Luke appeared on series two of Naked Attraction (Photo: Channel 4/Naked Attraction)

The day I decided to apply for Channel 4’s Naked Attraction, I was a little hungover.

I’d been out for drinks with friends the night before, and in the morning I noticed an advert on Facebook looking for contestants specifically from Leeds.

So, not thinking much about it, I applied. Within 30 minutes, I’d received a phone call asking if I’d like to go in for an audition.

I identify as a nudist, so being naked on TV isn’t something I was worried about in the slightest. I believe that the human body is something to be appreciated, though nudity is not the same as sex.




On the day of my audition, I felt slightly apprehensive and nervous; even though I’m comfortable being naked, it’s not every day you get your cock out on TV.

But once in the studio, I felt at ease. The other contestants in my group were all fairly nice and easy to get on with.

Stripping out of my clothes in front of people I don’t know is pretty familiar – given I meet naked strangers at beaches, in bars and at other social gatherings – but being filmed while doing so was less natural than the settings I’m used to.

We stayed relatively modest until the naked part and were given robes to wear behind the scenes and during breaks in filming.

But everyone was so comfortable, they decided to stay naked throughout.

Luke is a nudist (Photo: Luke Smethurst)

It was cool seeing people who might not usually be so free and open with their bodies just enjoy themselves.

My first thought as I stood in the Naked Attraction pod was ‘what the f*ck am I doing here’, as if it has suddenly dawned on me that I was going to flash my junk on TV and that I might not get picked for a date.

Luckily, I did. As you probably know, I was chosen by Jimmy.

But it wasn’t a quick yes and then we were off on our date. Filming took around 11 hours, because once you’d picked your person, you had to wait until all the others were eliminated.

I had to stand up so long my legs felt like jelly.

Despite not finding true love on the show – I’m currently single – the overall experience was a very positive one, and there was no backlash or disgruntlement from my social circle.

When I told my friends and family that I was going to be on the show, they were hardly surprised. Around 10 of us watched the first episode together at a friend’s house; we decided to make a night of it and generally had a laugh.

Life after the show was a bit hectic.

Luke is still single but really enjoyed his time on the show (Photo: Luke Smethurst)

It aired on the Friday of Manchester Pride weekend, so come Saturday, when I went along to the festivities, there was a constant flow of people who stopped me to say they recognised me.



Nowadays the majority of people just say hello, snap a picture and ask me questions about what it’s like to take your clothes off on TV.

And quite frankly, it’s pretty liberating, because a lot of men wouldn’t do it over fear they don’t look big enough.

But the beauty of Naked Attraction is that you realise everyone is different but we all have the same parts. There could be a gorgeous 6ft model up there with a tiny cock, but who cares?

I’ve never been self-conscious about my body; I have a slim build and a pretty nice penis (if I do say so myself) and it’s about owning it.

Nudity doesn’t have to be about sex, you can enjoy it socially too and hopefully body confidence can grow with that.

And yes, I often get questions about the outcome between me and Jimmy, my date on the show, but alas our relationship came to an end (at a beard convention in Amsterdam of all places) and we haven’t spoken a word since returning home.

There’s no resentment and I have no hard feelings towards him.

I walked away from the show happy and I really urge anyone who is thinking about applying, to just do it.

Whether good or bad, it’s an experience you’ll remember forever.

You can find Luke on Twitter and Instagram.

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