Naked Attraction host Anna Richardson sinks claws into 'deeply unethical' Love Island - insisting she 'refuses to watch it in on a point of principle'

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

Naked Attraction host Anna Richardson has sunk her claws into the 'deeply unethical' ITV2 show Love Island - and has insisted that she 'refuses to watch it in on a point of principle'.
The twelfth series of the programme returned to our screens last month and viewers have enjoyed the drama that has come along with it.
Love Island, currently hosted by Maya Jama, 30, has become a huge fan favourite since it hit our screens in 2015, and has managed to get 1.4m views across all their platforms for this year's launch.
But another popular, but very different show is Naked Attraction - and host Anna thinks that people love the Channel 4 programe so much because it's 'funny' and there are plenty of different bodies on display.
While she thinks that Love Island doesn't have as much diversity when it comes to the representation of bodies.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Anna said: 'You're seeing a range of bodies, it makes you feel comfortable about your own [Naked Attraction].
'And I personally have never, ever watched Love Island, so I kind of refuse, on point of principle, because I think that Love Island is a deeply unethical show.
'So what you're doing is you're showing youth and beauty and rivalry as a betrayal, as some kind of standard that we should be held up to, whereas N aked Attraction does the exact opposite.
'So yeah, I think it's about, I think it's a gloriously bonkers show about acceptance.'
She added: 'When you scratch beneath the surface of negative attraction, it's actually about acceptance.
'It is about the fact that nobody's body is perfect. This is about vulnerability. It's about acceptance.
'It's about seeing you for who you really are in all your human glory, and people actually saying, do you know what?
'Whether I've got a stoma, or I have a disability, I've got one leg, or I'm in a wheelchair, whatever happens to be, or I'm a trans person on my journey, all of us deserve to be loved and accepted for who we are.'
The programme hit our screens in 2016 and went on to air 65 episodes across seven series.
More and more shows are now focusing on sex, with the likes of people losing their virginity on Virgin Island, and couples opening up their relationships on Open House: The Great Sex Experiment.
Anna thinks that Naked Attraction has paved the way for those kind of programmes to exist.
'Everybody had a breakdown when Naked Attraction was announced, she told us.
'And, you know, the press went absolutely crazy... "This is a new low for, you know, new low and moral standards on British television".
'And of course, we were trailblazers, so now we've paved the way to things being more open and talked about and accepting.
'I've watched both Open House and Virgin Island, and I think they're both incredible formats.
'In terms of Open House, what they're doing, very cleverly there is just merely reflecting the fact that polyamory is on the rise, people are sexually open and curious.
'And Virgin Island? I think that's an extraordinary idea, that there are sex therapists out there that ultimately are prepared to have sex with people who have psychological issues around their virginity.
'Again, what you're dealing with here is issues of being vulnerable and people being human. Yeah, so I think they're both fantastic formats.'
Many are desperate to know if the show will ever make a return, and Anna is hoping that it does happen in the future.
'I am desperate for it to come back,' Anna told us.
'I want a male campaign that basically says "Bring back Naked Attraction."
'It is wildly popular. People absolutely love it. It is funny.
'It's about acceptance. And I think at the moment, in a world where we're all actually a bit p***ed off and we feel ground down in this country, you know, there's a huge amount of division and anger.'
She added: 'So the fact is, the truth is, I have no idea whether it's coming back.
'I really hope so, because it's a fun show to do, and it does very well, but I have no idea about about the politics of whether it is or not, but let's keep our fingers crossed.'
The telly star has helped people try and find a suitable partner by stripping down and baring all on Naked Attraction, but there appears to be a more popular way of meeting people these days - and it includes being in a hotter climate.
Anna has joined forces with iD Mobile, who have recently found out that more Brits than ever are dating abroad.
She told us: 'The [dating] landscape in the UK is becoming more diminished, and people are going abroad, and off the back of that, they are then offering inclusive Data Roaming to 50 different countries that people can find love worldwide, basically with ease, without landing a huge bill at the end of it.
'But the the survey results are very, very interesting, just just given the fact that we know that 45% of people say that their best romantic experience happened abroad.
'Most of us have had a holiday romance.
'We know that around a third of people use dating apps when they go abroad to hook up with locals, but also because they're saying that actually, they get a more authentic experience of the town or the city that they're in if they use a language app or dating app.'
Anna Richardson has partnered with iD Mobile to explore the rise in overseas dating and highlight how roaming charges are preventing millions of Brits from making meaningful connections abroad. With inclusive Roaming in more destinations than any UK network, iD Mobile is helping holidaymakers stay connected for love, fun and everything in between. Visit www.idmobile.co.uk/roaming for more information.