Sometimes you’re really in the mood for a truly sexy TV show or one of the steamiest movies ever. What makes something genuinely sexy is subjective, but there’s no denying that some TV shows – hello, Bridgerton – are much sexier than others.
According to new data by Romantix, the latest season of Sex Education is the sexiest TV show of 2021. Bridgerton is second, followed by season four of Elite in third.
These rankings were compiled by tracking the number of UK Google searches for each show’s title plus the phrase “sex scene”, then factoring in the number of sex scenes, kissing scenes, whether the show includes a depiction of kink/BDSM, and whether it includes masturbation.
The problematic psychological thriller series You, which stars Penn Badgley as a supposedly “sexy’ sociopath, is named fourth sexiest show using these metrics.
“Shows such as You perpetuate the problem of stalking and male violence against women by normalising it and even making it seem glamorous or attractive,” Rachel Horman, Chair of Paladin and a solicitor specialising in stalking and domestic abuse, recently told Refinery29’s Maybelle Morgan. “It emboldens perpetrators and contributes to their belief that women deserve this abuse. It also means that women may be less likely to report incidents as they see this behaviour portrayed as normal in the pursuit of love/romance and men and boys start to believe that this type of aggressive pursuit of women is expected and welcomed by women.”
Thankfully, the other shows that make the top 10 are less questionable, including the BBC’s Sally Rooney adaptation Normal People – which has 29 kissing scenes, more than any other show – and Issa Rae’s Insecure. The latter returns for its final season on Tuesday 26th October.
Check out the 10 sexiest shows of the year below, with the total number of sex scenes in brackets.
1. Sex Education (19)
2. Bridgerton (21)
3. Elite (18)
4. You (18)
5. Normal People (19)
6. Insecure (12)
7. Dark Desire (14)
8. The Last Kingdom (16)
9. Gossip Girl (16)
10. Behind Her Eyes (12)
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