Too Hot to Handle

On the shores of paradise, gorgeous singles meet and mingle. But there’s a twist. To win a $100,000 grand prize, they’ll have to give up sex.

Too Hot to Handle (2020-2024) is a British reality dating competition created by Laura Gibson and Charlie Bennett for Netflix. Gorgeous singles arrive at a tropical beach paradise, mingle freely and form couples, but the twist is a strict rule: to win a $100,000 grand prize, they must give up sex entirely. Narrator Desiree Burch's voice guides the format, and contestants such as Chloe Veitch, Cam Holmes, Christine Obanor and Louis Russell become the focus as temptation builds and rule-breaking consequences pile up. Each season is a self-contained contest of around ten episodes, with a new cast on the same premise, giving the show a sustained, episodic shape across six seasons. The engine is simple: attraction and flirtation pull against a financial reward for restraint, and the tension plays out through confessionals, couple dynamics and the constant monitoring of the resort. The tone is breezy, cheeky and deliberately sexual without being explicit, with a playful, voyeuristic energy. Fans of Love Island, Big Brother and Married at First Sight will find the same mix of romance, competitive scheming and social experiment. Its Netflix production makes it a streaming-era staple of the dating reality genre, and it works best as light, guilty-pleasure viewing.

Critics find the format a breezy, guilty-pleasure reality show whose sexual-abstinence premise drives the drama, though they consider the cast superficial and the premise thin.

• Love Island (UK)unscripted dating competition, singles on a tropical getaway, cash prize format
• Married at First Sightsocial experiment dating format with rules that constrain romance, reality competition
• Big Brotherreality competition with cash prize and contestant rule-breaking drama

Created by

Laura Gibson, Charlie Bennett

Release Date

2020-04-17

Episode runtime

40 min

Rating

4.8 / 10 (463)

What is Too Hot to Handle about?

Singles on a tropical paradise compete for a $100,000 prize by abstaining from sex.

What is Too Hot to Handle like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Too Hot to Handle as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.

Is Too Hot to Handle violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Too Hot to Handle.

What did critics think of Too Hot to Handle?

Critics find the format a breezy, guilty-pleasure reality show whose sexual-abstinence premise drives the drama, though they consider the cast superficial and the premise thin.

Which shows are like Too Hot to Handle?

Shows with a similar feel include Love Island (UK), Married at First Sight, and Big Brother.

How long is Too Hot to Handle?

Too Hot to Handle: 6 seasons, 59 episodes.

Is Too Hot to Handle still running?

No, Too Hot to Handle was canceled.

Where can I watch Too Hot to Handle?

In United States, Too Hot to Handle streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.