‘Too Hot to Handle’s Katherine LaPrell Never Thought She’d Find Love on Reality TV

Season six of Too Hot to Handle may have been upfront about Lana’s rules, but Katherine LaPrell didn’t know what to expect. After five seasons of disguising the reality series during casting, Netflix’s latest installment let the incoming cast members know that they were signing up for a retreat that fined sexual activities and rewarded emotional connections. Still, the L.A-based model, who was nominated by her friends to join the show, had no idea what she was in for.

“This girl needed help,” LaPrell says of her pre-THTH self, who had been living it up as a single woman for the first time in eight years. Speaking with Marie Claire after the first batch of episodes hit Netflix, the 28-year-old admitted that she was “hella thirsty” coming into the villa, hence all of the rule breaks with returning season 5 alum Louis Russell. However, eventually she decided to explore the more-emotional connection she had with Charlie Jeer, a 21-year-old model from Kent, England. Despite a rough patch where Charlie got too cozy on a date with bombshell Sabrina Zima, Katherine and Charlie worked through it and ended the season as finalists for the $100,000 prize.

Katherine recalls having several emotional moments on Too Hot to Handle, and credits the workshops for helping her practice vulnerability in relationships. “[Before], I was too scared to show emotion to men because I didn't want to get hurt,” she says. “I'd always have this wall up and pretend that everything was okay. But now I know that it's okay to show someone how you feel. Not everybody is going to leave you and run away just because you do those kinds of things.”

Here, LaPrell chats about all those early rule breaks, what Lana actually taught her, and how things are going with Charlie.

Marie Claire: What was your mindset coming on to Too Hot to Handle? What was going to be your approach to the rule breaks and everything?

Katherine LaPrell: Honestly, I did not really know what I was expecting. I had only seen a couple seasons of the show in the first place. When my friends nominated me for it, you could tell, this girl needed help. I needed a tall glass of water because I was acting hella thirsty the first four episodes. But I didn't really know. Maybe forming a bunch of new friendships. I was excited to meet people from all around the world, and get to know new people, because I'm the type of person where I've known my whole friend group for the last 16 years of my life. So having to put myself out there and meet new people was kind of a big thing for me. I'm happy that I did it, because I feel like I formed so many new friendships. It felt like a little sense of family with everybody.

MC: What are your friends' opinions now that they've actually seen it?

KL: They think I am so wild. They're like, 'Yep, Katherine. There is definitely a reason why you needed Lana.' I was kind of going crazy around that time, because it was the first time that I was single in eight years. I had two back-to-back relationships for eight years of my life. That whole year-and-a-half before the show was the first time I was ever single in a really long time. I was just having my fun traveling the world and I was just having my 'yes' year.

I was done dating in LA. That's probably another reason why I said yes to going on this show, because I know that you just meet people from all over the world. I can't find anybody here, so I had to ship one from the UK.

MC: In the first four episodes, you had a lot of rule breaks. Did you find it difficult to hold back, and try to be good?

KL: Oh yeah, it was definitely hard for me to hold back. I mean, Louis is an attractive guy. I feel like anybody in my position would have probably done the same. I think him trying to be like this good guy, and not break any rules and stuff, was only making me want to make him not be that guy. I should have just let him be a good guy. I really should have. I was going crazy. I know I was.

MC: Watching the rule-break reveals back, did you have any feelings of uncomfortableness seeing that again? How did it in those moments where it was basically you versus the rest of the cast?

KL: I felt really uncomfortable. Every time I would go into the cabana thinking like, 'Katherine, why the hell did you do this again? People are gonna hate you, you're losing money.' So I felt bad just like losing the money and stuff, and I was just acting like an idiot. I definitely had a sense of regret every time that I would go into that cabana. Trust me. That's why I tried to stay silent because I was like, I can't even defend myself. I was being stupid. I know I was.

