From his unique path as an exotic dancer to his fun-packed trips with fellow cast members, Nathan Webb’s world has changed dramatically since the show wrapped up. And while the cameras left little unfilmed, MUD sat down with the British star to discuss his new and revitalized life post-Lana.
Aside from an amazing physique and killer smile, the first thing I noticed about Nathan is his ability to make anyone feel like his friend.
A Texan cowboy with English roots, Nathan is the show’s resident good guy. Our conversation flowed as it would between two old friends sharing a laugh here and there about the mishaps that happened on and off camera, and the details that we, the entertained audience, couldn’t perceive from our couches. While the majority of our chat pertained to the newest season of the Netflix hit show, I also gained insight on who Nathan is when he’s not being surveilled by a celibacy-loving cone.
Though life at the Lana-ruled villa wrapped up months ago, this year has changed in ways Nathan never expected. His everyday routine before the show came out was just like any other British man living in Dallas: driving his truck to and from his job as an exotic dancer and wearing a shirt as little as possible. While he proved on camera that he’s got the moves, Nathan’s openness about his career and passions adds another layer to his charisma. If you’re anything like me, you know there’s one question I just had to ask. For his on-stage performances, Nathan’s “Magic Mike” routine song is “My Bed” by Chris Brown.
“When I’m at the club, I have to stop myself from doing my routine if the song comes on,” Nathan said in between laughs. “It’s a different kind of dancing. People are, you know, dancing on the dance floor and I’m over here body-rolling. Like, I can’t do this. I’m at a nightclub!”
While his career as a stripper has been plenty successful, the real question is how did Nathan go from a performer on stage to the star of a huge reality TV show? Well, it all started with a DM.
It’s no secret that Netflix casting is a show of its own. A lot of the original shows are bringing in influencers and Tiktokers, rather than going with well-known actors. Once a Netflix original hits the streaming platform, followers begin to flood and the internet can’t help but buzz in excitement. Too Hot to Handle’s casting was still a bit different to the rest, starting with the fact that the contestants were not even aware they were auditioning for this specific show.
When Nathan got a DM about a casting for “Parties in Paradise,” he pictured a wild Jersey Shore-like set up where he’d get to live it up for an entire summer. Thinking the application was fake, he answered the entire questionnaire with the simple phrase, “Call me to find out.” Two weeks later, he actually got the call. As he wrapped up the casting process, he was told he would be vacationing and partying on a beautiful yacht to have the time of his life with other very hot people. Instead, he became one of the sexy yet celibate singles we know and love today.
This was definitely one of the most unusual casting moments as he never suspected he’d be starring in one of Netflix’s most popular reality shows to date. When a special guest was announced on his first night at the villa, Nathan assumed it had to be Drake. After all, his famous plane had been doing rounds around the island all day. He was thrown for a loop when the special guest manifested from a wooden box as a white, cone-shaped robot known as Lana. Instead of a yacht party, they would be going on a retreat to become the best relationship versions of themselves and learn how to form emotional connections opposed to physical ones.
Life at the villa became an adjustment to Nathan, and due to the nature of the show, privacy wasn’t always a privilege he and his cast mates were afforded. On the show, we get to see them getting dressed, lounging by the pool, and at times, even hopping in the shower. One thing we can be sure of is that not a lot was left unfilmed.
“It’s the small things that you don’t think about. One of the only times we were not being filmed was in the kitchen during meals,” Nathan said about privacy at the villa.
Going on a reality show, you are bound to have some vulnerable moments. Whether it be sharing an emotional past or picking something out of your teeth, there will be cameras to record it. Despite knowing he was going on a roller coaster of a reality TV show, vulnerability was still a challenge. Regarding his personal moment with Larissa, he shared this:
“So, I was very genuine in that moment. It's so easy, especially on reality TV, to be just influenced and kind of manipulated by what's going on and okay, how can I get on the screen or whatever. So that genuinely was probably the first time that I'd actually spoken about that particular incident,” Nathan said.
While he felt comfortable speaking at first, it became tricky when he noticed the camera crew and remembered that this was TV. Despite this, he was set in achieving the purpose of the show, which to him meant opening up to a potential partner and baring his heart for her to see. For Nathan, being vulnerable includes a lot more than sharing your past; it involves sharing a lot of other personal moments too. Sleeping, showering, and most importantly, getting emotional, can get tricky when you roll over and see cameras everywhere.
The one thing anyone is able to pick up from Nathan is his appreciation for the show. Despite not winning the prize money even though he didn’t break ANY rules, he felt he was still changed by the retreat. The point of the show is to show contestants how to form deeper connections, but the question is: did the retreat actually work?
Nathan is confident it did.
“I think it's changed my way of thinking. I'd slowed down a little bit. I was going very crazy and, like I said, I was just almost at war with other people. Like they had hurt me so I'm going to go out and hurt them. And now, you know I take pride in the fact that I haven't done that since,” Nathan said.
After twenty minutes of shooting the shit like life-long friends, Nathan signs off to pack for an upcoming LA trip with some of his fellow cast members. You’d be surprised to know that despite the bond we made, no, I didn’t get an invite. Nathan went above and beyond to answer all of my questions, but our friendship status remains up in the air.
Is he just that charming or are we actually best friends now?
This is the Nathan Webb effect: he’s just one of the good guys. And even though I might be biased because of our newfound friendship, trust me when I tell you that Nathan off the screen is as unique and amazing as the one we got to see on the show. Whether you’re here to get to know him more or because you enjoy seeing horny people’s dreams get crushed, it doesn’t matter. You can’t miss MUD’s new favorite guy Nathan Webb on season two of Too Hot to Handle.