The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
The new season of TLC’s wild reality dating series “MILF Manor” has a twist.
Spoilers below for Sunday night’s season premiere.
“MILF Manor,” airing Sunday nights (10 p.m.), follows six moms ranging from their 40s to 60s, as they date younger men in their 20s.
In the first season, the catch was that they were dating each other’s sons. In Season 2, the catch is that right when the moms and younger men start bonding, the guy’s dads show up to also compete for the women’s attention.
Anthony and Joey Schifilliti are New Jersey based father and son who found themselves on the show.
“It was a lot of emotions at once,” Joey, 21, a college student and entrepreneur, told The Post, about how he felt when his dad showed up. “Everyone was obviously shocked. But I was also kind of excited. Like me and my dad, we hang out. Honestly, it gave me something to look forward to.”
Anthony, 54, who has been divorced for seven years and owns Nino’s Coal Fire Pizza in Brick, NJ, said he didn’t expect to see his son there.
“It really took me by surprise, because we were thinking we were going on two separate dating shows….when I walked in and I saw Joey, I was like, ‘Oh my God!’”
He added that he was familiar with the show.
“I’m not going to talk bad about last season at all. But, I think this was a little classier. Even though it was still a crazy twist, it was more acceptable because it was father and son.”
Both father and son said that once they got over their shock, they didn’t think it was weird to be pursuing the same pool of women who were closer to Anthony’s age – or even older.
The women on Season 2 include Barby, 45, Christina, 46, Crystal, 48, Jami, 51, Lannette, 50, and Kelly, 59.
“You know, Joey dates older women,” said Anthony. “We go out [together], Joey’s like my brother, almost. We’ll go out on double dates. I let him develop himself. I give him the right direction, and I let him be him.”
Unlike some of the other younger men on this show, Joey said he wasn’t dismayed to have his dad show up.
“It actually gave me a little more confidence having my dad in my corner, I think, compared to most.”
Although neither Joey or Anthony said they were embarrassed, Anthony added, “I mean, don’t get me wrong, there are some things that are definitely uncomfortable.”
During one event where people on the show had to do a striptease, Anthony said, “I was like, ‘Oh, this is not the type of family!’ I don’t know if we’re going to do this. I grabbed one of the producers like, ‘We’re out of here!’”
But, Joey talked his father down, and said, “Let’s see where this goes.”
Anthony added that the two didn’t feel like they were competing against each other.
“You can never put us to compete…if anything, we’re helping each other. We’re always bringing each other up. So if anything, it was an asset for us…. I said, ‘Listen, let’s have a good time. And if there’s a certain girl you like, I’ll leave her alone, and vice versa. Let’s just make a beautiful vacation out of this. Let’s be respectful to the women.’”
Anthony added, “The most important thing is I wanted to walk away from the show saying, ‘We were stand up guys.’ We had flaws, and could be a little risque. Don’t get me wrong, it was a little crazy…but, we were gentlemen.”