I get awkward with confrontation a lot, so I don't really do well in those situations. That's why I just try my best to stay as quiet as possible. And if they want to bash on me, they can. I deserve all of it.

MC: Is there anything that you would've done differently?

KL: I think I would probably focus more on just trying to have that deeper, meaningful connection in the beginning. But that's the point of all of these workshops. We come in here, these horny motherf***ers, can't control ourselves, and that's why we do these workshops, to help us grow and learn why we are like this and how to form these deeper connections.

MC: Was there a moment where you had that realization that you and Louis maybe were more physical, but that Charlie had more potential for an emotional connection?

KL: It was just all the continuations of rule breaks and stuff. I felt like all of our conversations were very sexual-based. I know it takes two to tango. We were both doing it to each other, and when I realized that it just wasn't getting anywhere else, I was like, Okay, maybe I do want to focus more on having a deeper connection. I want to have real conversations about the future, and what I want in a man. I want someone to ask me questions about myself. So when I realized that, I was like, maybe I could try getting that with Charlie.

That [breakup] was the most nervous I've ever been on the show. I've never broken up with someone in person. I've always done it on a phone call, over text, and the workshop before that was all about being honest. So I had to really sit him down and tell him that it wasn't really like working out. I was so nervous. I don't even remember what I said. I think I completely blacked out. I was really trying to stay calm. But I think before that I was like, 'I can't do this. This is not what I do. I'm not used to this.' I was freaking out.

MC: It seemed like you and Louis ended things on good terms.

KL: Yeah, for sure. I never want to have bad blood with anybody, and we were never boyfriend and girlfriend to begin with. I don't think it was that big of a deal. I think he's such a great guy. He's a jokester, he's goofy just like me. So why would I want to get rid of that friendship that we had, you know?

MC: Do you think that everything you went through on Too Hot to Handle has changed the way that you approach relationships? Do you feel like you're coming more from a place of earnest, emotional connection now?

KL: Oh yeah, for sure. It's actually crazy because I really didn't think that doing those workshops would really help me grow in any way as a person. But then, when I actually experienced them in real life, I felt like that was the most emotional that I've ever been. Brenden [Durell, the show's intimacy coach] really helped me dig deep into why I am the way I am, because of things that happened in the past. I feel like now, I'm more comfortable with expressing emotions and stuff. Before the workshops, I was always scared because I was hurt in the past by other men in my life. I was too scared to show emotion to men because I didn't want to get hurt. I'd always have this wall up and pretend that everything was okay. But now I know that it's okay to show someone how you feel. Not everybody is going to leave you and run away just because you do those kinds of things.

MC: Do you also feel that you now handle trust in a relationship differently? How did your experience forgiving Charlie after his date with Sabrina help you going forward in dealing with those arguments with partners?

KL: I mean, it was definitely hard for me to forgive him, especially after everything that he did in the past with Lucy [Syed] and stuff. But I knew that I could tell like what we had was something special. I just didn't want to throw it away just yet.

MC: What was going through your mind when you made your final speech at the end of the retreat?

KL: I could only imagine how nervous I looked during that because I was shaking. I was about to s**t my pants up there. I was never good at showing my emotions, so doing that in front of everyone was very nerve-wracking for me. All I could think about was Charlie when I was showing my vulnerability, because he truly helped bring that out of me. He's in touch with his feelings. I've learned so much from him and that's why I was like, 'Thank you Charlie, because you've shown me how to be vulnerable and express my feelings and make me feel comfortable doing so.'

MC: What happened between you and Charlie after filming ended?

KL: So we're actually still together! We've been traveling back and forth since the show, and we've been seeing each other. He has been out here to LA already a couple times. I've visited him in the UK. He's such a beautiful person inside and out. Every time I see him, I feel like my feelings for him just grow stronger. He reassures me that he loves me every day; we talk on the phone every day, all day, FaceTiming and calling each other. I'm so thankful for that man. He has taught me a lot.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.