Disturbing Truths About VH1’s Dating Naked Series
Not everyone dares to appear on a show called Dating Naked. One of VH1's most ambitious projects, Dating Naked only lasted three seasons. Those seeking romance bared it all in the name of love. Some found what they were looking for while others weren't as fortunate. Now that the show hasn't aired any new episodes since 2016, some behind the scenes information has surfaced. Learn some surprising facts about one of the most awkward and revealing shows in TV history.
No Censor, Big Problem
Contestants of the show were told their private parts would be censored in production. While for the most part that is true, the network had one mishap with a model. Jessie Nizewitz received tons of messages from people who say they saw her private female part on national television.
She was wrestling with a date on the beach and found herself in a compromising position. If she had been censored, her being on all fours and mooning the world wouldn't have been a problem. After she found out, she filed a lawsuit for $10 million against Viacom in 2014.
Let's See Who's The Bigger Man
The show's primary focus is for contestants to find real love, but some of the men had another task in mind. The guys on the show would go around comparing parts, and this made some of the ladies feel uneasy.
Kerri Cipriani from season two said: "Oh, gosh. It was uncomfortable. I will say the guys made a lot of what they were working with. They all made a big deal about how they wouldn't talk about it, but they talked about it." One competitor named Jack even ranked himself and others on a Reddit thread. He came in first place.
Nudity Is Part Of The Audition
With about 45 contestants per season and 10-12 episodes, auditions happened a certain way. In preparations for being naked on the show for extended periods of time, all potential cast members had to get nude during the audition. Producers needed to be sure no one would get uncomfortable during the show.
The audition process also included a bevy of tedious tasks. For instance, they also had to do a lengthy interview with a professional matchmaker. A 500 question personality test was another requirement.
Contestants Knew It Was A Joke Of A Show
Most people are aware that this isn't the best TV show to air. Dating Naked tried to mix what sells with love, and the results were a three-season awkward-fest. It had its moments, but for the most part, it was pretty outrageous.
Contestant Jack told Reddit: “I think part of the charm is that we all bonded over the show being ridiculous. You embrace the fact that the concept isn't stellar, but you do it to make great TV and most importantly, have fun!”
Jaidyn Cayden Spills On Memorable Moments
Once you agree to be on the show, you've signed up to see things you wouldn't see on an everyday basis. E! News caught up with one participant named Jaidyn Cayden. She had some interesting insight on her reality tv show experience.
There are also some things she wishes she had never seen. The guys already liked to compare their junk, but they also challenged each other. Cayden says she "saw Jayson's sphincter cut a banana in half." She may never eat a banana again.
Contestants Found Ways To Prevent Being Touched
Before going naked on national TV, you would hope people would make sure they are ready to display themselves. Because the show was "come as you are," one of the former hosts said she saw contestants shaving and waxing parts of their body never previously touched. This gave one participant a brilliant idea.
Diane Poulos said she only cleaned up her parts once during production. She used her body to keep the boys away. "It was my repellent — I didn't want anyone touching me there," she told Hollywood Life. "A lot of the guys tried to touch and grab, but I didn't want anyone to touch me at all … I am so prude on the show!"
The Bugs Were Extremely Pesky
If you are going to be walking around naked, then you are opening yourself up to more vulnerability. Season one was filmed in Panama, a tropical environment with tons of buzzing insects. Contestants looked like packed lunch to the biting bugs.
"The bugs are insane. We have all been eaten alive," host Amy Paffrath said. "We've tried everything. You've got the natural remedies from the locals — try coconut oil, try this cream my husband makes. But it's just going to happen no matter what you do." It doesn't sound like season one was too pleasant.
The Nudity Becomes Natural
Imagine having to go to work every day with everyone naked. This is something that probably won't ever happen, but it's what these cast members had to deal with on the daily. Eventually, you might get used to it. Amy Paffrath reveals how that was the case for her and a few others.
"It was incredibly awkward seeing strangers naked for a long period at first; however, after a few episodes, it just became another day at the office," she said. "I was around six naked bodies, But eventually, all that exposure desensitizes you, and it becomes no big deal."
This Is No Time To Be Modest
Appearing on this show already means you are more confident than the average individual. Dating Naked gave contestants every reason to toss the word humility out the window. Cayden said she was discovered by one of the producers while showing her tattoos to everyone at the bar.
"You are meant to be on this TV show," one producer told Cayden. She's also one of the contestants that openly complimented a male contestant on his great package.
Getting Burned Was Expected
Just as the bugs couldn't stay away from the contestants, neither could the sun. There's a reason we moved away from the primitive days of no clothing. Paffrath said the sunburns started getting ridiculous.
