The producers of Too Hot to Handle must really have it out for Canadians. In its debut season, the viral Netflix dating show framed its sole Canuck contestant, Vancouver’s Francesca Faraga, as the show’s villain straight from the jump. And in its second season, which dropped last month, they do it all over again: in the very first episode, Toronto’s Carly Lawrence, the sole Great White Northerner on the show, is quoted as being a rule-breaker, “crazy,” and “a man-eater.”
Nevertheless, Lawrence, who’s 24 and a model in her non-reality show life, goes on to do the 6ix proud in the series, becoming a fan favourite by standing up for her romantic rights—even if she does sort of bend the rules til they break.
For the uninitiated, the show’s premise is as follows: a bunch of Insta-hot singles are brought to an exotic locale for a month, where they’re invited to party all day and sleep in the same room together. But there’s a catch. No kissing, heavy petting, or sex is allowed, and any time contestants are caught canoodling by Lana, the show’s puritanical virtual assistant, they lose prize money. It’s all for the greater good, though, as they are to learn to form deeper connections through workshops and other one-on-one experiences. Still, given the frequency with which the rules are contravened on the show, we can’t say with certainty that the castmates learned all that much. They’ve spent a year in isolation! Give ‘em a break!
Carly sat down with Complex to tell us how her love life’s been since Too Hot to Handle. The recent word was that she was dating fellow castmate Joey Joy—but it now appears things may be more complicated than that. She tells us what it was like repping Toronto on the show and her future plans.
Carly, I’m really curious: What made you want to join this show?
So, I didn’t know I was gonna be on Too Hot To Handle; they had told us it was Parties in Paradise. So I thought I was going on a show to party, drink, and make out with people. That’s what I wanted! I wanted to have fun on television! Legit. But then when Lana popped up, I was like, “Damn it!” But it was still fun.
Yeah, I bet. How are you dealing with all the social media attention and with people recognizing you in public?
Honestly, no one’s really noticed me yet. One person did ask me out for dinner. But everyone’s really nice on Twitter. Everyone’s really nice on Instagram. Everyone’s being really nice. I’m getting good feedback. So, not stressful! I’ve been good. I mean, it was a lot… within four days, I gained like 200,000 followers. So it was like a lot to take in. But to me, in my brain, I still have 4,000 followers. That’s how I feel.
What were some of your favourite moments when you were filming the show?
My favorite moment was the cockroach on Chase’s head. That was hilarious. That was so funny! I mean, me hitting my head was also funny. Just being with everyone was a good moment, honestly, but those two stood out for me. And then the workshop that comes out in the second batch of episodes really stood out to me as well.
How did it feel to go have to go full-on celibate? Did you have any life-changing moments, like, “Oh, this is making me a better person”? Did you think the show would help you form those deeper connections or did you just not care?
Honestly? No. I feel like that, for me, wasn’t the hard part. I think the hard part for me was opening up to a guy and then getting heartbroken. For me, that was harder than not having sex. I was just like, “Oh, I broke up with someone on camera.” It was so raw and stuff. That, for me, was harder for me to go through.
And how’s your love life now?
So, I dated someone a little bit after the show. But right now, I’m single. I’m single, but I’m seeing how it’s going with some people. Yeah. But I’m single. It’s good, though.
“I hope people think I represented Toronto well. I just was 100 percent myself. I was like, you know what? I’m just going to be the crazy one on the show, the dorky one, completely myself.”
Did you think the show changed your love life when it comes to understanding people?
I guess it did a little bit. I’m more honest now. I’m just gonna say what I want to say, because he’s gonna think of me how he wants anyway, you know? So I think I’m more just like honest with myself. Maybe a little bit more in tune with my feelings.
What are your plans now for life after Too Hot To Handle?
I’m going to L.A. in about two weeks. Lots of stuff coming. I’m starting a podcast. I want to do my YouTube. Like, there’s a lot of young girls that have reached out to me about like, they want boy advice and just advice to deal with confidence and stuff like that. So I would love to make videos to help girls out. I have some brand deals in the works. Some fashion companies have reached out to me. I want to do maybe another show. Yeah, there’s a lot. I feel there’s so much that I have to pick things that I really want to focus on.
Are you happy with a busy schedule?
Yeah, I love it. I love being busy and I love traveling, so I’m just excited to get out in the world. I feel like in Toronto, because of everything being so closed, I’m just ready to leave. I feel like I’m in a cage when I’m somewhere for too long.
Toronto has a small town feeling, right? You keep bumping into people you know.
Yeah, I guess I’m just kind of over it. I see the same faces everywhere I go. Same people. It’s like nothing really changes. It’s also my hometown, but nothing really changes here. I feel like everyone else from the show is in L.A. or in Miami or in the UK, and they’re all doing stuff. So I feel like I need to go somewhere else to do what I want to do. I can’t necessarily grow in Toronto.
So what was it like to be the only Canadian contestant on the show? Do you think you represented Toronto well?
I hope people think I represented Toronto well. I just was 100 percent myself. I was like, you know what? I’m just going to be the crazy one on the show, the dorky one, completely myself. I was just like, I’ll just be the weird one. Yeah, I think I did good, I hope.
So you feel like you were yourself on the show?
Oh yeah, I was 100 percent myself on the show. You could see me crying.
Do think everyone was true to themselves on the show or do you think they were different when the cameras were off?
I think it depends. I think it depends on each person and like the conversation or the situation that we’re put in. I think most people were themselves, but then again, I hadn’t seen them outside the house, so I don’t know necessarily how they act outside the house. But no, I think most people… I would hope most people are true to themselves. It would suck if I find out these people that I was living with, and maybe being proud of, are like completely different outside the house. Like, that would definitely put me off.
How hard is it to be yourself on a big TV show like that?
For me it was easy because I just didn’t have to think about it. I just said what I wanted to say, I did what I wanted to do. There wasn’t much thought into it because I was like, this is just who I am as a person. I look back and I’m like, OK, maybe I shouldn’t have done or said that, but then I’m like, well, I’m being authentic. So that’s me. And if people don’t like something that I did or said, then they might just not like me.
Have you been getting any mean comments on your social media?
Not that many. A lot of people just tell me to brush my hair, which I don’t disagree with them.
Oh, girl! Just say it’s beach hair.
Right? [Laughs.]
What’s your main takeaway from the show?
My main takeaway from the show was that I loved it, it was a good experience, it was fun, and I would definitely do it again.
