In case you haven't heard yet, there's a new reality dating show [1] on Netflix called Too Hot to Handle [2], and it is WILD [3]! The series revolves around a group of contestants who travel from around the globe for the chance to win $100,000 [4]. But like any good show, there's a catch! Participants must resist all forms of sexual interaction [5], including kissing. Production tracks everyone's whereabouts through a bunch of cameras that are placed around the house they're staying in, but even with all the monitoring going on, there are still a few secrets that aren't revealed. Like, where the show is filmed, and the fact that the series was inspired by a Seinfeld episode. Don't worry, though: we went ahead and rounded up all the fun tidbits you may not know about the show.
Too Hot to Handle Was Filmed in Mexico
The show was filmed in Casa Tau's private villa [8], which is located in Punta Mita, Mexico. The fancy estate currently goes for $15,660 a night on Trip Advisor.
Over 3,000 People Auditioned For the Show
The creators reviewed thousands of applications [9] as they searched for the cast. "When their casting tapes came to us, they sang," creator Louise Peet said of the contestants that were chosen. "They were perfect. They fit the bill in terms of their habits, in terms of their love lives and their commitment phobia."
The Contestants Had Personal Chefs
We never saw the contestants cook their own food on the show, and there's a good reason for that: they had personal chefs [10]. Even though they weren't shown, Nicole recently told Collider that she had the "most amazing food" there. "We had these personal chefs who cooked us whatever we wanted for breakfast, lunch, dinner. So for breakfast, we would have huge fry-ups, french toast, pancakes. So we'd wake up at around eight o'clock," she said. "We'd all get ready, and then lunch would be just steak. We had steak all the time. Same with dinner, lovely chicken. It was amazing."
Some Contestants Were Scouted by Producers
While some contestants applied to be on the reality dating show, others were chosen by producers [11]. "I was actually messaged by a member of production to go on the show, and I didn't really know necessarily what it was about. I just knew that it was an opportunity to meet attractive people," Francesca revealed to Cosmopolitan in an interview. Harry, on the other hand, applied. "Yeah, so I applied, because I just suck at dating," he told the outlet.
Production Played a Part in Some of the Drama
Just like The Bachelor [12], producers would sometimes nudge the contestants [13] to do certain things on the show. "In these situations, if they know that you've got a problem or you need to have a chat with someone, they'll just point you in the right direction to get a result, or to get that conversation happening and get to the end goal," Harry explained to Cosmpolitan. "They're not forcing you to say or do anything you don't want to. They just kind of help nudge you in the correct direction."
There Were Even Cameras in the Bathrooms
We already knew that the cast was under surveillance the entire time, but the show went as far as to include cameras in the bathroom [14] to make sure contestants weren't breaking the rules. "There were cameras everywhere, even in the bathrooms," Bryce explained in an interview with Hollywood Raw. "It was just CCTV, it was not for broadcast the ones in the toilets. It was just to make sure you weren't doing that . . . they're not recording, but they're watching essentially."
Lana Is Supposed to Be a Mix of Ellen DeGeneres and Mary Poppins
Even though one producer suggested that Lana be inspired by Amazon's Alexa, Gibson told Oprah Magazine that Lana is more like a "super nanny. [15]" "When I heard the idea I thought, 'I can't believe this hasn't been done before.' We're always being watched and listened to. It felt so modern and youthful to have an AI robot that was their love guru," she said. "We think of Lana as Mary Poppins meets Ellen DeGeneres [16]." In fact, Lana interacted more with the contestants than the producers. "Lana was their love guru, Lana was their guidance, Lana was their friend," Peet added.
Alcohol Was Limited
While it may have seemed like the cast was always drinking, apparently, that wasn't the case [17]. "We only got served in moderation," Rhonda told Oprah Magazine. "It wasn't like we were wilding out."
The Contestants Had No Connection to the Outside World
Taking after The Bachelor [18], there were no phones or internet access [19] while filming the show. "It was really refreshing to not have a phone and to be in an environment where you are really with people, talking and having fun," David said to Oprah Magazine.