Are You Hot? Cruel reality show where models brutally judge people's looks resurfaces and horrifies viewers
People have been left appalled after rediscovering a 2003 reality show where contestants had their physical appearance cruelly scrutinized by a panel of merciless judges.
Are You Hot?: The Search for America's Sexiest People saw a string of hopefuls line up to have their looks torn apart in the hopes of winning a $50,000 cash prize.
Contestants varied from traditionally attractive personal trainers and aspiring models all the way through to your average Joe.
The genetically-blessed judges included hunky Renegade actor Lorenzo Lamas, Kiwi supermodel Rachel Hunter, and fashion designer Randolph Duke.
The trio would judge the scantily-clad contestants on three different categories: face, body, and sex appeal.
Lamas even used a laser pointer, dubbed the 'flaw finder,' to highlight imperfections.
One woman was told that her hips were 'too wide,' while another was told to 'eat a cheeseburger' because she was too slim.
While judging one male contestant on stage, Hunter remarked, 'I'm gonna give you a five because you're way too muscular.'
She added, 'Like I said, it's too ape, gorilla looking. It's just too much.'
Fans on social media were horrified after recently rediscovering the series.
'I'd love to see how Rachel would have critiqued her ex Rod Stewart if they brought him on stage,' commented one.
'Never heard of this but OMG this is horrific. And people critiqued America's Next Top Model for being harsh, while this is literal body shaming,' wrote another.
A third wrote, 'Sign up for a show called Are You Hot? and ya gotta live with the answer!'
Are You Hot? was canceled after one season due to low ratings and viewer backlash.
While it was axed, it didn't stop Fox from airing an equally controversial series just a year later with The Swan.
The series took 'average' women who felt insecure about their looks and gave them extreme makeovers - which included plastic surgery.
However, the series came with an unbelievable twist.
The women didn't know they were actually competing with each other until the very end, when two of them were judged head-to-head to decide a winner.
One would then go on to the final beauty pageant and be crowned 'The Swan.'
The Swan premiered to high ratings and averaged around nine million viewers during its first season, but was canceled by its second season.
It's best remembered for starring Dr. Terry Dubrow as one of the show's plastic surgeons.
Dubrow went on to star in E!'s Botched and The Real Housewives of Orange County.
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Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
'Dark underbelly' of the world's most famous legal brothel exposed in horrifying new documentary
A shocking new A&E documentary exposes what it claims is the seedy underbelly of legal brothel the Moonlite BunnyRanch under its late owner Dennis Hof, who is accused of raping his employees, creating a fictionalized TV series to lure them in, and trapping them in the brothel with debt. Opening its doors in 1955, the brothel came to national attention under Hof, who served as its owner it from 1992 until his death in 2018. During his ownership, he worked with HBO to create the reality series, Cathouse, which set out to shine a light on the inner workings of the business. Airing between 2005 and 2014, the series fast became the most watched documentaries in the history of the network. However, there are allegations that all was not what it seemed under Hof's management, and now the six-part A&E documentary series, Secrets of the BunnyRanch, is exposing the dark inner workings of the brothel. Here, Daily Mail delves into the shocking first two episodes of the docuseries - including the abuse sex workers suffered at the hands of Hof, how they would become indebted to him and his business, and how the HBO show he created was not reality. Born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1946, Hof was a businessman and politician who owned many legal brothels in his lifetime, but Moonlite BunnyRanch was the most notorious. Although it could be illegal to advertise brothels in the state of Nevada, Hof kept up a high profile in the media and regularly made appearances promoting the business on huge shows, including Oprah Winfrey, The Today Show and The View. And in 2002, Hof would further promote Moonlite BunnyRanch in the HBO series Cathouse, which ran for 12 years. Hof was an alleged predator Hof's creepy behavior is laid bare in Secrets of the BunnyRanch by his former employees, who described him as a 'predator' and someone who groomed, controlled, and manipulated them. Former BunnyRanch worker and Cathouse star Shelly Dushell recalled how Hof propositioned her for sex on her first day at work and she was afraid to turn him down. She also claimed that he didn't wear a condom. Recounting how she ended up at the ranch, she said: 'I had no idea that prostitution was legal anywhere in the United States, so I sent a picture of myself to the Moonlight BunnyRanch and Dennis Hof himself called me back in two hours and said I want you out here.' After flying out to Nevada, Shelly said she was picked up at the airport by Hof, who told her he wanted her to star in the HBO show, Cathouse. 