‘Too Hot to Handle’ Recap: Season 5 Winner Revealed

Spoiler warning.

Too Hot to Handle season 5 crowned its winner: Elys Hutchinson.

After 10 episodes of watching cone Lana lay down the law at her sex-free retreat in paradise, the cast was tasked with choosing between costars Elys, 23, and Dre Woodard for the impressive $100,000 prize fund. (The financial pot had been reduced from the initial $200,000 after numerous rule breaks throughout the season.) After going back and forth, the Switzerland-based ski instructor was proclaimed the champ.

“My head is literally spinning, but I don’t think it’s me,” Elys — who found love with Alex Snell during the show — quipped in a confessional moments before Lana said her name. “Me! What?”

While Dre, 23, noted that he “could have done a lot with that money” to support his family, he was ecstatic for his friend Elys. The newly crowned victor then surprised the cast and viewers alike with her plans for the $100,000.

“I was not expecting this to happen to me and this is just, like, seriously humbling. This retreat has literally changed my life and $100,000 is life-changing,” Elys gushed, before turning to Dre. “Would you like to split the money [in half] with me?”

Dre humbly accepted Elys’ offer — and their fellow Too Hot to Handle contestants were touched by her gesture. Christine Obanor, for her part, even noted via confessional that it further proved that Elys was “deserving” of the victory.

“She is a beautiful, kind soul,” Dre — who served as the self-appointed Too Hot to Handle “detective” to stop guests from breaking the rules — gushed in his own confessional. “Elys, I love you. You have single-handedly changed my life and allowing me to give my family their best life, but she has a special place in my heart.”

He continued: “I love you, Elys. You’re a gem, a beautiful gem. You’re a hidden jewel, straight-up.”

Season 5 of Too Hot to Handle premiered earlier this month as a new class of sexed-up singletons were sent to Lana’s tropical retreat to learn how to prioritize emotional connections over purely physical ones. After Isaac Francis and Hannah Brooke were eliminated hours before the final day, Lana had another trick up her sleeve, which would potentially disqualify Louis Russell and Alex, 28, from being eligible for the final prize.

Both Louis, 22, and Alex expressed doubts about committing to their respective partners — Christine, 26, and Elys — before Lana issued them an ultimatum. The digital robot offered them a chance to leave the retreat early without their partners in exchange for $25,000. If they turned down the offer in a Love Island-esque “love or money” twist, they would forfeit the opportunity to win the grand prize. The twosome ultimately decided to decline Lana’s surprise offer, which for Alex meant moving forward with Elys after she asked him to be her official boyfriend.

All episodes of Too Hot to Handle season 5 are currently streaming on Netflix.