For love and money! Too Hot to Handle has generated several successful couples, despite its forbidden-romance premise.
The Netflix reality show debuted in April 2020. The series centers around people who are typically involved in meaningless flings and struggle to form long-term relationships. In an effort to win $100,000, contestants living in a house together for four weeks are restricted from kissing, self-gratification and sexual contact, with the grand prize getting reduced every time a rule is broken.
Amid the strict protocols, love blossomed between past competitors, including Harry Jowsey and Francesca Farago. The pair dated on and off after appearing on season 1 and were engaged at one point. However, they eventually called it quits for good.
“We tried to give it another go, but [there was] just clear miscommunication on [a lot of] fronts,” Harry exclusively told Us Weekly in June 2021. “I’ve been trying to handle the whole situation privately and offline. And that’s what I’m going to continue to do if there’s anything that arises with her.”
He added: “I can tell you now [until] forever [that] I’ll never be put in a relationship or put myself in that situation again.”
Harry explained how the show’s popularity changed his connection with Francesca. “It’s very difficult when you have an extremely private relationship, you know, we kept it very private. We [were] filming the show that was private all the way through to when it [aired]. And then once the whole world kind of got a whiff of it, it was very crazy,” he said. “You have a relationship with just two people [and] now the whole world is putting their energy into it. It kind of, like, gets a little bit foggy, a little bit funky. It’s very difficult dating in this scene.”
Joey Joy and Carly Lawrence, meanwhile, struggled to contain their feelings for each other while in the house. They revealed in August 2021 that the season 2 cast hooked up all over the retreat after filming ended, so they had to steal away to the tiled floor of the therapist’s room.
“We didn’t want to do anything on camera just because both of our families [were watching],” Carly exclusively told Us. “I didn’t want [our first time] to be in another room with a bunch of people. I still wanted it to be a little bit separate and romantic.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see where all the couples from Too Hot to Handle stand now!