Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing Review - A Demeaning Spectacle for All Involved
Following his cunning role on The Celebrity Traitors, Jonathan Ross returns to television as the host of Channel 4's new six-part series, Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing. Promoted as a bold social experiment aimed at bridging divides in Britain, the show handcuffs two strangers from contrasting backgrounds together for 24 hours a day, including intimate moments like showering, with the promise of a £100,000 prize for the last pair standing. However, rather than fostering understanding, the program manipulates differences for cheap entertainment, evoking comparisons to the worst of reality TV, such as The Jeremy Kyle Show.
Manufactured Conflict and Awkward Encounters
The pairings are deliberately selected to maximize discomfort and conflict. For instance, Jo, who runs a plus-size fashion brand, is paired with Reuben, who holds prejudiced views about weight. Tilly, a volunteer for homeless causes, finds herself cuffed to Anthony, a millionaire with simplistic opinions on poverty. In another duo, George, a former prison officer valuing education, is matched with Sir Ben, an aristocrat who owns a painting by Adolf Hitler. These setups are introduced in awkward, Blind Date-style segments, where Ross slaps on the cuffs, only to briefly remove or extend them with a chain for bathroom breaks, a detail that underscores the show's demeaning nature.
Over the four episodes available for review, Ross serves mostly as a disembodied voice, labeling participants with trite descriptions like "a cleaner who can't stop swearing" for Tilly or "an alpha male" for Reuben. The participants themselves engage in quick judgments, with one remarking, "I just knew he was a vegan," highlighting the superficiality of the interactions. The production actively manufactures drama, such as a sequence where George tours Sir Ben's estate, encountering controversial artifacts like the Hitler painting and statues depicting enslaved Africans, alongside pets named after political figures like Nigel Farage.
Questionable Casting and Lack of Respect
Sir Ben, whose full name is Benjamin Slade, is no stranger to tabloid attention, having described himself as a self-publicist on Instagram and issued an infamous casting call for a wife with exclusionary criteria. His inclusion raises questions about the show's true intent; if the goal were genuinely to settle differences, casting someone with such intolerant views seems counterproductive. As George declares, "you upper classes are fucking barmy," it becomes clear that the show prioritizes conflict over resolution, leading to inevitable breakdowns where participants smash safety glass to escape their cuffs.
Occasionally, there are fleeting moments where participants listen to each other, suggesting potential for growth amidst the chaos. However, these are overshadowed by the overall crassness of the production. Reuben's immediate exclamation upon meeting Jo—"Fuck! Training's out the window, lifestyle out the window, healthy habits out the window ... euurgh!"—exemplifies the lack of respect for participants, with Jo luckily wearing ear defenders to mitigate the offense.
A Missed Opportunity for Meaningful Television
Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing feels like a dramatized version of a toxic online comments section, exploiting horrible views for shock value. In an era where Channel 4's edgy remit once justified airing controversial perspectives, simply pointing and gawping at racism and classism no longer suffices. The show echoes last year's Channel 4 experiment, Go Back to Where You Came From, which similarly platformed extreme opinions on immigration without fostering genuine dialogue.
Ultimately, Handcuffed is a nasty and abysmal addition to reality TV, failing to deliver on its promise of healing divisions. Instead, it revels in crass entertainment, leaving viewers with a sense that we deserve better from television. Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing is currently airing on Channel 4, but its legacy may be one of missed opportunities and demeaning spectacle.
