In a recent interview with Fancast, Steve Ward, the outspoken host of VH1’s relationship series, ‘Tough Love,’ bashed fellow dating expert Patti Stanger, the host of Bravo’s hit series ‘Millionaire Matchmaker.’ He called her company a “glorified escort service,” adding that, although they’ve never met, he’s not a fan. “I only know of her by reputation, and her reputation isn’t very good in Hollywood or in the rest of the country,” he said.

Well, Stanger read those comments and as fans of the 47-year-old, third generation, matchmaker know, you don’t mess with her. Highly opinionated, brash and outspoken, whether its on her show, whose second season concludes tonight with her first gay millionaire, or in real life, she has more than a few words to say about Ward.

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“He has a terrible reputation in our industry,” says Stanger. “If you go to Ripoffreport.com there are a million disgruntled clients.” Actually, a search for Ward on Ripoff produced not a million but two results from disgruntled customers, which Ward acknowledges and basically says is insignificant in the context of the 2,500 men and women’s he worked with in the six years he’s been in business. He does admit to having been sued, though, but asks, “Who hasn’t?” Stanger boasts that she has not been sued.

She accuses Ward of “taking money from women to manage if not service them,” and claims he was tossed out of a matchmaking event last year for being disruptive. “Not true,” responds Ward, who does, however, admit he and his matchmaker mother JoAnn walked out of a conference in Miami because “we thought [it] was a joke, and we didn’t want to be affiliated with it.”

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Stanger also claims Ward copies her concept of a “singles boot camp,” which, she says, “ was trademarked 10 years ago.” Ward says, “Really? Then she should file a lawsuit against VH1.” Stanger has no interest in fighting. Rather she is more altruistic, preferring to consider the big picture of her industry. “You know what?” she says. “I think VH1 is fantastic for calling themselves the love network, and Bravo was the first one for putting me on the air. All the more power to these networks for putting us on the air.”

Stanger was particularly incensed by Ward’s insinuation that she runs an escort service. “I’m not an escort service,” she fumes, “and if you look up the definition of prostitution, that would mean I’d have to pay my girls to go on a date to have sex. If you watch the show, you know I say ‘Don’t have sex unless you’re in a monogamous, committed relationship” – and I certainly don’t pay my girls to go on dates.”

In fact, Stanger is doing quite nicely. A former director of marketing/special events for Great Expectations, she started the Millionaires Club in 2000. Last year, she launched her Bravo TV series, and early this year she published a bestselling dating advice book that has received raves in Amazon’s comment section, including one from a woman who wrote, “Now that I’ve finished reading Patti Stanger’s book from cover-to-cover, I want to shout from the mountaintops – ‘EUREKA! I’ve finally found a GOOD dating advice book.’” Stanger has a new XM radio show. In other words, business is good.

Stanger’s top price is $150,000 and she’s licensing her company in Dubai and Singapore, where, she says, “They’ll take my model and add water.” On the drawing board: India. “It’s a big match-making country,” she says.

She doesn’t apologize for being a businesswoman. “Sometimes I’ll do pro-bono work,” she says, citing as a recent example a friend’s friend who spent her savings fighting cancer. “I went in to do makeovers and coaching her to get ready for dating,” she explains. “I’m thinking about doing cancer patients on the show next season. It can’t always be the mixer with hot guys and girls or we’ll get bored.” Indeed, she’s closing her season by fixing up a gay man. “I always wanted to do gay, but I didn’t have the right people in my organization till now,” she says.

“The TV show is one small part of my business,” says Stanger who only works personally with 10 to 15 clients a year and leaves the rest to her staff. “I have an impeccable reputation. I deal with A-listers, Academy Award winners, this week I’m working with a Grammy Award winner. I have to be confidential. If I did talk, I’d lose my business tomorrow. I’m doing very well. I must have a message to say. I think he [Ward] has a problem. Maybe he’s angry and repressed because he doesn’t have a girlfriend.”

“Here’s my quote to that,” says Ward. “Hahaha! I’m actually beating women off with a stick. I can’t keep them off me.” He adds, “I want you to hear my mom’s reaction.” In the background, you hear a woman’s voice: “She’s Jewish? Why isn’t she married? How can you have a show like that and you’re not married?”

For starters, Ward has his own show and he’s not married. But as for Stanger’s marital status, though single, she has been in a “committed” relationship for the past 5-1/2 years. “According to a census, my boyfriend is proposing,” she says. “But that’s my business with him. No one has the right to throw stones at me. If you read my book, you’ll see that I believe that not everyone needs to get married. People need to choose what’s right for them. All I know is that I’m in a committed, monogamous relationship at the end of the day.”

Stanger can’t figure out why Ward attacked her. “I was kind of shocked,” she says. “I’ve been asked a million times about him and always said nice things. So I’m not really clear what his objective is, other than he wants to get me in the ring.” She pauses, and then, as if speaking directly to her nemesis, says, “But honey, how about joining the Millionaire’s Club for free? I’ll give you a freebie. It’s on the house.”

More on These Topics: Millionaire Matchmaker | Patti Stanger | Steve Ward | Tough Love