Shawn Wells Likened His ‘Too Hot to Handle’ Experience to His Military Service Days

Fans of Too Hot to Handle were immediately impressed with smoking hot single Shawn Wells when he entered the reality romance series as a late arrival in Season 4.

According to Chron, the Houston resident waited in a bungalow for five weeks before being offered the chance to enter the villa toward the end of filming.

So, who is Shawn Wells and how did his experience on Too Hot to Handle conclude? Here’s the scoop.

When Shawn discovered that he was a part of Too Hot to Handle, he was interested in Los Angeles influencer and model Kayla Richart. however, she was already head over heels for race car driver Sebastian Melrose from Scotland.

Luckily, Kayla wasn’t the only contestant the reality star had his eye on.

Shawn felt a spark with Dutch model Jawahir Khalifa despite his late arrival. Although she found the Houstonian attractive, Jawahir decided to remain with her original partner Nick Kici. Unfortunately, Shawn was single when Season 4 wrapped.

"I was kind of shocked because I felt like we were having a genuine connection,” the Too Hot to Handle alum admitted. “Obviously, I know I'm walking into her situation. At the end of the day, [Nick] had more time with her, and I can only respect her decision. We only had a few days."

Like many other Too Hot to Handle contestants, Season 4 star Shawn makes his living as a model.

In March 2023, the reality star graced his first magazine cover and shared the exciting news on Instagram. “My First Magazine Cover!” Shawn wrote in his caption.

“Got To Thank [The Official Black Magazine] for seeing my potential! The voice of Millennial Dating has got me this far! Can’t wait for you to see what else we have in store!”

Despite modeling since childhood, Shawn also ventured into a far different profession in the past. Before making his reality television debut, he served in the military for several years.

Interestingly, Shawn likened his experience on Too Hot to Handle to his military service days.

"We wake up at this time [and] we have to get ready on time — I felt like I was in the military again," he said of his time on Netflix’s unscripted dating series. "Filming is hard. But I was adapted to that already."

However, the 24/7 surveillance took Shawn by surprise. He revealed that every Too Hot to Handle contestant wears a microphone constantly and is even filmed while using the restroom.

Despite the grueling filming conditions, the reality star shared that his self-esteem is at an all-time high following his brief stint on Too Hot to Handle.

"My confidence definitely came in March of last year. Me being dark-skinned, I had a bigger nose and bigger lips as a kid, I was teased my whole life,” Shawn recalled. “So coming on Too Hot to Handle, thinking of myself at 15, is just mind-blowing because I was the ugly duckling my whole life.”

Too Hot to Handle Season 5 Episodes 1–4 are now streaming on Netflix.