"Too Hot to Handle" Season 2 Premieres This Summer

From Oprah Magazine

Too Hot to Handle left us wanting a second season nearly as much as its cast longed for physical touch. In January 2021, nearly a year after the series first premiered, Too Hot to Handle was renewed for a second and third season, Variety reported.

“Now fans won’t have to wait long to see our new contestants try (and fail) to follow Lana’s strict rules with plenty of twists and surprises along the way," Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s VP of unscripted and documentary series, told Variety.

To preserve the element of surprise, subsequent seasons of Too Hot to Handle were cast under the name Parties in Paradise. That way, even if cast members were familiar with the premise of Too Hot to Handle, they wouldn't know what they're getting into until they already arrived in paradise.

In the first season, attractive singles from around the world gathered in a luxury villa in Mexico, expecting three weeks of an absolute free-for-all. That's not what they got. Instead, Too Hot to Handle challenged its contestants to resist touching each other, and instead concentrate on building a relationship. Narrator Desiree Bruch wove the show together with hilarious commentary.

"Of course, there's a lot of tits and arse. But we were working towards actually quite a serious and important message," creative director and show developer Laura Gibson told OprahMag.com.

By the finale, many of the contestants were in a different place emotionally. Romances blossomed. Friendships did, too. The growth that the creators hoped for, when they designed the show, actually took place—giving them even more reason to renew the show for two more seasons. Their experiment worked.

"I speak to [the cast] quite regularly and I'm sure they'll tell you that they have changed since this show and they have become, they think, better people," producer Louise Peet told OprahMag.com after the first season aired.

Here's what we know about the future of Too Hot to Handle and the next batch of contestants.

Too Hot to Handle was renewed for two more seasons.

In January of 2021, many months after the April 2020 premiere, Netflix renewed the competition show. Around the world, Too Hot to Handle's passionate fanbase breathed a sigh of relief. They'd been waiting to hear this news for a while.

Too Hot to Handle season 2 releases in June 2021.

Future seasons will be filmed in Turks and Caicos.

The first season of Too Hot to Handle was filmed at a villa in Punta Mita, a private peninsula located on Riviera Nayarit on Mexico's Southwest Coast. The 12-bedroom, 12-bathroom home comes complete with a waitstaff, butler, and private chef and is available to rent for $15,660 a night.

Per Variety, the next seasons are being filmed in the Caribbean paradise of Turks and Caicos.

The cast raved about their experiences on the show.

According to interviews with the cast, Too Hot to Handle was a positive experience. "The show was more than a dating show. It was a show about self exploration," Bryce Herschberg tells OprahMag.com. "The ultimate goal was to find yourself. When I returned to LA, I was so comfortable with myself and so happy."

Too Hot to Handle also impacted the cast's dating lives, off the show. Nicole O'Brien said she goes for "personality" now, over looks. Calling the show a "massive catalyst," David Birtwistle says, "It made me realize that I want a serious relationship with someone I am really close with."

Too Hot to Handle will continue to surprise its contestants.

The cast of Too Hot to Handle's first season genuinely had no idea what they were getting into when they arrived at Casa Tau in Mexico.

"I knew it was an opportunity to mingle with fit guys," Chloe Veitch told OprahMag.com in April 2020. "The fact that I couldn't do that with anyone was a downer for me. I love being affectionate."

After Lana delivered the news, the cast had to adjust their expectations. Some were able to more quickly than others. Whereas Sharron Townsend and Francesca Farago both flirted with leaving the show entirely, Veitch ended up being "relieved" by the announcement. "It was a sigh of relief. The last thing I want my nan to see is me having….on TV," Veitch said.

Future cast-members will be just as shocked to learn they're on Too Hot to Handle. According to Variety, seasons 2 and 3 recruited cast members through a secret name. That said, we're confident Lana has even more surprises up her sleeve. Err, robot arm.

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