If you're surprised to learn that not one but two couples on the second season of "Here Come the Newlyweds" are from Utah, you're not alone.
"We were shocked," said Jed Hinkins of Cedar City, one-half of one of those couples.
"Totally shocked," his wife, Sarin, agreed. "When the other couple (Andrea and Matt Smith) walked in, Jed and I turned to each other and said, 'They're Mormon.' We didn't know if they were from out of state. And then when they said they were from Utah, we were just totally shocked."
As were the Smiths, who live in Cottonwood Heights.
"It was surprising," Andrea Smith said. "We were, like, 'Wow! More Mormons on here.' "
"High-five!" Matt Smith added.
There have been lots of Utahns on lots of reality/competition shows of late, ranging from "Survivor" to "American Idol" to "So You Think You Can Dance." The most recent season of MTV's "The Real World" featured two Utahns (out of eight cast members).
But, given that thousands of couples applied to be on "Here Come the Newlyweds," the odds would seem to have been against the four Utahns.
"I mean, nine couples and two of them happen to be from Utah?" Sarin Hinkins said. "How weird is that?"
"Newlyweds," which begins its second season tonight (Monday) at 9 p.m. on ABC/Ch. 4, is sort of a cross between the "Newlywed Game" and "Survivor." The nine couples compete in a variety challenges, adding money to a pot that grows from week to week. (Last year, it ended up totaling $465,000.)
One couple is voted off each week; the winner takes home the cash.
But "Here Come the Newlyweds" is a kinder, gentler reality show. There's a bit of drama, but it's pretty much all in fun.
Both Utah couples watched the show last year and saw the notice encouraging people to apply.
"We filled out the application, not really expecting anything. We just kind of thought we'd do it for fun," Sarin Hinkins said. "And then it took off from there."
"We thought our chances were one in a million, but we ended up getting on," Andrea Smith said. "We just thought it would be a fun experience."
Matt Smith didn't take the application process particularly seriously. Not even after filling out the long written application and getting an e-mail from the producers asking for an audition video.
"I told Andrea, 'There's no way I'm going to make an audition tape,' " Matt Smith said. "No. It's not happening. I'm not going to embarrass myself."
But then the producers called and asked for a tape, which is "when I kind of got serious about it," he said.
All four are native Utahns. The Smiths are from Sandy (he went to Brighton High; she went to Alta). Sarin Hinkins is from West Jordan (West Jordan High); Jed is from Orangeville (Emery).
The Hinkinses, who got married in July 2007, both took a semester off from Southern Utah University to do the show, which was filmed last fall in California.
The Smiths, who wed in August 2006, did the same — Matt Smith from Utah Valley University and Andrea from Weber State University.
"It put me a little behind, but it was, like, this is just too big an opportunity to pass up," Matt Smith said.
With a few reservations, their families were supportive.
"My mother was like, 'What are you doing exposing yourselves?' " Sarin Hinkins said with a laugh. "But it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and our families were just totally supportive and encouraging us to go have fun."
Andrea Smith said some members of her family were "a little sketchy at first" about her being on a reality show.
"I'm like, 'It's a family show,' " she said.
"They're not going to make us look stupid — I hope," Matt Smith added with a laugh.
"We'll still be married after it," Andrea Smith said.
And all four Utahns couldn't stop talking about how much fun they had on "Here Come the Newlyweds."
"I just couldn't stop myself from smiling the whole time I was there," Matt Smith said. "I mean, it was just such a fun experience. Everybody was just so nice and good to us."
Andrea Smith said it was "a little bit hard at first" because she's "really camera-shy. But they make it so easy for you to feel so comfortable. It was an awesome experience."
The Hinkinses came away feeling equally positive.
"We went just hoping to have a good time," Jed said. "It was a blast. We both had a lot of fun. The money — I don't think that was a big issue. We made a lot of good friends, and all the other couples were really great to be around."
Both couples said that, while filming the show last fall, they formed friendships with other couples.
"We were really close with a lot of them. But I think there were two or three couples that we particularly bonded with," said Jed Hinkins. They still talk and e-mail — they even went to visit one of the other couples in Tennessee and the other couple is planning to visit Utah.
"It seems like all of us are still talking," Matt Smith said. "I actually helped start a business with one of them."
And, while it wasn't a huge factor, the subject of their religion came up.
"Oh, constantly," Sarin Hinkins said. "Every night we would have cocktail parties and enjoy each other's company. And, obviously, Jed and I live a different lifestyle, so it was constantly being brought up and questions asked. No judgments or anything either way, though."
"Everyone was just curious," Jed Hinkins said. "There's a lot of misconceptions about what we believe and things."
When one other couple asked if he had "other wives or something," Jed Hinkins jokingly replied that he'd have "a different wife here every day on the show."
Neither couple is sure how much it played into them being cast on the show, but Matt Smith said he and his wife "really tried to play up the Mormon thing" when they applied to be on the show, hoping that it would help get them on the show.
"We weren't portrayed as a really Mormon-y couple, but we were asked a little bit about that," Andrea Smith said.
Each of the four said they'd be on the show again if they had the chance. Right now, the couples, their families and friends are excitedly anticipating the premiere of "Here Come the Newlyweds."
"It's just surreal," Matt Smith said. "It's crazy to think that something like this could happen to us. We're just average people. It was just such a shock to even get on the show. It's just weird that we're actually in this position."
E-mail: pierce@desnews.com
If you watch …
W>hat: "Newlyweds"
When: May 25, 9 p.m.
Channel: ABC/Ch. 4