George Stroumboulopoulos, the former MuchMusic VJ and current host of CBC’s The Hour, is set to take the reins of a U.S. television singer search.

The ABC series, called The One: Making of a Music Star, will be a combination of American Idol’s talent search and The Real World’s daily life drama.

But don’t expect Stroumboulopoulos, 33, to be the next Ryan Seacrest or Brian Mulroney.

“I don’t really care about all the really extraneous stuff that comes with this,” Stroumboulopoulos told the Canadian Press on Monday from Los Angeles. “I wear what I want to wear. I’m kind of limiting in that there’s things that I will and won’t do.”

The One, which is set to be simulcast on CBC, starts July 18 and runs for 10 weeks. It will be broadcast on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, directly challenging American Idol.

Already a hit in 23 other countries, the series follows 11 singers who live together while vying for the top prize of fame and a record deal.

A Canadian version of the show should be announced this fall, though no host has been confirmed.






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