her body makeover overshadow her inner qualities and make it hard to find love? ...

Mercedes Young

Mercedes Young, 25, is as jaded as they come. Her father told her that most men are players and taught her how to play the game so that she won't get played. She believes 85% of men cheat, which makes it challenging for her to be open to love, but her strong faith in God gives her faith that she will meet the right guy...

D. Micah Lindsey

Cleveland, Ohio, native D. Micah Lindsey has worked for Diann Valentine for the past seven years collaborating in the love and relationship space. At The Venus Affect, he works diligently by Diann's side to help deserving women rewrite their love stories. With a strong male perspective and his larger-than-life personality, D. Micah has a balance of humor and heart that shows clients what men really want...

Christine "Cece" Counts

Christine "CeCe" Counts is the daughter of an American soldier and Italian woman. This military brat has lived and travelled all over the United States and Europe, even living in her mother's home of Sardinia, Italy. Cece has gathered years of creative influence from all of the beautiful places, people, and cultures she's experienced, which is why she is Diann's secret weapon when it comes to finding and vetting the right men for the women to meet...

"To Rome for Love" is produced by Asylum Entertainment with Steven Michaels, Jonathan Koch, Ryann Lauckner, James Macnab, Jacqui Pitman, Omid Kahangi, and Grace Lee serving as Executive Producers.

About Bravo Media:

Bravo Media is the premier lifestyle and entertainment brand that drives cultural conversation around its high-quality, interactive original content focusing on the network's passion points of food, fashion, beauty, design, digital, and pop culture. The network's diversified slate includes Bravo's scripted series "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce," "Imposters," and "Odd Mom Out," in addition to unscripted favorites such as Emmy Award-winning "Top Chef," "Vanderpump Rules," "Below Deck," "Southern Charm," and the popular "Million Dollar Listing" and "The Real Housewives" franchises, as well as the only live late-night talk show, "Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen." Available in 87 million homes, Bravo is a program service of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Watch Bravo anywhere: on demand, online, or across mobile and connected TVs. Bravo has been an NBCUniversal cable network since December 2002 and first launched in December 1980.