THE sun has set on this summer’s Love Island, hailed the ‘raciest season in years’.
Multiple couples romped under the sheets, forcing the production team to order in more condoms for the first time since 2016, with a source dubbing it “a particularly feral year”.
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And there were snogs-a-plenty thanks to this cohort of Islanders’ constantly chopping and changing partners.
But its sexy antics pale in comparison to these saucy reality shows that are so X-rated it’s hard to believe they even made it onto our screens.
From nude assault courses to bonking in boxes (yes, really), there’s been many jaw-dropping – and bizarre – watch-through-your-fingers moments.
Here we take a look at some of the forgotten raunchy gems that have graced the small screen.
Sex Box
Just as its name suggests, the Channel 4 show saw couples having sex in a box and then chatting about their experience afterwards.
Hosted by Mariella Frostrup back in 2013, then Steve Jones and sexologist Goedele Liekens in 2016, the aim was to shed light on Britain’s sex lives and encourage people to talk more openly about their bedroom antics.
And it was just as awkward as it sounds.
In one episode two friends had sex for the first time on air.
Another cringe-worthy moment saw a couple giving sexpert Goedele a kiss – with the mouths they’d just used for intimate sex acts.
The show got a mixed reaction amongst viewers, but it was commissioned for a second series – so it wasn’t a total, er, flop.
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Undressed
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As if blind dates aren’t nerve-wracking enough, this TLC dating show took them to a whole other level.
Undressed – which was first aired in 2017 and ran for two series – showed strangers stripping off, jumping into bed and answering some very personal questions to break the ice.
If they were attracted to each other, the singletons were encouraged to act on it by performing challenges – such as kissing and giving oily massages.
They then had to decide whether they wanted to see each other again or not.
Sex Pod
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Sex Pod was a 2016 Channel 5 series that answered questions that young people had previously been too afraid to ask.
A panel of experts dived into a wide range of topics – from snapped banjo strings to female orgasms and bladder control.
In 2017, a celebrity special aired, featuring the likes of Celebrity Big Brother’s Chloe Khan, Geordie Shore’s Marnie Simpson, Love Island’s Olivia and Alex Bowen and TOWIE’s Jon Clark.
They asked all the important questions, such as: “Is there such a thing as too much masturbating?” and: “Why am I always so horny?”
Sex Tape
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Channel 4 pushed boundaries once again in 2019 with this controversial four-part miniseries.
In a bid to spice up their sex lives, three struggling couples agreed to have cameras rigged throughout their homes to capture their relationship – including the intimate moments.
They then shared their tapes with each other under the watchful eye of a relationship therapist.
One contestant revealed: “At first I thought it was going to be awkward to be watching the other couples have sex. But then I thought, everyone has sex.”
It didn’t always go to plan, however, with one randy couple seeing their session brought to an, ahem, premature end… when the bed collapsed.
The Valleys
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Dubbed the Welsh version of Geordie Shore, The Valleys burst onto our screens in 2012 and ran for three series before it was axed two years later.
The MTV reality show was jam-packed with outrageous antics, including when cast member Jason Suminski reportedly resorted to having sex with a cold Pot Noodle after being rejected by co-star Jenna Jonathan.
Another X-rated moment saw Carley Belmonte strip topless on stage as the group hit Dublin for a night out, while Lateysha Grace– who went on to star in Big Brother – twerked in a thong.
As you do…
Naked Jungle
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Naked Jungle was a one-off game show which aired on Channel 5 back in 2000.
Using the same set as the CITV children’s show Jungle Run, the concept was controversial because its contestants were nudists.
The aim of the game – which was like a naughtier version of I’m a Celeb – was to compete in an assault course to win a cash prize of £5,000.
Even the presenter, Keith Chegwin, was naked – although he did wear a hat.
While the show’s full-frontal nudity caused a furore in the media, the Independent Television Commission (ITC) revealed that it had only received one official complaint.
They said it was from a viewer complaining that he could “do without Keith Chegwin prancing around”.
Only In Bristol
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Only In Bristol promised to be “bigger and better than Geordie Shore”, but it didn’t quite reach that scale.
It aired online in 2017 and followed the lives of 10 Bristol socialites aged between 18 and 27 as they lived together in a £2.1million home.
They took part in a number of challenges and tasks – and things got steamy.
One of the cast members, glamour girl Sofia Galloppa, revealed that most of them hooked up within days of filming.
She said: “We have got nominations, tasks, and all people will be doing is shagging.”
The show was created by American rapper D-Jukes, who revealed ahead of its launch: “We had some great characters come forward. Some crazy, some freaky, some sexual and some promising drama.”
Open House: The Great Sex Experiment
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A more recent entry on our list, Open House made headlines in 2023 when an after-party turned into a 15-person orgy.
The Channel 4 hit pairs liberated singletons with couples interested in experimenting with consensual sex sharing.
Series one ended in chaos when a drunk participant, male stripper Steve, fought off security guards then tried to drive home in a row over prosecco.
And things were no less scandalous in the follow-up series, as over a dozen stars – including OnlyFans models – engaged in a spot of group sex.
Precious Muir, who joined the infamous orgy, told The Sun: “I think 15 people on one bed is way too much.
“I wouldn’t put myself in that position again, because there were moments when I felt uncomfortable. There were moments when I was looking around and thinking ‘what is going on?’”
This year’s series also hit the headlines – a particularly memorable moment was when gay participant Simon romped with three women before getting stage fright.
Virgin Island
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Earlier this year Channel 4 premiered its controversial dating show Virgin Island, which followed a group of young adults as they attempted to embark on an “erotic awakening”.
They were housed at a luxurious Mediterranean retreat where they were coached into overcoming their anxiety about intimacy by sexperts and ‘surrogate partners’.
In the finale 24-year-old contestant Dave lost his virginity to his surrogate, Kat, with viewers left gobsmacked as he was heard moaning and groaning.
It followed a touching session – literally – between the naked pair earlier in the series, where Dave was encouraged by Kat to explore her body.
The show also featured a challenge which saw some brave contestants strip naked to “claim their body”.
My Sexual Fantasy
My Sexual Fantasy was arguably one of Channel 5’s filthiest shows to date.
In the eye-popping series, which aired in 2017, members of the public revealed their darkest fantasies to a psychologist.
In one episode, a woman named Jane – who described herself as a dominatrix – fantasised about keeping a man in a cage who followed her rules.
Another saw a 52-year-old grandmother of three fantasise about being seduced by a vampire.
