Jeff Timmons has spent half of his life in recording studios. Since the 1990s, the 98 Degrees singer has collaborated with dozens of singers and songwriters.
But this is new.
Timmons, 45, has collaborated with Jessie “Mr. Pec-Tacular” Godderz, a professional wrestler who also competed on two seasons of Big Brother. The result: a pop song about romantic rivalry called “The Girl Is with Me.”
And like every good pop song, they created a video that costars Morgan Willett, a Big Brother winner and TV host.
So how did this unlikely partnership come about?
“We met on LinkedIn,” Godderz, 32, tells PEOPLE. “And we were going to work on something together, but it didn’t work out. But we became friends.”
“What Jessie is too kind to tell you is that I asked him to work on something and he turned me down,” says Timmons with a laugh. “I asked him if he wanted to work on [Timmons’ male revue reality show] Men of the Strip. And he was like, ‘Absolutely not. It’s not a good look for me.’”
“So I asked if he could sing and he was like, ‘I’m not a singer,’” continues Timmons. “But I said, ‘Hey, let’s give it a shot.’” And it works. He’s big, charismatic character on TV, and he’s got a lot of personality. We just hit it off immediately.”
Godderz, who had never sung publicly before, was understandably hesitant to get into the studio. “Jeff helped coach me through it,” he says. “He was fantastic to work with.”
“He was very apprehensive to do this,” says Timmons. “But I’ve been in the studio and you can create a sound; there are ways to make people sound good. And once he heard himself, he felt a lot more comfortable and realized that he sounded pretty good. Then it really became fun.”
“This started as a gimmicky thing,” continues Timmons. “But people really like the song. They’re reacting really positively. That’s what makes it fun. I’m so excited and thrilled. It’s like a modern-day ‘The Girl Is Mine.’”
Timmons has spoken to PEOPLE in the past about his fitness regimen. (Let’s face it: if you’re going to host a TV show about a Chippendales-style men’s review, you have to hit the gym.)
So what was it like to work with an ultra-buff guy like Godderz, who is called “Mr. Pec-Tacular” for a reason?
“We exchanged tips,” says Timmons. “I’m on the keto diet, and he’s endorsed by a carbohydrate company. I tried that out and immediately started pounding that stuff. I put on 10 pounds in muscle.”
We had different fitness plans,” adds Godderz. “I had pizza and Jeff was like, ‘I can’t eat this.’”
Now that the singer and the wrestler have collaborated, they are open to working with each other again. “Sure, I’d definitely work with Jessie again,” says Timmons. “He’s confident and talented, and we had a lot of fun together. It was a great experience.”
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