Naked and Afraid has become one of the Discovery Channel's biggest hits over the course of 13 seasons. It's a Discovery Channel show that could never be forgotten based on the concept alone. Its concept of dropping an unclothed person to fend for themselves in the wild for 21 days is unprecedented. However, while there is a real danger during those three weeks (or 40 days on Discovery's XL version), the show bends the definition of "reality" the same as any other survival show before it, and thus what viewers think is real might not actually be happening at all.
Over the years, contestants spoke out about their experiences on the show. Most of these examples can be backed by more than one participant in the challenge. The facts they've revealed delve into what the producers don't let viewers see on screen, from the storylines they exploit to the rules of the game they knowingly break.
Updated on November 30th, 2021, by Lynn Gibbs: One of the first questions viewers as themselves after watching a person live off the land for 21 days completely naked is, is Naked and Afraid real? It's hard to believe that a person or group of people can safely get through almost a month (or more) of living in a dangerous area with not much to protect themselves — especially in 2021. Secrets of Naked and Afraid have come out from contestants that prove while the show is very much real, producers are more involved than what is shown.
14 Contestants Have Stolen Food From Producers
Continuing the rivalry between producers and survivalists, the participants stretched the meaning of doing whatever they could to last in the wild. When supplies are scarce and competitors grow weaker by the day, there's always an alternative they know they can count on: the supplies of the production team.
Shane Lewis would have been a fun contestant on a cooking competition show because he knew how to be sneaky with food. Lewis found himself the topic of conversation when he supposedly snuck away some snacks from the crew, according to Nicki Swift. It was one of his last nights there, and he stashed most of the goods for teammates. The food would end up lasting four weeks for his fellow contestants.
13 The Show Is No More Than A Few Miles From Civilization
There are all sorts of sickness and wild animals in the kinds of settings that Naked and Afraid offers. It's what makes it one of the more interesting reality competition shows. However, if having cameramen and producers around daily makes the challenge seem less private, so does the blaring music from nearby villages.
That's what participants experienced in Brazil when techno beats would thump until 4am, according to Honora Bowen's blog. There were also times when players would hear cars in the distance or see people playing soccer. The producers like to keep the groups in contained areas for maximum control, and their choice for such close proximity to towns and villages proves that.
12 A Producer Was Nearly Killed By A Snake
Costa Rica holds true as one of the most beautiful locations on Earth, and is one of the most dangerous. Such was the case for Naked and Afraid producer Steve Rankin, who was scouting the strip of land for potential shooting locations when his foot was bitten by a fer-de-lance snake.
Rankin said his knees were like jelly and he was "panting like a horse" after being bitten by the pit viper, according to Outside Online. It's a wonder that he survived the time it took to carry him off on a stretcher, drive him to a helipad, and airlift him to the nearest hospital.
11 The Show Is More Scripted Than You Think
Reality TV can never be 100% spontaneous, even in the case of Naked and Afraid. Though the serious and raw nature of the show seems to dictate a more realistic tone than Survivor or The Amazing Race, it doesn't mean the producers aren't looking for any way to maximize entertainment value.
Many of the competitors consider themselves qualified actors because of the "performances" they've given on the show. According to The Daily Mail, contestant Shane Lewis said that the show "gave it the Hollywood treatment." Because the survival element is not enough, participants have cited that producers provoke drama for the sake of catching it on camera. Canadian survival expert and filmmaker Les Stroud was asked about teaming up with Discovery's shows, and he referred to Naked and Afraid as a show where they "fake, contrive, set up, pretend, or otherwise lie."
10 The Show Failed To Mention When A Contestant Broke Three Toes
Shane Lewis was another contestant known more for his antics than for his survival skills. However, he had a legitimate reason for failing the challenge, even if the show never fully revealed it.
After just four days in Costa Rica, Lewis broke three toes before filming even began for Naked and Afraid XL. The injury was portrayed as if it happened during the challenge, but it was never once mentioned that Lewis broke his toes. Lewis had accused the show of trying to be too dramatic for the sake of ratings but was also disappointed that the show made him look "pathetic," according to IBTimes. Without completing the competition, Lewis lost out on a big prize for reality TV.
9 Honora Bowen Stole Supplies
Considering how high the stakes are for the contestants, Naked and Afraid is one of the best survival reality TV shows. Contestant Honora Bowen continued to test the boundaries of the game by breaking the rules. She was swimming in a lagoon during the competition in Brazil when she came upon a shack. Once there, she noticed she'd uncovered an unintended treasure: Campari, potato chip crumbs, and remainders of chocolate wrappers.
However, by the time she returned back to shore, according to her blog, the whole production team was waiting for her. Bowen would have to return all the goods to their rightful owners because it was considered theft. Bowen said, "What would you do if you found alcohol and potato chip crumbs? I'll be damned if you say you wouldn't do the same thing."
8 Production Hides The Fact That Prize-Money Is Awarded
Naked and Afraid doesn't specify having prize money for winners, but it's not like the contestants are simply playing for the love of the great outdoors.
Contestants have an opportunity to win $5K cash for completing the challenge, noted Stacasm. However, that's not necessarily predicated on finishing the competition. It could also involve playing along with whatever Discovery's storyline may be for the given episode the contestants are on. The aforementioned contestant Bowen was such a controversial figure on the show, they coaxed her to come on Naked and Afraid XL for $23,500 if she could finish filming. With how dangerous this reality TV show is, it's understandable that some contestants would want a bigger prize.
