Rylan returns to Dating Naked UK for a second series with more wild dates and his own love life update (EXCLUSIVE)

The UK’s most daring dating show is back, Dating Naked UK returns this Friday (29 August) on Paramount+, with Attitude cover star Rylan Clark once again hosting this year’s naked newbies in a brand new villa.

Speaking exclusively to Attitude, Rylan teased what he calls an even “ballsier” season (yes, he does mean balls-ier). From sausage parties to zip wire frontals, this series promises bigger c***s… we mean shocks, bolder dates and naked dramas. He also tackled the question on everyone’s mind: If Rylan joined the naked newbies, what part of himself would he be most proud to show off?

While he chatted (fully clothed), Rylan didn’t just tease the wild new season, he gave a peek into his own dating life and named a few dream celebrity newbies he would like to see on the show.

The new season kicks off in a brand new villa, can you tell us about the new location and how it sets the tone for season two?

Well, this house, funnily enough, it’s absolutely beautiful. It was in a place called Player Bonita in Panama. Two gay guys own it! Which makes so much sense because it’s very, very nice. Yeah, the house is incredible. You know, we had a really great one last year in Colombia, but this sort of seems like a big elevation, and it had, like, quadruple height ceilings in it. There was a lake in the actual house – It was just so bizarre. It was such a gorgeous place.

How have you noticed the show balances the exposed naked body with the genuine emotional connection?

I think, from series one, a lot of people tuned in to be like, surely this isn’t real. It was like, ‘Oh, look, willy, oh boobs,’ that’s just what people were like, and then, after about five minutes, they sort of got over that and you just start to really get to know these people, but that initial shock, and even for the daters, walking into a house full of people and you’re all naked, it’s a shock for them, even if they’re the one naked. But I think what Dating Naked does so well is that the nakedness is now secondary, but still essential, because it’s the whole point of the show, is that it’s a date laid bare. Everything’s stripped back and it’s all about getting to know the actual person.

Have you seen any personal transformations from the contestants in this season when it comes to embracing their own bodies? 

Absolutely. You know, I think what we see we saw last season and this season is that it’s human nature, if you’re standing all naked with each other to sort of look and go, ‘Oh, I wish I had her breasts, I wish I had his bum, I wish I had his shoulders,’ you know, boys are gonna look at boys, girls are gonna look at girls. But actually, what was really, really nice, especially with this lot, is that everyone was so complimentary of each other, and a lot of the time, they were complimentary of things that they were quite conscious about.

So I think that’s why the show is great, because it just goes to the show. It doesn’t matter what size you are, what race you are, what height you are, anything. You can just be yourself, and it’s about finding connection.

What was the most awkward thing that’s happened on a date this season? 

Oh, my God, so many things. The most awkward thing that’s happened okay, so there is a zip wire date. Zip wire… naked – and we did throw someone in new on the zip wire and it was just a ball bag coming towards everyone, which was quite the shock, which I got to relive yesterday when I was doing the voiceover… it’s just very graphic. 

Were you there on set during?

I wasn’t, thankfully. But, yeah, you didn’t need to be on set when you watch it on the screen. It’s very much the same effect.

If there was a celebrity version of Dating Naked UK, who would you nominate to take part and why? Could you name at least four celebrities?

Well, I know Lizzie Cundy said she’d already do it. So, Lizzie’s a definite. I would love Alan Carr on there. I think he’d be ‘Oh, ‘ello’ – Alan would be great. I think we should chuck Russell Tovey in just for fun. And then another girl, Charity Shop Sue. Let’s put Sue in, I want to see her living her best life in the Dating Naked house. Oh and Ruth Langsford!

You always come across as confident…

You’ve got no idea. 

Was there a moment in your life where you kind of really started to feel like you felt comfortable in your own skin?

I’m Mr Self-Critical. I’m always wanting something more. I’m always wanting to look a certain way but I’m just getting to that point now where I just think I’m rich and I’m a nice person, so I don’t really care anymore. 

What would be your advice to younger people in the LGBTQ+ community who are struggling with the way they look?

I spent so much time, especially in my youth, like my late teens, early 20s. I remember going out to all the clubs, going out to all the bars so conscious of what I looked like. I’d go too far, and I look back now and think, ‘well, that’s why you weren’t going up to people or people coming up to you.’

Don’t care as much, because ultimately at the end of the day, when you get with someone, they’re the ones that get to see you first thing of the morning. So you might as well put that out there from the start… and then you ain’t got the worry at like 9 o’clock the next morning… That’s why we’re dating naked now.

Has the show changed the way that you approach your own dating life and the way that you look at other men. 

