Season 4 Of 'Temptation Island' To Feature 2 Tampa Bay Singles

TAMPA, FL ? A Navy veteran who is now a junior at the University of South Florida majoring in marketing is among the cast members of USA Network's ?Temptation Island," a reality show hosted by TV personality Mark L. Walberg.

Season 4 will premiere Wednesday at 10 p.m.

The series brings four couples together in Maui, Hawaii, following them through flirtations, romance, heartbreaks and, possibly, culminating in a commitment to spend their lives together if one of the 12 single men and 12 single women cast members don't get in the way.

Among the singles in Season 4 is Blake Blumenshine, 26, of Tampa. Blumenshine said he tried out for the show at the urging of friends who thought he had both the looks and charm the show's producers were seeking.

"My friends kind of dared me and I thought it might be a fun thing to do," said Blumenshine, who works as a bartender when he isn't attending classes. "I was surprised when I was chosen."

Even more surprising, said Blumenshine, was how much he enjoyed doing the show.

"I thought the whole process of producing a show was interesting, and it was definitely a lot of fun getting to know other people, living it out day by day and having real human interactions and conversations," he said. "I think in this day and age, we lack human interaction. I learned a lot about the others and myself."

Blumenshine, a farm boy from Illinois, joined the Navy after high school, serving from 2014 to 2019, including three deployments during which he received a medal for saving a man's life. He was also stationed in Japan.

Following the service, he began attending USF on the GI Bill.

His hobbies include playing the guitar and traveling. He said he'd like to settle down with a woman, but said his desire to explore and try new experiences keeps getting in the way of a stable relationship.

Blumenshine, whose family has since joined him is Florida, said his friends and family are excited to watch his television debut.

"My mom is especially excited for me," he said. "She loves the show."

While Blumenshine can't reveal details of about what occurs during the show, he said viewers will see plenty of drama and romance as the 24 singles interact with the four committed couples.

In addition to Blumenshine, the cast includes another Tampa Bay resident, Andrew Kujawski, 29, of Land O? Lakes.

A media strategist, Kujawski is a fraternal twin who grew up in a large, athletic family. He's just getting over a relationship with a woman and said he's ready for a new adventure.

Also hailing from Florida are singles:

• George Maxey, 29, of Miami, an NFL draft pick who played a season with the Bears, and then became an analyst for the Dolphins.
• James Patterson, 26, of Juniper, also a former football player who now works as a personal trainer.
• Taylor Patrick, 25, of Pompano Beach, a fitness instructor.

In the unscripted series, the four dating couples interact with the 24 singles in a tropical paradise and, throughout the course of the season, must decide whether they want to remain committed to one another or if they'll be tempted by one of the singles.