'He walked me in and there were cameramen there filming for the HBO show,' she continued. 'Dennis took me out to the bungalow behind the building and wanted sex. And I had just met this man. 'I had flown there to work. He was the boss. He was the owner, and he wanted to have sex the very first day I got there - and he didn't want to wear a condom. So, I was absolutely horrified. 'That was my first day at the ranch. I was afraid to tell Dennis no. I had no idea what I was getting into. 'Nobody seems to care if a prostitute gets raped. I saw the ugly side of Dennis, but the world on Cathouse only saw the fun side of him because they didn't know the real Dennis. Dennis was all about being violent.' There were rules that the women had to follow at BunnyRanch, but these were often flouted by Hof. Whenever a new group arrived at the ranch they were introduced to the Bunny Bible, which outlined that no client touching was allowed in the parlor, clients had to wear condoms, and that the women would have the final say on who they have sex with. The rules didn't apply to Hof, Shelly claimed. 'Dennis preyed on the women who were the most easily victimized,' Shelly said. 'I was afraid to not go along with what he wanted. I learned a long time ago to not fight back.' Trapped at the BunnyRanch Besides living in fear of Hof's alleged abuse, the women also revealed how one could easily become trapped at his brothels because of his ludicrously high fees. Women said they would constantly be trying to pay off their tab, which was known as debt bondage, and couldn't get away until they had paid off what they owed to the house. The brothel had a 50/50 split, meaning the house would get 50 percent and the women would get 50 percent of their fee. However, the women would also have to pay for their supplies – so their earnings were even lower. Dolly Hart, who worked at the Kit Kat ranch, revealed that Hof would even take half of their tips and gifts. Deanne Holliday, who worked as Hof's publicist and personal assistant, explained how little money the girls were left with at the end of the day. 'They're given a card, showing all the money that was deducted,' she said, explaining that it cost the women $45 a day to stay at the ranch. 'You have to pay if you want to do your laundry,' she continued. 'You need to tip the housekeeper, you need to tip the staff, the cashier expects a tip. 'Everybody has got their hands on that money, and that was the norm.' Deanne added that she would repeatedly hear women ask the cashier 'is that all I've got?' after their debts were deducted. Bekah Charleston, who worked at the BunnyRanch, added: 'They don't explain that your room and board is coming out of your 50 percent of the money, so is all your supplies. 'They take as much money as possible. Your little 50 percent basically dwindles down.' 'There are many girls there who are falling into debt and that's a position you don't ever want to be in at the brothel,' she continued. 'That means that when a customer finally does pick them, they have to do whatever he wants no matter if they want to or not.' Shedding light on the additional products that they had to pay for, Shelly added: 'We had to buy our clothing, we had to buy our condoms, we had to buy the lube, we had to buy the sex toys.' 'If you do owe money to the brothel, you cant just walk away,' Bekah added. 'You can't just say, you know what I'm going to call a cab and leave. That's not possible. 'People tried to say it was a regular job, who doesn't leave their job?' 'You're literally there 24/7, that's not normal,' she continued. 'It's like they're being kept in captivity.' Cathouse did not expose the dark side of the brothel During the rise of the Moonlite BunnyRanch, Hof helped orchestrate the HBO reality television series, Cathouse. Directed and executive produced by Patti Kaplan, the 11 episodes of the first season were originally broadcast in 2005. While the show had initially set out to show how the women would negotiate with their clients, it took an increasingly sinister turn – and on one occasion the crew found themselves filming a bunny having sex. Many of the former sex workers have claimed that the popular HBO series Cathouse was a complete fabrication and that Hof took control of the narrative to paint the brothel in a fun light. They claimed the reality at the brothel was much worse - that they were subjected to rape, coercion, overdoses, abuse, and control. Tom Hurwitz, a cinematographer on Cathouse, said that the series 'never really wanted to dip further than just below this first public relations level.' 'Dennis groping people, that was a daily occurrence, and they were supposed to like it, and they pretended to like it,' he continued. 'Nobody asked, "Do you not want Dennis to touch you when he's touching people?" That was not part of the remit of Cathouse.' Shelly explained that making a series that truly explored what the brothel was like was not in Hof's interest – and Hof himself didn't shy away from the notion that he was 'projecting an image' with Cathouse. He wanted to keep his business as attractive as possible. 'They wanted to sell a show, they wanted to make money off of that show and they wanted to make money off the girls having a great time,' Shelly said. 