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5 True Facts About "Naked and Afraid" That Make It Even More Badass

Worst nightmare, you guys

We love Naked and Afraid. The Discovery Channel show, if you’re unfamiliar, pairs two strangers in a remote location with next to no survival tools for 21 days. Oh yeah, and they’re stark naked. But, as opposed to, say, The Bachelor, Naked and Afraid is badass and not fake. Here, five facts about the show that have led us to believe that it’s the realest reality show out there.

naked afraid hero1
Discovery Channel

The intro is as awkward as you think it would be
This isn’t some staged meet up where they’re secretly pals. The contestants never meet until they’re on location--and naked.

Some of the most dramatic moments aren’t even shown
Sure, they’re fitting 22 days of action into about 45 minutes of TV, but they’re not editing it for maximum drama. In fact, some of the scariest moments (like when one contestant’s hands and legs were covered in blood after navigating a coral reef) don’t make it to air. So points for doing badass stuff no one even knows about.

The night is the scariest
As we would assume. But it’s not just because it’s dark out; while a small crew follows the contestants during the day, at night the crew leaves. The contestants have a radio and a whistle they can use to signal to the production camp nearby. Aka it’s terrifying.

They don’t get food from the crew
Producer Mathilde Bittner told Reality Blurred that contestants have asked for Snickers bars, cake and sandwiches, but the crew doesn’t oblige.

But they do get tampons
According to contestant Alison Teal, she was given a tampon when she got her period while on the show. Phew. 



sarah stiefvater

Wellness Director

Sarah Stiefvater is PureWow's Wellness Director. She's been at PureWow for ten years, and in that time has written and edited stories across all categories, but currently focuses...