'Naked Attraction' is a streaming hit that's shocking American viewers. A sex expert explains why that's a good thing.

If And Just Like That... makes you blush, brace yourself for Max's latest — and, already, most popular — steamy streaming sensation: Naked Attraction. Six seasons of the British dating show — now in its seventh season on Channel Four in the United Kingdom — became available to stream on Max earlier this month, and it's wasted no time in shocking American audiences. But why are people calling it "the craziest s***" they've ever seen on TV? And what can it teach viewers about sex and bodies? Here's what you need to know.

What is Naked Attraction?

The uncensored dating show quickly made a name for itself when it launched in the U.K. in 2016 thanks to its mind-boggling concept: Contestants vying for a date appear fully naked behind colored screens that are lifted incrementally higher as the episode goes on, so that their genitals, then chests, are revealed well before their faces. Host Anna Richardson doesn't break a sweat as she takes the person choosing a suitor — and yes, they also have to disrobe by episode's end — for a closer look and asks about their preferences. Circumcised or uncut? Whose pubic hair is too bushy and whose is just right? When it comes to labia, do you go for an "innie" or an "outie"?

After breaking the ice with some full-frontal nudity and graphic conversations, the "chooser" and their winning contestant go on a (clothed) date, returning weeks later for a debrief about whether or not they actually hit it off.

This year the show got a spinoff, Naked Education, on which Richardson appears as one of three hosts unpacking body image. The show includes a segment in which nude models of all ages and body types help school teens about topics like pubic hair. Though praised by many for helping to normalize body acceptance, the controversial move also flooded the U.K. media regulator Ofcom with more than 1,200 complaints.

What has the reaction been?

The series is no stranger to controversy. While nudity on TV has fewer restrictions and is therefore somewhat less taboo in the U.K. compared to the U.S. — see the uncensored live breast exam demonstrated on the daytime talk show This Morning in March — British viewers were still taken aback by Naked Attraction's frank discussions and zoomed-in shots of genitals and breasts.

Ofcom received dozens of complaints after its July 2016 debut in the U.K., but declined to investigate because it "found that the material was justified by the context of the [program], which is aimed at an adult audience and attempts to explore the nature of physical attraction." The agency also noted that "clear warnings were given prior to broadcast" about the show's content; episodes now streaming on Max also include a "viewer discretion is advised" alert.

"The initial reaction was pure shock," says sex and relationship expert Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, who has a PhD in relational and sexual communication and is known as Dr. Tara. "Lots of people thought it was too much but the overall sentiment, I feel, was positive and full of energy as backed up by how popular the show was and still is."

Indeed, the show is still on the air seven years later, and is now drumming up spirited debate on this side of the pond. In the nearly two weeks it's been on Max, Naked Attraction has already achieved "hot topic" status on The View — prompting an endorsement from panelist Sunny Hostin and a penis impersonation from her co-star Sara Haines — and fueled countless comments from viewers who are either shocked, thrilled or disgusted (and in some cases, a combination of all three) about what they're seeing.

The Max episodes have also sparked complaints, most notably from the Parents Television and Media Council (PTC), which was founded by conservative Christian activist L. Brent Bozell III. The group issued a statement urging HBO, which oversees Max, to "immediately remove this exploitative, pornographic program" and enforce stronger parental controls.

“Naked Attraction fully exploits the contestants and markets their sexual exploitation to the audience, calling it appropriate and empowering. Let’s be clear: this program is the epitome of explicit, pornographic content," Melissa Henson, vice president of PTC, told the Washington Post, which noted that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has limited regulatory oversight of streaming and cable services.

What an expert says

Despite the furor, the show has been praised for including contestants representing a diverse range of sexualities and body types: Those stripping down have included a man with a prosthetic leg (not to mention a large elephant tattoo across his groin), a pansexual trans woman who returned to the show after first appearing on it prior to transitioning from male to female, a cancer survivor and more. From differently sized breasts and testicles to opposing attitudes toward bikini waxing, it can feel less like a dating show and more like a deep dive into sex education and the weird, wonderful world of what bodies can and do really look like.

As a sex coach, Dr. Tara — an American who spends time in the U.K. as the resident sex therapist on Celebs Go Dating — tells Yahoo Life she supports the show and appreciates the conversations it's started about body image and the role sex can play in love. "We all have bodies, why not normalize them?" the Luvbites podcast host says, noting that physical attraction is one of the "three main pillars" of romantic attraction, according to attraction theory.

"Nudity doesn’t have to be taboo," Dr. Tara adds. Because the show features a range of body types, Dr. Tara believes it "promotes body neutrality, which is the idea that our bodies are great at what they can do and we can be at peace with it emotionally and physically. Considering we live in a world where millions of people have body-image issues, I think a show like this can really help people develop a stronger sense of body neutrality and self-confidence."

Some viewers have expressed discomfort over how contestants' bodies may be picked apart. Dr. Tara says there should be more nuance around that discussion.

"It’s definitely more complex," she says. "These adults signed up to be on the show knowing that the evaluation of their bodies will be broadcasted; it’s not news to them. The comments about the contestants merely reflect a lot of the conversations happening in real life. By showing it ... we get to see hmm, what do people think about or talk to their friends about after seeing my naked body? Of course, some of it is body-shaming, which is bad, but it happens all the time in real life behind closed doors. The show just reveals what people already do, which in turns can spark more productive discussions."

What can Americans take away from the show?

While it's worth noting that Naked Attraction has been met with mixed reactions wherever it airs, many viewers have speculated that its X-rated content may be particularly alarming for those in the U.S. "America especially is just so full of shame and repression," says one TikToker (see video above) who called the series "mindblowingly refreshing to see" as an American. And back in 2020, an American TikToker living in the U.K. discussed the show in a post titled, "Things That Would Send Americans Into a Coma."

"American media is heavily regulated when it comes to nudity and sex, therefore the average consumers are not used to seeing them on TV," explains Dr. Tara. But she doesn't think that it's fair to say that Naked Attraction is "too much" for the American audience. "There is a big sex-positive movement in the U.S. If you’re against it, then don’t watch it, but I do think that it will become very popular and start many cultural discussions."

Once viewers recover from the initial shock, what might they take away from the show?

"It can teach us self-confidence, body neutrality, the normalization of naked bodies and that conversations about nudity, body parts and attraction don't have to be taboo," says Dr. Tara. "It’s a natural part of dating."