Yeah, definitely. I think the show has changed my sort of dating life. It’s just made me realise that… there’s got to be that attraction, but the amount of good looking men I’ve met that are absolute pricks, It’s rife. Like there’s something going about. It’s frightening. And actually, that’s not what’s important to me anymore. Obviously, you want to be attracted physically to someone, but if I’m gonna die with this person, I want to laugh up until that moment.

Do you think an all gay version would work? What would be the main differences between a gay version to the heterosexual version? 

I actually don’t think there should be an all gay version, not on purpose. We’ve got things like I Kissed a Boy, I Kissed a Girl, which is great, but I would love a version where just everyone’s whatever they want to be.

So you’ve got six guys, six girls and whatever new people coming in, and maybe everyone could potentially be with anyone. I think that’s an idea for a season… I would like to see that at some point. 

What would you do differently in that season?

Absolutely nothing. I would keep it exactly the same because it works. And actually, it’s not what we do differently It’s what they do differently. I think it’d be really interesting.

What does your ideal first date look like clothed or otherwise?

My ideal first date is, somewhere nice, sitting and chatting with someone and actually get to know him. I think I’m quite a good judge of character, especially now. Maybe not so much in the past, but especially now. I mean, look, you kiss a few frogs don’t you. And some of them are good looking frogs, but they’re still a frog.

Tell me, any relationship updates, are we still single?

We’re busy we’re busy. I’m in a very good position. Very, very lucky. 

Out of all the wonderful, naked dating activities on season two, which one would you most be up for doing naked? 

Sausage Party was really fun. It was just that everyone was dressed up as sausages and things… there were sausages hanging and that was quite fun.

God, there’s so many we’ve done this series… there was one, which spun. Oh that fucked everything up. It was awful. It was basically a big willy where they would spin on… was it beat the clock? Beat the cock? It was something like that. Wherever it landed, there was like a sticker, and you had to put that sticker on somebody, ‘who’s most likely to,’ oh my God, it just kicked off. 

Can you give us a sneak peek into what makes it ballsy?

I’m creative consultant this series so I’ve had quite a bit of input in what happens. And if you think you know what happens in season one, and if the daters going into season two, thought they knew what was going to happen, they really didn’t.

Someone comes in halfway through the series and completely turns the house upside down, and it just changes the whole course of the rest of the show. It is a she, and she knows what she’s doing. A woman in charge.

In your experience, are gay men more supportive or more critical when it comes to body image?

I actually find sometimes the gay community are sort of judgemental of people that aren’t, you know, six foot five, muscular with a six pack. It’s really, really strange, because I think there’s, like, this community of people that aren’t even real sometimes… but it almost seems it’s always digital… I think gay men, especially, in real life are a lot nicer than what comes across sometimes on social media.

What do you think is the main difference between gay and straight couples?

I don’t think there’s that much difference actually. Like I said, I’ve learned a lot from the couples that have been on the show. Billy and Lauren from season one, they’re still together. They’re really strong. And I think that that is quite a misconception. A lot of people do think, ‘oh, because you’re a gay couple, it must be different,’ No? We still row, have a laugh, go to bed, wake up, have sex, done. Like, ain’t that what you do?

Have you ever been tempted to join the naked newbies? 

Absolutely, every single time. I offer every week that we’re there, every single day, I’m like, ‘can I take my clothes off?’ And they’re like, ‘no.’ Apparently they want viewers, I don’t know. Well, write in to Paramount…

Maybe for series three? 

I’ve offered. I said maybe for the finale – no… It’s mainly my management. They’re like, ‘you’re not getting your willy out.’ And I was like, ‘Why?’ They’re like, ”Cause we’ve seen it all before.’

Is it getting easier the second time round now to look at everyone’s privates?

It is getting easier, but the first time I walk into that house – I’ve seen them naked, I’ve seen their audition tapes, so it’s not like a shock. But all I care about is making them feel comfortable. So the first thing I do is every time I walk in, I just got like that [looks up and down and smiles] and they all start laughing, and I go, ‘right, we’ve got that out of the way now.’

Listen, are you human if you’re not like [eye’s down] if someone’s naked in front of you? You’re gonna look. There was a couple of guys in there that were quite well endowed… it’s like an elephant in the room. To be fair, it was like there was an elephant in the room! You’re going to look. Why is everyone so frightened?

It’s not even sexualising it. If someone stands in there with their breasts out or their willy out or their bum out, you’re gonna look because we’re human. We don’t normally see that most days, walking down the street… depending what street you go down. 

If you had to walk into the villa naked what would you be most proud of?

Oh, I’ve never been asked that before. Um. I’ve got quite a nice arse. Yeah. I’ve been told I’ve got a nice bum. Anything else have I got there? Because I’m quite tall, aren’t I. So there’s a lot of me. Oh, Jesus. I’m getting hot.

Series two of Dating Naked UK launches on 29 August exclusively on Paramount+.

With episodes released every Friday, tune in to see who wins the £50,000 cash prize.