Lifetime TV Star & 35 Year Old Virgin on Finding “The One” & Resisting Societal Pressure
Indian American dancer, model, and comedian Sonali Chandra is a 35-year-old virgin, which she first revealed on “The Dr. Phil Show,” who stars in Lifetime’s reality dating show “Five Guys a Week” (Episode premieres on Wednesday, September 21) and is sharing her dating experiences, her take on Indian culture, traditional holidays, dating norms, expectations, and her thoughts on the societal pressures of sex.
In “Five Guys a Week” on Lifetime, a provocative new social experiment, one adventurous single woman invites five eligible bachelors to move in with her for a week to see who is “The One.” While living in cramped quarters, sharing a bathroom, and dividing up the housework, these men will need to be on their best behavior or miss out on the possibility of true love.
Over the week, viewers will have a front row seat as more than 20 cameras capture 24/7 all the laughs, drama, and shocking twists…but above all else, the romance. Our leading lady will lean on her friends and family for their advice as she eliminates one man at a time, but in the end it will be up to her to decide who gets her heart.
Sonali was born and raised in New Jersey to parents from India. Sonali started dancing as a child learning Indian classical dance. As she grew up, she delved into Bollywood fusion & Western choreography routines. Classical training turned out to be a great foundation for all other dance forms for Sonali. Her first job was at McDonald’s as a cashier while she was in high school, where she learned the value of a dollar and still believes that “every penny counts”. After high school, Sonali graduated with a Finance degree from Rutgers Business School in New Jersey when she was 2022. She worked in NYC’s corporate finance/real estate sectors.
In the beginning of 2020, Sonali was a contestant on the game show, “Funny You Should Ask” and she has also appeared on “The Price is Right.” She was interviewed on “The Dr. Phil Show” in December 2020 to talk about her confusion surrounding why the men that date her leave her after they find out she is a virgin. Growing up, Sonali was not allowed to socialize, meaning she could not have any sleepovers, she couldn’t date, no prom, and no dorming in college. After graduating college, she refused to allow her parents to arrange her marriage, which is traditional in her culture. She had her first kiss at age 26 and remains a virgin. After a few relationships with men, Sonali has been let down time and time again and has been ghosted by men after she tells them that she is a virgin. Despite her frustrations with dating during the pandemic, Sonali is still trying to find the love of her life and is active on dating apps.
Now, based in Los Angeles, CA, Sonali is vegan, passionate about fitness, and works at Equinox Fitness Club. Mental health, financial stability, and bringing awareness to domestic violence in Indian American families are important to Sonali. When she is not working, she performs stand-up comedy at comedy clubs in LA.