Image Source: Getty / David M. Benett [1]
There's no denying that one of the best parts of Netflix's Too Hot to Handle [2] is the narration. From the quick quips to the savage zingers, no contestant is spared when it comes to hearing about their actions — not even Lana. But who exactly is the voice behind Too Hot to Handle, you ask?
Well, it's stand-up comedian Desiree Burch [3]. The 41-year-old hails from LA, but is currently living in London. She is the host and creator of Comedy Central UK's Fat Chat [4] and has appeared on several other shows, including Live at the Apollo and Live From BBC, as well as Netflix's Flinch and the Comedy Central special Desiree Burch Live. Burch has also starred in a podcast as the voice of Mayor Pamela Winchell [5] in Welcome to Night Vale. However, before she got into a comedy, she used to be a dominatrix, which she talked about in her 2017 Unf*ckable one woman-show [6].
Image Source: Netflix [7]
While speaking with Vulture recently, Burch detailed the experience [9] of narrating Too Hot to Handle, saying, "I'm like, 'Seriously you guys, there is a bunch of cash. Just don't touch!' I mean, read a book, take a swim. What the hell? I tried to put myself in their shoes and some of it I totally get, because I've been 20. And then some of it I'm just like, 'Guys, seriously, get it together.'"
In a separate interview with Oprah Magazine, producer Louise Peet explained that she wanted viewers to see Too Hot to Handle as a rom-com [10] more than a dating show, hence why Burch was tapped to narrate. "The voice of the narrator really is the person on the sofa," she said. "It's the kind of thing that you'd be screaming at the TV . . . We wanted to make sure [we had] some tongue-in-cheek wink going on all the way throughout." Well, I think it's fair to say that Burch is hands down the real star of the show.