Geek makes most of new fame
JASON Newell has never been paid this much attention in his entire life.
Tonight, the 23-year-old will brush shoulders with a bevy of beauties in the premiere of the fourth instalment of Channel 7's Beauty and the Geek.
Jason will then be on the receiving end of hundreds of double takes when he graduates from the University of the Sunshine Coast 24 hours later.
Hailing from Gympie, Jason moved to the Coast four years ago to undertake a Town Planning degree.
After completing his course in June the bright-eyed and bushy-haired self-confessed geek bagged a spot on the reality TV show.
"I just wanted a bit of fun, to boost my confidence and try to get out of my shell a bit more," he said.
"After I finished my degree I wanted a bit of a holiday. It was the best time of my life, a once in a lifetime opportunity.
"I met so many great people and had the most fun I've ever had.
"I don't expect it to carry me anywhere, but I may as well enjoy the short-lived fame.''
Before entering the house, Jason yearned to find more luck with the opposite sex.
"I hoped the girls could teach me some things, like how to talk to them, how to read body language, how to dress," he said.
"Over the next couple of weeks I'll be putting it into practice."
Despite his lack of experience and confidence when it came to women, being around the beauties wasn't his biggest obstacle.
"I was (most nervous) about how people would perceive me. I was just hoping they'd like me for me," he said.
Jason said being a geek is "something that separates you from everyone else.
"You can be passionate about a certain thing, for me it's town planning and doing my miniature modelling. I wear it with a badge of honour.''
