‘Catfish’ Host Nev Schulman Reflects on Season 1’s Ja’mari and Rico: ‘That Worked Out’

Catfish has been airing episodes since 2012, but certain couples have stood out more than others over the years. During an exclusive video interview with In Touch, host Nev Schulman shares his thoughts on season 1 couple Ja’mari and Rico ​ten years after their episode aired.

During a January 2013 episode of the MTV show, Rico recruited Nev, 39, and his then-cohost, Max Joseph, to help him meet his online boyfriend, Ja’mari. Rico explained that he and Ja’mari never video chatted or met in person because of his military past, though insisted he was finally ready to meet Ja’mari when he stopped serving in the military.

After Nev and Max, 41, did research on Ja’mari, they were able to convince him to meet up with them and Rico in Miami. Once they met in person, Ja’mari revealed his real name was James and admitted he wasn’t a model like he previously claimed. Instead, he shared that he worked as a bus driver.

“That worked out,” Nev recalls about Rico and James, noting that the bus driver was mostly truthful but “embellished his reality.”

While Nev acknowledges that James “lied” to Rico about certain details, the host says. “He did something that I’m constantly surprised more ​Catfishes don’t do.”

“He showed up with flowers and he was really sweet and apologetic,” Nev explains. “And they got together for some period of time. I don’t remember, but it was really sweet.”

While James and Rico were together one month after filming their episode, they have since called it quits. In 2014, James revealed their split when he tweeted about his husband. A fan then asked if he was still dating Rico, to which he replied, “No Hun. That show is years old. I been married almost 2 years…..”

In addition to reflecting on Ja’mari and Rico’s romance, Nev and his cohost, Kamie Crawford, shared their hopes to have a reunion special episode to catch up with some of the former stars.

“I’m always fighting for a Catfish reunion,” Kamie, 30, told In Touch before the season 9 premiere on Tuesday, October 3. “They were so good.”

Kamie – who joined the show during season 8 following Max’ departure – said it was “so cool” to watch the reunion specials in the past.

“I feel like we need that because Catfish is very popular. Thankfully. People love the show. People have been bingeing it,” the Ohio native continued. “People are always like, ‘I watch all the episodes on Hulu’ and it’s been everyone’s comfort show throughout the pandemic and now. So I feel like we are overdue for a special reunion.”

The latest season of Catfish returns on MTV on October 3 at 9 p.m. ET.