One of the stars of Netflix's popular reality dating show Too Hot Too Handle has shared his dramatic reaction to the 'sex ban' rule that didn't make it to air, and revealed just how closely the contestants were monitored by producers.
Having already featured on Kiwi reality show Heartbreak Island, Australian Instagram influencer Harry Jowsey thought he was off on another sexy tropical holiday when he signed up for the show.
"I genuinely thought 'this is it, mum, I'm just going to go to Mexico for a couple of weeks. I'll find love, and then come back'," he told Newhsub.
"Then I get told these rules, and I cry. I was a mess. I was legitimately telling the producers: 'Get me out of here, this is hell'."
The rule announcement, which dictated no kissing, sexual activity or self-gratification, was made by the show's Alexa-esque robot host Lana at the crucial moment Jowsey and fellow contestant Francesca Farago had adjourned to the bedroom together.
"It was the worst thing you could ever have said to me at that point in time, I was so broken," Jowsey said.
"That's why I cried because I was like: 'This is the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen in my entire life, and she's into me.'
"We've got this amazing opportunity to do what my ancestors have put me here to do and reproduce. I was like, 'here we go, who cares there are cameras, there's babies that need to be in that belly'. And then I just get cock-blocked!"
Jowsey said he was "heartbroken" by the plot twist, but soon began to think the rules could benefit him on a deeper level.
"I realised it's probably what I need. There's a reason why I'm in this position, and maybe I am a bit of a sex addict and I need to tone it down and find something deep and meaningful."
With money deducted from the $100,000 grand prize pot for any and all slip-ups made by the contestants, Jowsey revealed the show's producers had to go to great lengths to monitor everybody's movements - and moans.
"There are supersonic microphones everywhere and cameras everywhere," he said.
"You'd be in the shower and you'd know, that if you let out even one tiny moan, they'd be like 'something's going on'.
"Even in the bathrooms, in the toilets, there'd be a microphone so they could hear if you were doing anything you shouldn't."
Jowsey said he learned to take the process "super seriously" and felt it had paid off in the long run.
"It changed my life. As soon as I flipped that switch and stopped being a whiny baby, the stars aligned. It was like, this clown got put in this position with these beautiful people, and there's a reason why.
"It was insane. I reckon I came out of it like, 400 years older."
