Lorenzo Lamas' Scathing Stint As A Reality TV Judge Was An Early 2000s Scandal

Welcome to Scandal Rewind, a column where the Nicki Swift staff looks back at a celebrity scandal from years past.

You may recall that, back in the early aughts, Lorenzo Lamas appeared on the controversial reality show "Are You Hot? The Search for America's Sexiest People." Unfortunately for the actor, it was simply too contentious (given the era, that's really saying something) to stay on the air. Years later, those who remember the show are still shaking their heads over his laser-pointing antics. For those who grew up in a kinder time, the premise of "Are You Hot?" was a panel of celebrity judges determining if contestants were as attractive as they thought they were, and no, there wasn't any deeper commentary to it. 

In fact, in its premiere episode, host JD Roberto clarified, "We don't care if you can dance, sing, or tell jokes. All we want to know is one thing: Are you hot?" (via YouTube). As for Lamas, his standout moments on "Are You Hot?" included using a laser-pointer to complain that one contestant's thigh gap was too big, as well as delivering lines like, "I'd get up to greet you but I'd tip over my water" (via Entertainment Weekly) without a shred of irony. Unsurprisingly, "Are You Hot?" has not aged well, but then, even while it was on the air, there was a ton of criticism that the reality TV show went too far. 

A 2003 Time article, which lauded reality television as a then-up-and-coming genre, even specifically named "Are You Hot?" as an "indefensible" exception. As for Lamas himself, he reflected in "Renegade at Heart: An Autobiography" that "viewers crucifi[ed] me." The "Grease" star's stance was that the entire premise was ridiculous, and he was simply, "Trying to keep with the fun, outrageous spirit of the show." Well, outrageous is certainly the right word.

It's worth noting that even though Lorenzo Lamas acknowledged in "Renegade at Heart: An Autobiography" that he thought "Are You Hot?" was hilarious, he understood it being taken off the air following its finale in April 2003, shortly after U.S. troops were deployed in Iraq. "ABC decides to cancel 'Are You Hot?,' feeling it is too 'Hot' and 'Provocative' to broadcast against the backdrop of young men and women dying every day serving their country," he wrote, hinting that he agreed that it was too lighthearted at such a serious moment in history. However, he went on to argue, "Today the networks have no moral compass and the show would have stayed on. Shocking but true." As such, the actor noted, "I think 'Are You Hot?' was simply ahead of its time." 

While it is possible the show might have done well later on in the aughts, we have no doubt it would have been taken off the air eventually all the same. After all, decades after "Are You Hot?" aired, the show continues to be referenced in conversations about offensive reality TV shows that never should've aired. In 2022, Buzzfeed included it in a rundown of reality TV moments so uncomfortable they felt "surreal," Grazia magzine magazine pointed out that very same year that the show simply wouldn't be made now, and in 2025, the Daily Mail reported audiences being shocked by resurfaced clips from it. Speaking of which, YouTube users have indeed weighed in on just how problematic "Are You Hot?" was, with one quipping that it felt, "Like an episode of 'Black Mirror.'" Others went even further, decrying it as, "The low point of western civilization."