I’m quite good at keeping my composure... I’ve only lost it a couple of times
ATING show Naked Attraction has a touch of the Marmite about it. Applauded by many for helping to normalise the human body in all its shapes and forms, it has been labelled controversial by some for its frank approach to fullfrontal nudity.
Hosted by journalist and presenter Anna Richardson, 50, the hit sees six nude contestants gradually revealing their bodies – from the feet up to the face – in a bid to win a date with one equally naked picker.
Literally the reversal of Blind Date, Naked Attraction continues to entertain and educate in equal measure.
From fearless cancer survivors to liberated transsexuals who are mid-transition, it’s a show that embraces diversity.
Plus, there’s always a handful of wince-inducing moments in there for good measure.
Now, returning for an eighth series, alongside five ‘best of’ episodes this spring, we caught up with presenter Anna – whose partner is fellow TV favourite Sue Perkins – to find out more about what viewers can expect.
Who can forget Judith – the breast cancer survivor, who played The Lord Is My Shepherd to the bodies on her little Casio organ and who caused an internet breakdown when she got all the bods (contestants) to try her Victoria sponge?
We’ve also got Tracy, who was back in series one, who had a designer vagina.
Judith has recently gone viral once again, hasn’t she?
She was featured on Gogglebox. She broke the internet.
My dad’s a vicar, so you can imagine, I grew up in a church.
So, when Judith came on, I was like, ‘what was the vicar going to say?’.
You know what, I’ve only lost it a couple of times.
I was crying with laughter in the voiceover booth with this and I guarantee laughs with the ‘best of ’.
In fact, in this new series, the next five episodes coming up – it might be [wrestler] Jet Fashion, actually.
There is a moment where I properly lose it... I do have to bite my cheeks to stop myself from laughing.
But normally, I’m quite good at sort of keeping some journalistic composure.
It’s about respect.
So I’ve also genuinely got to be aware of boundaries and try to be respectful.
We’ve got a guy called Iain, I think he’s in episode one, who is a pro wrestler from Manchester. And I don’t know if you’ve ever seen Glow? I think it’s on Netflix.
Iain the pro wrestler literally comes into the studio with his gloves on and this kind of unitard and super boots, and his pro wrestler name is Jet Fashion.
He’s Jet because he’s fast and nimble, and he’s Fashion because he’s always in style – or so he thinks.
He reckons that his wrestling moves are always a winner with the ladies in the bedroom.
We’ve also got our oldest ever picker, Ian, who is 75. And Ian, in his twilight years, has realised that he is bi-curious.
So, even though he was married for decades – sadly, he lost his wife, so he’s a widower – he has realised that actually he might be into trying it with the fellas.
We’ve also got a guy called Carlo, who is a leukaemia survivor, so very nearly lost his life.
And he’s also a sexy steeplejack, unbelievably, who’s ready to get back into his harness and is looking for the perfect girl to settle down (with) and marry just because he came so close to losing his life.
I’m just generally really proud of all the transsexual people that come on. And I really mean that, because I consider it to be a privilege for us to be able to see their journey.
It is a privilege for us to be able to see people who are not hetero normative, who are going, ‘this is my struggle, this is what I’m going through, and I deserve to be loved’.
With some of those people, they’re halfway through their journey.
Where else on British television do you see people that are in the middle of changing their gender?
It is a privilege for us to be able to see people who are not hetero normative, who are going, ‘this is my struggle, this is what I’m going through, and I deserve to be loved’.
We’ve got our Naked Attraction engagement!
That’s Josh and Rob, from series two. They were both in the pods, so they met backstage and actually hit it off backstage and they’re now engaged.
So, we are desperate for a Naked Attraction wedding – a naked wedding!