I’m always judged for being a reality star, it’s hard being sexualized by fans, says Too Hot To Handle’s Harry Jowsey
AVOIDING judgment and misperception is almost impossible as reality stars are forced to watch fabricated narratives turn into nasty headlines and crude comments.
“It is really difficult to deal with off the bat,” 25-year-old Too Hot To Handle star Harry Jowsey told The U.S. Sun in an exclusive interview.
While making his debut on the first season of Netflix’s Too Hot To Handle, Harry’s bubbly personality and evident charm quickly became a quarantine obsession.
Every episode, the Australian bachelor turned viewers to mush with his quirky catchphrases and not-so-innocent smile.
However, it wasn’t long before Harry’s cheeky habits prompted controversy and criticism as viewers labeled him the “f**k boy” of the season.
Even so, Harry left the reality show a winner alongside co-star and ex-girlfriend Francesca Farago.
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Now, with over four million followers on Instagram and TikTok, a clothing collection with White Fox Boutique, and his own podcast on Spotify, Harry is much more than a shirtless reality icon.
But that doesn’t mean the star has stopped receiving hate, the opposite actually.
And according to him, it hasn’t been easy to deal with as he’s entered new relationships and taken on more opportunities in Los Angeles.
“The hardest part was when Too Hot to Handle came out, and it got really popular, narratives started spinning,” Harry explained.
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“Seeing public opinion turn from love to hate was the craziest thing. I’ve never dealt with every post having hate comments on it.”
Following his prolonged breakup with Francesca, Harry received more backlash than he had anticipated.
If people thought Harry was a controversial troublemaker on the show, it was mainly because of his on-again-off-again relationship with Francesca.
The pair lost a large chunk of the prize money as they struggled to remain sexually inactive with each other, per Lana’s rules.
After a long, bumpy journey, Harry and Francesca made it to the finale and off the show as a couple.
The show was taped somewhere between March and April of 2019.
Following their departure from the island, the winners officially ended their relationship in May 2020.
Though there were cheating rumors, nothing was ever confirmed.
“That was really difficult going through all that, but it made me a lot stronger and more comfortable in myself,” he said.
Being on a reality dating show, fans become invested in your love life.
If you thought meeting parents was hard, try introducing your significant other to millions of followers who enjoy judging your relationships.
Harry had to get used to the fact that this intimate part of his life would now always be in the public eye.
“It’s been a very interesting learning process,” he admitted.
“I feel like when you’re in this space and you make TikToks or whatever else kind of content, you get really excited about making it with someone you care about.”
But learning how to find a balance between prioritizing his privacy and being honest with his audience has been tricky for him.
Between another Too Hot To Handle cast member and other influencers, it’s no secret Harry’s had a couple of “relationships” since leaving the show.
The saucy flirt dated social media celebrity Charly Jordan back in February, and TikTok star Sveta in December 2021.
Harry’s most recently confirmed relationship was with Too Hot To Handle’s season three cast member Georgia Hassarati.
But the two are now broken up, or so we’re made to think.
He revealed that some women he’s been with were more adamant about showcasing their relationship online.
And some wanted to keep things secret – which made him feel like he was lying to his fans.
“Because like 90% of my life is online, I just feel really disingenuous to my audience to like try and hide something,” Harry said.
“I feel like I’m not being truthful and fulfilling my process with them to just be open and honest.”
Though it may seem like the 25-year-old has had more rocky relationships than successful ones, Harry didn’t think this was abnormal.
“I think that every relationship has rollercoasters. It’s just mine tend to… um,” he paused and let out a laugh.
“I tend to post about it. I kind of set myself up for public opinion and for people to think that it’s crazier than it is.”
It’s easy for fans to make assumptions when all they have to go off of is how often someone is featured on his social media page.
The scope of a situation is hard to grasp from a 30-second TikTok video, and even if Harry’s honest with his followers, there are always people ready to come up with their own narrative.
According to him, the most common comment he’s received follows suit with what people had said about him when he was on Too Hot To Handle.
“I think the biggest one since I was on reality TV is people always say, ‘oh it’s a different girl every week,’” Harry proclaimed.
While people like to think he’s slept with every one of his friends, Harry said that wasn’t true.
“Just most of them,” he giggled.
And that’s just like him, to make light of judgment that’s meant to hurt him.
Harry can laugh at the ridiculous reputation people give him, but he’ll never engage with the individuals.
“Once you get used to it, it’s pretty easy to filter out people and to only respond to people who matter and engage in positive comments instead of nasty little angry men,” he explained.
“There’s been moments where I’ve typed a response. It takes a lot of biting your tongue.”
His idea is by not interacting, you’re not fueling the trolls to continue to spread hate.
Although viewers may mistake Harry’s playful antics with empty intentions, the young star exposed the passion and motivation that drove him to enter the entertainment industry.
“When I was at University, my brother’s best friend lost his battle with mental health. So, that was what drove me to go on reality TV because I just wanted to make my friends laugh,” Harry admitted.
Being the person that put a smile on his friends’ faces, was all he wanted, even if that meant ripping his shirt off for the whole world to see – a true entertainer.
Harry never worries about being seen as an “idiot” so long as it makes people laugh, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.
He frequently posts Instagram “Q and A’s” where his followers message him their sex-related problems so that he can offer his opinion.
These racy reels never fail to accumulate wild responses.
Learning to navigate an industry full of criticism is going to take a lot more than just filtering comments.
But Harry isn’t focused on the negativity that will inevitably come as he explores his other interests.
And he’s not too worried about the explicit brand he’s created for himself affecting future opportunities.
“I think if I worried about being myself, then people probably wouldn’t be as invested in me,” he said.
“I know I’m quite controversial. I know I do lots of silly things. I know I’m hypersexualized online, but at the end of the day I know the right people and the right teams will be around me,” he openly admitted.
The creative is transitioning into the scripted world and easing into fashion.
Harry just launched his first clothing collection, a line of gender-inclusive loungewear, with White Fox Boutique.
Although he’s the face of the new campaign “Project 5,” Harry’s had no input in the design process.
His bubbly personality and habit of wearing sweats seemed to be what the brand wanted.
Harry’s sharing this collaboration with his unofficial girlfriend Georgia.
When White Fox approached Harry with the opportunity, the two were broken up at the time.
Harry and Georgia went official with their relationship on TikTok in April – with Harry saying they were immediately “attached at the hip.”
By September, they had split, with Harry mentioning Georgia in a video with the caption: “Science is fake asf, they say the sun is the hottest thing, but obviously it’s my ex.”
Harry’s seen standing in front of Georgia at the photo shoot for their White Fox campaign.
“We broke up just before the launch, and things were a little bit rocky when we were shooting this. It was really hard to navigate personal problems while trying to stay professional,” Harry revealed.
He now admits oversharing online caused issues in their relationship.
“From this point forward, I just think I have to respect her a little more and show her a little bit more leniency,” Harry said.
“We’re pretty much back together, I just haven’t asked her yet because I have to do it right. I have to do something special this time.”