With most reality dating shows, contestants join the show with the intention of finding love … or at least hooking up with someone. That’s where Netflix’s Too Hot to Handle differs. After arriving at a fancy, romantic villa, the contestants discover that the dating and hookup show they thought they were on doesn’t exist, and they must instead abide by The Rules: no kissing, no heavy petting, no self-pleasuring, and no sex.
If everyone manages to follow The Rules for four weeks, they get to split $200,000 between them ($100,000 for Season 1 and 2) — but for each infraction, money is removed from the pot (and the rule-breakers are publicly shamed by a virtual assistant called Lana). It’s exactly the kind of twist that audiences immediately became obsessed with.
The contestants on Too Hot to Handle aren’t the only unforgettable characters on the reality competition show. Viewers are also low-key obsessed with Desiree Burch, who narrates the series. Although you don’t see her interact with the contestants, Desiree’s snarky commentary is guaranteed to elicit at least one laugh-out-loud moment per ep.
There’s also Lana, the show’s host/virtual assistant who is always watching everything the contestants do. If anyone participates in any hanky panky, Lana not only sees it, but announces to the group exactly what occurred — and exactly how much each infraction will cost them. Lana basically looks like a fancy, conical Bluetooth speaker, but the amount of power she holds is undeniable.
Where is Too Hot to Handle filmed?
The first season of Too Hot to Handle was filmed at a villa called Casa Tau in Punta Mita, Mexico. The destination boasts 12 bedrooms and bathrooms, including three ocean-front master suites and one double room. In total, the estate sleeps 27 people — in other words, more than enough room for the 10 Too Hot to Handle cast members to spread out, plus their whole crew.
Season 2 was filmed at a luxury villa called the Turtle Tail Estate in Turks and Caicos. It has five bedrooms (each of which contains a king size bed), a tennis court, a wrap-around heated infinity pool. Needless to say, there’s plenty for Too Hot to Handle contestants to enjoy at the villa — even if they can’t do everything they want to do without costing the group some money.
For Season 3, the cast was filmed in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Both Season 4 and 5 of Too Hot to Handle was filmed at the Emerald Pavilion in Turks and Caicos Islands.
Is Too Hot to Handle scripted?
As with all reality shows, people want to know just how much of what’s shown on the show is real, or whether some interactions might be totally scripted. Contestants on the show have said that producers sometimes nudge them in a certain direction, but that for the most part, what you see on the show is pretty authentic. Of course, you don’t see everything — the show films over the course of a full month and everything has to be condensed into only 10 episodes.
Here’s how to get on Too Hot to Handle:
One of the most interesting aspects of shooting Too Hot to Handle is that for both seasons (so far), contestants had no idea of the true nature of the show when they initially signed on for the project. Contestants on the show didn’t find out about "The Rules" until after they had already gone through the audition process for what they assumed was a show about partying and hooking up (which it kind of is, right?).
Ahead of Season 2, producers had to be especially careful about revealing the actual show they were casting so the big reveal would still be a surprise. They told the contestants they were casting for a new show called Parties in Paradise, which would feature them partying while traveling around the world.
Season 5 has already premiered, but if you want to apply for a future season of Too Hot to Handle, your best bet is probably to keep an eye out for reality show casting announcements — especially ones that promise lots of partying and hooking up. It also doesn’t hurt to be young, attractive, and popular on social media if you can swing it. If you do end up auditioning for Too Hot to Handle, you can expect the interview questions to be very invasive.
You can stream Seasons 1 through 5 of Too Hot to Handle on Netflix now.
