| Genre: |
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| Presenter: | |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 3 |
| Num Episodes: | 33 |
| Executive Producer: | Howard Schultz |
| Location: | |
| Company: | Lighthearted Entertainment |
| Channel: | VH1 |
Dating Naked is an American reality dating game show shown on VH1, which debuted in July 2014. Amy Paffrath served as the host for the first two seasons and was clothed in her appearances. The first season was filmed on an island in Panama. The second season, re-titled Dating Naked: Playing for Keeps and filmed in the Philippines, premiered on July 22, 2015[1] and concluded on September 16, 2015.[2]
The third season, hosted by Rocsi Diaz and filmed in Bora Bora, premiered on June 29, 2016, and concluded on September 14, 2016.[3] On April 14, 2017, VH1 announced that Dating Naked was canceled after three seasons, though VH1 left open the possibility of a future series reboot.[4] On February 24, 2021, it was announced that the series would be revived by Paramount+.[5]
The show matched up several contestants who were routinely switched with other contestants. While contestants were nude most of the time, the show does not show contestants' genitals or female breasts since they are blurred. However, in the German and British versions of this TV show, nudity is completely uncensored.[6] [7] The first season featured a new pair of contestants in each episode. There was a format change for the remaining seasons, where there were two main contestants, a male and a female, whom new contestants would join each episode to date them, in a format similar to shows such as The Bachelor.
| - | Region/Country | Name | Channel | Premiere | Presenter(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Dating Naked | Paramount+ | January 31, 2023 | Meike Emonts | |
| United Kingdom | Dating Naked UK | August 23, 2024 | Rylan Clark |
Allison Davis wrote that the show "push[es] the boundaries of courtship and creatively expand[s] the list of activities you can do in the nude," but also criticized the show's pool scenes for being too revealing.[8] Emily Hewett described it as "the most awkward show on television."[9] A more negative review from Time described the show as a typical reality dating show "once you (and the contestants) get used to the nudity gimmick".[10]
In August 2014, Jessie Nizewitz (1986 – June 2, 2019),[11] a contestant on the third episode of Season 1, which aired on July 31, 2014, filed a lawsuit against series producers Viacom, as well as Firelight Entertainment and Lighthearted Entertainment for $10 million, after they broadcast an uncensored shot of her crotch.[12] Two months later, Viacom, Firelight Entertainment and Lighthearted Entertainment sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, claiming that Nizewitz was in violation of her contract in filing a lawsuit.[13] In March 2015, the lawsuit was dismissed by a New York Supreme Court judge.[14]