The former Liverpool star is looking for his own ‘Beyonce’ in the US TV show

Ryan Babel and another ex-Liverpool player are set to step out of their comfort zones as they look for love on a new US dating show.

Babel and former academy defender Lloyd Jones will be heading to Los Angeles to take part in Peacock’s Love Undercover. The show features five soccer stars who all use a fake identity to keep their fame under wraps and see if they can find a partner.

Eighteen women will try to win the hearts of sports stars involved in the show described as “a modern fairy tale meets a buddy comedy”. The show starts on May 9th, with new episodes coming out on May 16th and 23rd.

READ MORE: Liverpool are among the most valuable clubs in the world, while incredible numbers have been discovered

READ MORE: Jorge Mendes ‘offers’ transfer to Darwin Núñez as Liverpool doubts grow

Babel, 37, made 146 appearances during his time at Anfield, playing alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres. Jones, meanwhile, was signed from Plymouth Argyle in 2011 but failed to make a senior appearance for the club, taking out various loan spells before leaving for Luton in 2018.

Jones is now plying his trade with League One side Charlton Athletic. Still only 28 years old, the defender is the only currently active player taking part in the show.

Babel and Jones are joined by former Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Marco Fabian, Mexican goalkeeper Sebastián Fassi and ex-Tottenham star Jamie O’Hara, who is now a prominent UK pundit.

Players will pretend to have everyday jobs, such as contractors, salespeople, and restaurant managers, while looking for love. Speaking in the show’s trailer, Babel says: “If she looks like Beyoncé, she’s my type!”

In an interview with The Athletic, Babel said of Love Undercover: “Most of my life I’ve been playing football, where you try to figure out if someone you meet really likes you for who you are or likes you for what you do. Now there was an opportunity to see if you could make real connections with your status, title and achievements I’m curious how it would be received.

“I was very conscious of myself and very conscious of making sure I didn’t necessarily do something stupid. But at the same time, I think I played my part.”