Plymouth's Kori Sampson is defo too hot to handle but we'd give it a try
Despite the similar idyllic tropical surroundings to another show you may have heard of, Netflix reality show Too Hot To Handle didn’t quite hit the zeitgeist when it came out in 2020. For those of you not in the know, it’s a cast of young, attractive singletons who have been flown to a stunning beach resort in order for the viewer to watch the relationships flourish and crumble in equal measures.
So far, so Love Island – but here comes the twist. For their thirty-day tenure in their tropical paradise, they aren’t allowed to touch, fondle, kiss, shag, rub…oh you get the point. The idea is that they spend the time getting to know one another other.
Seeing as we’ve all just experienced a global pandemic, thirty days without any physical contact seems like a breeze to be honest. As if the endless pictures on social media of influencers and reality stars canoodling on various wonderful looking holiday locales hasn’t been punishment enough, this way you can see them get punished… well sort of.
No it's not Baywatch, it's Netflix's sex based reality show!
There is your usual cast of characters where you’re encouraged to laugh when someone’s geography is appalling or gasp when it turns out they have a degree in something or other. There's plenty to gawp at with hot pecs and biceps abound and dudes in bulging swimmers at every turn. The difference to Love Island here though is also the strict rules.
The cast are told from day one that the rules are strict – and did we mention self-pleasuring was off the table too? Suddenly their plight becomes a lot more touch and go… or rather no touching at all.
The penalties are harsh. The show begins the thirty-day stint with a pot of $100k as a prize pool. Every time a couple is caught kissing, that’s a three-grand wiped off the prize money, not just for them but for everyone. When it comes to oral sex, that’s going to cost them six big ones and full-blown intercourse, even more still!
Ooh he's drippin! Plenty of hot bods in the Netflix series
What ensues is your usual back biting and frayed nerves but there is a difference here that certainly rings true in these times. Whilst the majority of the cast stick to the rules for the good of the group, splinter factions break off that have secret tristes and lie about them considering the rules shouldn’t apply to them and justifying this by the fact that the rest of the contestants are being chaste. Sound familiar? It’s the government’s Stay At Home strategy played out with sexual politics and a beautiful people in a microcosm!
The good news is that you can watch the whole first series on Netflix now and they have commissioned a second series set in a post pandemic world. We can’t wait!