'They just didn't want to show the ugly side of it.' Shelly recalled how she was once expected to sleep with a clown. 'They thought that would be interesting for the show,' she said. Several of the women attest that Cathouse was not a documentary as they were told what to do. Shelly said she was humiliated by her job on Cathouse and that she was 'victimized' by Hof. 'The fact I was a softcore porn actress was humiliating, but Dennis told me that I was going to be a star, that I needed to be on the show, that I'd make tonnes of money, I would be famous, it would make everyone rich,' she said. 'It didn't make me rich. I was victimized. And Dennis Hof was the main victimizer.' Shelly alleged that she was not properly compensated for her time on Cathouse and only got paid when she slept with a customer. 'I was recognized everywhere I went after the show came out,' she said. 'It would have been nice to have a little bit of money to show for it. 'I was actually losing money when I was on HBO because I wasn't working when I was doing the filming for the show.' It wasn't just the sex workers who were uncomfortable with the Cathouse project. Robin Lance, a sound recordist on the series, recalled how she was in a room when one of the women started having sex with her client. 'At one point, we were in the room when Isabella Soprano was having sex with the client,' she said. 'This should have been the point where we scooted out of that room. I was like I didn't sign up for this. I'm not here to shoot porn, I'm here to shoot a documentary. 'This is not what I would normally be doing at work. I was expecting softcore photo stuff, not full-on pornography.' According to Shelly, Hof took charge of the direction of Cathouse and would instruct the women to touch each other and make out with each other in the parlor. 'Dennis wanted to make it so it looked like we were always waiting for sex and we were nymphos, so Dennis somewhat became the director because he was coordinating what he wanted to see in the scenes - and I didn't always see Patti Kaplan around,' she said. 'It's kind of hard to say it's a documentary when you have a pimp directing scenes in his own brothel. 'Watching the show, HBO definitely wanted it to look like the fun place to be and so I can see how it would be tempting for a young girl to watch the Cathouse show and think it would be something fun, [but] they don't understand the reality of it. 'They aren't seeing what it's really like behind closed doors.' Dolly Hart started working at the Kit Kat ranch after having watched Cathouse. Speaking in episode two, she said she was attracted to the job on false pretenses after having seen the HBO series. 'I would definitely tell little me that not everything you see on TV is a reality,' she said. Dennis kept the place on a cheerful, glitzy… so the darker side was kept very private and very much away from the cameras the women said. 'The girls looked like they were having fun.' The Moonlite BunnyRanch told Daily Mail in a statement: 'We note that allegations against Mr. Hof are not new. 'During his lifetime, Mr. Hof publicly addressed and denied similar accusations through official statements and media responses, including detailed rebuttals available on his website. 'We find it particularly concerning that these matters are being revisited now, when Mr. Hof is no longer alive to personally respond to or defend himself against any claims. 'The timing raises serious questions about fairness, as the accused party cannot provide their perspective or defense.' They added: 'The Moonlite BunnyRanch has always operated in compliance with Nevada state regulations governing legal brothels, and we remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of operation and worker safety.' Daily Mail contacted HBO for comment and has not yet had a response. This isn't the first time that former employees have spoken out about Hof. Following his death, former sex worker Theresa Lowe claimed she was raped by him – and he didn't wear a condom. In an interview with in June 2018, she claimed that Hof attacked her within days of her arrival at the Love Ranch North but says she felt unable to go to the police for fear of not being believed. 'I had just flown in [to Carson City], I was going to see the doctor the next day,' she said. 'You get your results 24 hours later then you see the Sheriff and get your card.' A car took Theresa through the mountains to the ranch, where she met Hof. 'I walked in the house. He said let's go upstairs. And he raped me,' Lowe claimed. 'It was violent, choking me, grabbing me by the hair. Suck my d*** you b***h. We had sex, no condom.' According to Theresa, Hof went on to attack her on 10 further occasions and says she finally walked out after an incident in which he allegedly choked her in the kitchen of Love Ranch North. Theresa, who worked for Hof between 2006 and 2012, said: 'I remember we were in the kitchen and he grabbed me by the throat, and said, "Where the f*** have you been?" I'd had enough. 'I'd had enough of girls crying, coming into my room and saying this isn't fair. I believe he rapes and intimidates and tells the new girls, welcome to my ranch but this is how it's going to be. 'This is what you will do. You will service my customers, and you will service me as well. For free. With no condom.'
