The Truth About Too Hot To Handle's Cam Holmes
If you're a '90s TV buff, you may remember a certain episode of "Seinfeld" called "The Contest" where the four main characters try to see who can go the longest without, um, self-gratification, with the goal of a cash prize. (Spoiler alert: None of them make it.) But for reality TV developers like Lauren Gibson, the idea was solid gold. As she told Oprah Daily, "There's a TV format in that,'" Gibson said. "Why don't we get some of the hottest people on (the) planet to try and see if they can hold themselves back for cash?"
The premise of "Too Hot to Handle" is simple. Take 10 absurdly gorgeous young people who don't exactly have a history of deep romantic commitments, put them in a stunning resort in Turks and Caicos, set the pot at $100,000, and deduct from the prize money for every forbidden connection, which, per People, includes, kissing, heavy petting, sex, and of course, self-gratification. (Thanks, "Seinfeld".) Oh, and the host is a scolding robot named Lana. We didn't know Siri and Alexa had a second cousin with a chastity fetish, but you learn something new every day.
The next step of course, is casting the show, and finding 10 young, conventionally attractive commitment-phobes for the social experiment, I mean, reality show, must've been quite the task. One such contestant, is Cam Holmes, 24 year old Welsh model who describes himself as a "sexy nerd."
Cam Holmes is into role play — Dungeons and Dragons style
Per Bustle, Cam's commitment to his "Lord of the Rings" fandom goes far enough that in his free time he role plays an elven character and does a "spot-on" Gollum impression. Given that he shares the blessing of cheek bones with Orlando Bloom as Legolas, we bet he looks just as good (if not better!) in Elven garb than the workout clothes he sports on his Instagram.
Professionally, Holmes is a personal trainer as well as a model, so washboard abs naturally complete the package. As for the non-physical attributes that make him perfect for the show, Bustle says he's a "grass is always greener" type who has a tough time focusing on the person he's with when there could be other options out there.
Ostensibly, the show is more than just a gossip-fest for the viewers. It's also like dating rehab for serial swipers and one-night-standers, asking them to focus not just on the physical aspects of attraction but actually get to know people as people. As show developer Laura Gibson told Oprah Magazine, "We were working towards actually quite a serious and important message."
Here's hoping that Cam can find his Arwen.