Kerri Cipriani from season two told the Tampa Bay Times her regime to help keep the sun from burning her skin. She said she regularly had to apply SPF 30 cream. Everywhere. Sadly, she also said Chris Aldrich, another participant, "had some gnarly burns on his rear end."
More Food Please
A happy stomach can fix a lot of issues. Just ask any guy with a girlfriend. All jokes aside, the producers of Dating Naked made sure participants had a full belly. For the body-builders, fruits, smoothies, and vegetables were handy.
For others, they would eat regular stuff. The not-so-healthy food is also what put Jaidyn Cayden in a funny situation. She was caught with Cheeto particles around her lady part. Cayden later admitted she was embarrassed because she told everyone she was on a specific diet.
Flirting Wasn't The Same
Flirting isn't for everyone. In fact, it's considered an art form to many. And at the end of the day, people flirt to get the other person out of their clothes... eventually. Since these ladies and gentlemen were already naked, the smooth-talking and blushing got dialed back a bit.
The nakedness eliminated the mystery factor and filled their imaginations. Since there wasn't a set dialogue or script, camera operators had to suggest things for cast members to say to one another.
A Woman Took On The Nickname Wee-Wee
As far as nicknames go, who would have thought Wee Wee would end up attached to a woman? Of all the guys on Dating Naked, participant Christina Porcelli ended up with "Wee Wee." She appeared in the first episode and ended up dating the person she met on the show, unlike many others.
Porcelli was an aspiring singer at the time. After Dating Naked, she won big on the game show Beat Shazam and appeared on an episode of The Jenny McCarthy Show on Sirius XM radio. Porcelli also wrote and released an inspirational memoir.
Jayden Reveals What The Most Romantic Thing She Saw Was
Being on this show gives you some fascinating insight. We already discussed how flirting got approached differently, so what about romance? Well, Jaidyn Cayden revealed the most romantic thing she witnessed was.
She started off by telling a story about how one of the participant's ex-girlfriends wasn't body positive. "Like, he just wanted her to remove his Irish Claddagh toe ring by sucking it off and she wouldn't, and I was like 'I would totally do that. And enjoy it.' Then he high-fived me. Then he let me watch as he motor-boated Chrystina." Maybe fascinating wasn't the correct word, but you get the point.
Advertisers Pulled Out
If you thought the real reason everybody watches this show is to see strangers find love, think again. The incident that happened in season one is the main reason people watch: Hoping that the producers forget to do some censoring and more than what we expect is seen.
Soon producers started getting complaints from the Parents' Television Council. The council's opinion was heard loud and claer because Mondelez International (Nabisco, Oreos, and Cadbury) pulled their advertising. Viewers didn't want to see Oreos advertised anyway.
The Ratings Were Not That Hot
Welcome to the Internet era. An era where you're liable to see a naked person just by scrolling through your social media feed without even looking for it. For a show called Dating Naked, it sure doesn't follow through. Viewers wanted to see nudity, but all they only get censored body parts.
Honestly, if anyone wanted to see real nudity from this show, they could find one of the international versions. This assisted in the bad ratings and eventual canceling of the series.
Producers Thought A Fourth Season Was Coming
The production company behind Dating Naked (Lighthearted Entertainment) thought a fourth season was going to happen. They put together another casting call for it and everything. Come to find out VH1 did not approve a new season...yet.
All of this happened in 2016, but even other media outlets assumed another season was coming. VH1 said it wasn't an official cancellation but they are kind of shelving the show. Who knows, the fourth season might happen, but we won't hold our breath.
The Real Reason Behind This Show
Contrary to popular belief, this show is more than hot naked people attempting to find love. The network wasn't just money hungry and throwing ideas at the wall until one of them stuck. According to Paffrath, there was a method to the madness.
Paffrath claims that the nudity was "to strip away barriers and leave them in a very raw, vulnerable position so they have nothing to hide behind. It allows people to get into deeper conversation." We won't tell you what to believe.
Picture Everyone Else Naked
The participants already agreed to be on the show naked, so they appear to have some level of confidence in the producers and crew. To make them feel more secure, the producers told season one members to pretend the crew isn't there. That's easier said than done.
One of the cameramen helped hugely, however. "Amazingly, only one of us got hookworm," contestant Jaidyn Cayden told E! News. "And that was just a cameraman who said he'd get naked too to make us feel more comfortable."
Uncensored International Adaptations
The most you'll see on the American version of this series is maybe a bare bottom. The show's concept got sold to other countries, and some of these countries don't do censorship. They leave nothing to the imagination and give viewers a full look.
The most successful one was the Dutch version called Adam Zkt Eva (Adam seeks Eve). This version aired in regions like Germany, Italy, and France. These full nude types only lasted between one and two seasons.
