Too Hot to Handle’s Rules for Contestants to Follow: Details

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

All of the ‘Too Hot to Handle’ Rules That Contestants Must Follow: No Kissing, Prize Deductions and More

Lana is reporting for duty! When Too Hot to Handle premiered on Netflix in April 2020, viewers were introduced to the show’s strict set of rules for its contestants.

Each season, the participants live together in a house in a tropical location and are tasked with building a connection with one of their fellow competitors for a chance to win $100,000. Those selected to participate in the dating experiment were chosen based on their inability to form long-term relationships and their preference for meaningless flings.

The biggest catch of the reality show is that none of the players are allowed to engage in physical activity, including everything from kissing to intercourse. If any of the contestants break the rules, the virtual assistant, Lana, will administer a consequence by deducting a sum away from the total grand prize.

No one participating in the series is aware of the rules when they join the show and are under the ruse that they are there just for a good time. Each season, Lana pulls one over on the guests once they arrive and ultimately reveals the game’s true purpose.

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Along with following the restrictions, the potential couples must also go through various workshops that help them grow as individuals and aim to help them establish genuine connections.

Season 3 stars Holly Scarfone and Nathan Soan Mngomezulu struggled with the show’s forbidden romance concept and broke multiple rules on several occasions. The influencer exclusively opened up to Us Weekly in January 2022 about her experience.

“Of course, I cared about the money,” Holly told Us at the time. “I didn’t come to do the experience for money, but I did wanna respect everyone around me. But, at the same time, I knew I had met someone just incredible and [who] held a special place in my heart, you know what I mean? And I felt like it would’ve been a disservice to myself to not really explore that. … I feel like I would’ve had regrets if I just let time pass and [did] not harness every moment.”

While Holly and Nathan didn’t win the cash prize, they did walk out of the show together. However, the pair revealed during the reunion special that they had split shortly after filming wrapped citing that long distance and busy schedules kept them apart.

Keep scrolling to see all of the Too Hot to Handle rules and how much each infraction costs:

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Rule #1: No Kissing

The contestants are not allowed to kiss one another while they are participating in the reality show. If Lana catches any of the couples sharing a smooch, it will cost them $3,000 for each instance.

Credit: TOM DYMOND/NETFLIX

Rule #2: No Heavy Petting

Heavy petting can include everything from manual sex, oral sex and “inappropriate” touching. For each action, the price varies. Getting to third base costs $4,000, while oral sex is worth $6,000. The cost of inappropriate touching is up to Lana’s discretion, but it can range from $5,000 to $13,000.

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Rule #3: No Sex

For Lana, this is the biggest rule that the contestants must follow. For anyone who breaks this rule, the consequence is $20,000.

Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Rule #4: No Solo Self-Gratification of Any Kind

Yes, even self-pleasure is off the table at Lana’s retreat — but luckily the solo act only takes away $2,000 from the grand prize.