Too Hot to Handle: Who won the Netflix dating show, and which couples are still together?

Netflix’s new dating series ended with a polarising finale, and one that also left a number of lingering questions about the show’s two central couples

The Netflix dating series Too Hot to Handle has been a smash hit… with some reservations. An odd blend of Love Island, Love Is Blind and an abstinence tutorial, it involves 14 sexy humanoids being dumped in a villa in Mexico to drink, party and copulate. Or so they think.

Within hours of arriving, a virtual assistant named Lana (!) informs the gang that the goal of the show is to never interact with one another sexually – if anyone kisses, romantically touches or goes all the way, significant proportions of the show’s $100,000 prize will be chipped away. Meaning that if any of the show’s cast are to find love, it has to be based on far more than physical attraction.

Spoilers follow for those who haven’t watched all eight episodes of the show’s first season…

In the end, the show was even more of an odd duck. Instead of one or two winners being crowned, Lana instead declared that the remaining contestants, 10 in total, would share the prize money as a reward for their “personal growth”.

The move led to some confusion among viewers, who expressed their bafflement on Twitter. “This show literally had no purpose then?” read one tweet. Another declared: “Worst finale for a reality competition ever.”

The show’s unusual format also meant that it didn’t conclude with a bevy of beautiful people becoming romantically involved with one another. Rather, just two couples sort-of-maybe got together in the end, with the show ending on an ambiguous note in terms of whether they remained together once the cameras stopped filming.

Frustratingly, it appears the show’s contestants are still under non-disclosure agreements – meaning no one has yet confirmed the current status of either couple. Presumably, once Netflix has decided enough time has passed so as to avoid spoiling viewers, more Too Hot to Handle cast members will tell all.

For now, though, we can certainly read into things. Like romantic detectives creepily obsessed with the love lives of the ripped, the tanned and the artificially inflated, we have scoured interviews and Instagram accounts to try and find out the truth.

Harry and Francesca

Harry and Francesca of Netflix’s ‘Too Hot to Handle’ (Netflix)

These two were the dramatic standouts of the show – a self-described arrogant Australian and a Canadian who seemed, at least at first, to clash with absolutely everyone. So it made sense that they found each other irresistible, and most significantly impacted the show’s prize money with their insistence on making out all over the place.

In fact, the pair became so enraptured by one another that they ended the season discussing a permanent move to one of their respective countries. While Too Hot to Handle didn’t answer whether a move would actually occur, some Instagram digging has revealed that Harry did make his way to Canada in the wake of the show’s production.

In May 2019, a month after filming wrapped, Harry posted photographs of himself holidaying in Vancouver. In June, Francesca also tagged photos of herself holidaying in Queensland, Australia. They’ve also continued to follow one another on Instagram, while Harry has repeatedly liked and commented on Francesca’s images.

“What I wanna wake up to,” Harry wrote under Francesca’s sexy bedroom selfie in March.

“I knew from day one that I didn’t just want physical stuff from Harry,” Francesca told Bustle. “He was someone that I wanted to have in my life.”

Sharron and Rhonda

Rhonda and Sharron on ‘Too Hot to Handle’ (Netflix)

The most well-behaved of the show’s contestants, Sharron and Rhonda were also the couple that seemed the most authentic. They were quick to embrace the show’s silly premise and decided to properly get to know one another, and seemed less bothered at not being able to kiss.

While they appeared to still be together by the show’s end, they’ve given only minor hints as to where they’ve ended up since filming concluded. The pair continue to follow each other on Instagram and occasionally like one another’s most alluring of selfies, implying there is still affection there.

Speaking to Bustle, Rhonda gave nothing away but did more generally open up about her experience on the show.

“It felt amazing but scary at the same time,” she said. “But it was something that I was proud of because me and Sharron really took the time to understand what was happening ... because we have both come from such hurtful pasts ... we were really about the self-development.

“We were far from perfect, but we just tried our best to understand what was happening and really learn from it.”

David and Lydia

Lydia and David of Netflix’s ‘Too Hot to Handle’ (Netflix)

We didn’t get to know these two too well as a couple, with Lydia entering the villa at the show’s midpoint, and David having already been infatuated with multiple different girls in the days prior to her arrival. By the end of the season, however, there was a definite spark.

Whether their late-in-the-day flirtation crossed into reality is less clear. David appeared to imply in November that he was single, writing on his Instagram that “the DMs will be open 24 hours for applications” to be his girlfriend – hinting that if he and Lydia were seeing one another, it’s nothing serious.

Intriguingly, Lydia has been spotted on a different Too Hot to Handle’s Instagram in the wake of the show. In February, fellow contestant Bryce posted an image of Lydia posing next to his private yacht, alongside the ambiguous caption: “Have you seen my beer?” What does it mean!?