7 A Competitor "Miraculously" Recovered From Food Poisoning
Kim Shelton's luck turned for the worst while filming in Costa Rica. She captured and cooked a turtle to eat, but quickly got food poisoning. She was sick for three full days, at one point telling the camera she had nothing else in her system to vomit. Shelton had to sleep the majority of the time because she was so weak. It seemed she'd have to forfeit the contest. In the grand scheme of TV shows, Naked and Afraid is one of the more controversial shows because of its possible health concerns, but that doesn't stop people from signing up.
However, on the fourth day, she seemingly made an astounding recovery out of thin air. The Daily Mail noted the real reason for the improvement was the fact she'd received an IV from the show's medical team and was being fed baby food, bread, and rice by them. Of course, the cameras never showed any of this to the audience.
6 Contestants Have Gotten Medication And Emergency Equipment From The Crew
Naked and Afraid prides itself on forcing contestants to be minimalists. Further contradicting the idea that contestants are left to fend for themselves, the producers give individuals all sorts of emergency items. Although tampons are an absolute must for multiple reasons, there are also some head-scratching decisions they made when it came to medication. This includes letting a contestant, Matt Struzel, who may or may not have actually had ADD, use Adderall every day. Other contestants have received B Vitamins if they were vegetarians.
According to Lohud, Bowen was Struzel's partner, and she ended up prescribed something as well: Malarone to keep her from contracting malaria. Instead, she got nausea, dizziness, and lucid dreams, among other symptoms.
5 Honora Bowen Faked Passing Out In Brazil
As if she hadn't appeared enough already, this time Honora Bowen finally had enough of Discovery's shenanigans and faked blacking out. She was there 16 of the 40 days she needed to complete Naked and Afraid XL, but it had already been one too many. It's the delirious moments like these that make Naked and Afraid one of Discovery's best reality shows.
Between the symptoms caused by the medication she took and the lack of calories, she'd reached what would be many people's tipping point. According to Empty Lighthouse, Bowen said she had "felt like a dying animal." So it was when she'd had enough, she waited for the production crew to leave for lunch and pretended to pass out so they and her partner would find her laid out on the sand. Producers still believe she really passed out, and don't buy her story. True or not, it was her time to leave.
4 A Contestant Got Sick From Something The Production Team Cooked For Her
It's an understatement to say Phaedra Brothers had a rough time in Naked and Afraid. Most of it happened before she even began competing. After training for the challenge to be in Northern India, Discovery found out there was a tiger mauling people in the area. Needless to say, they switched locations, according to Channel Guide Mag. However, that meant going to the Himalayas, a different ecosystem than Brothers hadn't adapted to.
Her fire starter and all pre-challenge food never arrived, so she barely ate before the competition. The night before the challenge, a member of the Naked and Afraid crew decided to make her a chicken curry dish. She loved it, at least until she got food poisoning from it...
3 One Million Moms Get Sponsors Removed From the Show
If the disdain of rugged and tenacious competitors can’t upend Naked and Afraid, then it looks like it’s up to the moms. One Million Moms took issue with the show’s nudity, which blurs frontal nudity but usually not the backend. Since Discovery has technically been known for being a family-friendly and family-focused channel, they took Naked and Afraid’s TV-14 rating as an obvious straying from past programming.
Their website states that the group “Has begun to give moms an impact with the decision-makers and let them know we are upset with the messages they are sending our children and the values (or lack of them) they are pushing.” Sure enough, Pedigree and Delta Faucet pulled their sponsorships.
2 Editing Manipulates The Truth More Than Viewers Think
Denise Contis, an executive producer for Naked and Afraid, told the Wall Street Journal back when the show started that there was nothing scripted or manipulated on-screen. However, the truth has since come out. While it’s imperative to get as much filming in as possible before massive editing sessions, having all that film can allow producers to create entirely new outlooks on characters.
Creating villains is something reality shows do best. There's nothing more shocking than when people get kicked off reality TV shows for disobeying rules. The complaints by Bowen and Lewis are well-documented, where the show completely disregarded their struggles and accomplishments to focus on the way they weighed their respective teams down. Allison Teal was another participant who called out the show, according to Nicki Swift, saying that none of the things she created, like fishing supplies and a ladder, were ever used in an episode.
1 Producers Took Advantage Of The Death Of Honora Bowen's Father
Several factors pushed Honora Bowen over the edge while on Naked and Afraid XL. However, one, in particular, involved the death of her father. A couple of months before beginning her challenge in Brazil, Bowen’s father had passed away. When they had discussed the one item she should take with her for the show in the past, her father had merely suggested she consider taking a magnifying glass because one could manipulate a fire with it while the sun was still out and use it to help in purifying the water.
When a producer heard about what her father had mentioned to her, he decided he wanted the magnifying glass the crew had given her to instead be referred to as “my dad’s magnifying glass” whenever she spoke of it. They made her say this over and over again. The family aspect mixed with living outside in the wilderness was reminiscent of Alaskan Bush People. According to Empty Lighthouse, she ended up having to “pretend that an inanimate object had a sentimental value” while she tried not to starve.
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