NFL star Chad Ochocinco’s long run on “Dancing With the Stars” ended this week — so now his dating life can begin.
The playboy receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals starts filming a VH1 reality show, “The Tournament,” with him dating 85 girls — no kidding — in less than 10 days.
With the show set to premiere in July, it’s the TV equivalent of a two-minute drill in football. “When we originally signed Ochocinco and went out to sell the show, we knew he was going to be on ‘Dancing’ . . . and we also knew that ‘Dancing’ ended May 24 or 25, which back in February seemed a long way away,” says “Tournament” executive producer Bob Horowitz.
“Our show begins airing July 11, which is not a lot of time for a non-scripted reality show to turn around and edit. We’re really under the gun.”
And don’t expect Ochocinco’s dancing partner, Cheryl Burke, to be on the new show.
Rumors of romantic hook-ups are part and parcel of “Dancing.” And Ochcocinco — who’s quite the ladies man (unmarried with four kids) — and Burke were often reported to be more than on-screen friendly. (He even bought her some jewelry.)
While they never confirmed their relationship, Horowitz believes there was at least the hint of true feelings between them.
“She didn’t like when she was training with him during ‘Dancing’ and he was talking about his show involving 85 women,” Horowitz says. “I don’t think she loves the idea that he’s gone from dancing with a single partner to dating 85 women.
“I don’t know [if they’re an item] for sure, but I do know he was sensitive of not discussing certain things around her,” Horowitz says.
“Draw whatever conclusion you can from that. We’d love to have her [on ‘The Tournament’] but I don’t really see that happening.”
On “The Tournament,” Ochocinco, 32 — who legally changed his surname (from Johnson) to the Spanish pronunciation of his uniform number (85) — is set to meet 85 women (get it?).
Their numbers will be reduced to a Sweet 16 during the first episode, when they all move into a $14 million LA mansion to vie for Ochocinco’s affections.
As its title implies, “The Tournament” is a dating show based on a NCAA-type bracket system. A football replaces “The Bachelor” red rose for the women who move to the next round.
Horowitz says that even with Ochocinco’s romantic track record, he really is using “The Tournament” to find “the one.”
“There’s no question,” says Horowitz. “If you were to ask Chad if this show would go an other season, and if that season would be him finding another girl, he’d say it would be Chad and the winner settling down and dealing with life.
“So, yes, he’s looking to settle down.”