Liu Weidong, a 24-year-old apprentice lawyer in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu Province, felt embarrassingly rejected by 24 well-dressed single women in a popular, yet controversial matchmaking reality show.

Dating TV show "If you are the one"

"I had sincerely hoped to find a nice girlfriend on the stage, but I did not expect those girls to be so 'money-worshiping' and blunt," Liu said, recalling his experience of taking part in the show "If You Are the One" about two months ago.

The prime-time show, aired on Jiangsu Satellite TV three nights a week, features a jury of 24 single women questioning male hopefuls, watching their introductory videos and deciding whether the men are, in fact, eligible bachelors and can remain on stage.

Liu was dismissed by all the female contestants in the show. He has an above-average monthly income of 5,000 yuan (US$732), yet lives in a rented house and takes the bus to work on weekdays.

"Now I feel so much pressure because I can't afford a house or a car. But how could those girls find true love if they only care about money?" Liu said.

Like Liu, tens of thousands of single men and women across the country have applied to participate in a string of popular matchmaking programs in recent months, hoping to find dates or otherwise seek fame.

Programs including "Take Me Out" and "Run For Love" on leading TV channels. Often filled with unmerciful sarcasm and heated arguments, these shows have attracted millions of viewers and skyrocketed on rating charts since January.

However, some female contestants' blatant materialism has sparked widespread criticism. In the most famous instance, Ma Nuo, a 22-year-old model from Beijing, told a jobless man who tried to woo her on stage that she "would rather cry in a BMW (than smile on a bike)."

China's media watchdog, State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, issued a stern notice recently, strictly regulating these programs.

"Incorrect social and love values such as money worship should not be presented in the shows. Humiliation, verbal and physical attacks and sex-implied vulgar contents should not be allowed," the notice said.

TV stations in Jiangsu, Hunan and Zhejiang, which produce the most popular matchmaking programs, have all declared they would abide by SARFT's notice.