Glasgow Times
7 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Laurence Fox could face trial in 2027 over upskirting photo of TV star
The actor-turned-activist is alleged to have shared a compromising image in a tweet posted in April 2024 of Kaur, 52, who appears regularly on Good Morning Britain and has previously appeared on GB News. Ms Kaur, who has waived her right to anonymity, sat in the public gallery at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday as Fox, of Peldon in Essex, appeared charged with two counts under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Narinder Kaur sat in the public gallery at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday (Lucy North/PA) The 47-year-old defendant is accused of sharing a photograph of a person's genitals 'intending that the person or another person would see the genitals, and for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, and being reckless as to whether that person would be caused alarm, distress or humiliation' in the first count. The second count alleges he shared a photograph which showed, or appeared to show, 'another person in an intimate state, with the intention of causing that person alarm, distress or humiliation'. The court hearing on Thursday was listed for plea and trial preparation but Fox, who was wearing a white shirt and grey blazer with jeans, was not asked to enter any pleas. A provisional trial with a time estimate of four days was set for December 6 2027 at the same court, with Fox granted bail to appear for a further case management hearing on November 14 this year. Sarah Forshaw KC, defending, asked the court if it would be possible to look at whether other venues may be able to accommodate an earlier trial as 'December 2027 is a long way ahead'. The police previously said Fox had been 'charged with an offence contrary to section 66A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003' which 'relates to an image that was posted on a social media platform in April 2024'. Fox is an actor-turned-activist (David Parry/PA) Section 66A of the Sexual Offences Act relates to 'cyber flashing'. The charge, introduced in 2023, makes it an offence to intentionally share a sexual image of someone without consent, with the aim of causing alarm, distress, humiliation or for sexual gratification. Upskirting, taking pictures of people under their clothes without their permission, became a specific criminal offence in 2019. Offenders can face up to two years in jail and be placed on the sex offenders' register. Fox was fired from GB News in October 2023 after an on-air rant about journalist Ava Evans. He previously starred as James Hathaway in ITV's drama series Lewis.
Rhyl Journal
7 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Laurence Fox could face trial in 2027 over upskirting photo of TV star
The actor-turned-activist is alleged to have shared a compromising image in a tweet posted in April 2024 of Kaur, 52, who appears regularly on Good Morning Britain and has previously appeared on GB News. Ms Kaur, who has waived her right to anonymity, sat in the public gallery at Woolwich Crown Court on Thursday as Fox, of Peldon in Essex, appeared charged with two counts under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The 47-year-old defendant is accused of sharing a photograph of a person's genitals 'intending that the person or another person would see the genitals, and for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, and being reckless as to whether that person would be caused alarm, distress or humiliation' in the first count. The second count alleges he shared a photograph which showed, or appeared to show, 'another person in an intimate state, with the intention of causing that person alarm, distress or humiliation'. The court hearing on Thursday was listed for plea and trial preparation but Fox, who was wearing a white shirt and grey blazer with jeans, was not asked to enter any pleas. A provisional trial with a time estimate of four days was set for December 6 2027 at the same court, with Fox granted bail to appear for a further case management hearing on November 14 this year. Sarah Forshaw KC, defending, asked the court if it would be possible to look at whether other venues may be able to accommodate an earlier trial as 'December 2027 is a long way ahead'. The police previously said Fox had been 'charged with an offence contrary to section 66A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003' which 'relates to an image that was posted on a social media platform in April 2024'. Section 66A of the Sexual Offences Act relates to 'cyber flashing'. The charge, introduced in 2023, makes it an offence to intentionally share a sexual image of someone without consent, with the aim of causing alarm, distress, humiliation or for sexual gratification. Upskirting, taking pictures of people under their clothes without their permission, became a specific criminal offence in 2019. Offenders can face up to two years in jail and be placed on the sex offenders' register. Fox was fired from GB News in October 2023 after an on-air rant about journalist Ava Evans. He previously starred as James Hathaway in ITV's drama series Lewis.
