Are Elys and Alex still together? It's just one of the questions answered by the last three episodes of Too Hot To Handle season 5, which dropped on Netflix on Friday, July 28. And if you thought the drama would die down in the show's final stretch, you were wrong.
The final batch of the steamy reality dating show sees those in couples struggling to keep their hands off each other as they prepare for life away from the retreat.
The two solid couples going into the final are Louis Russell and Christine Obanor, and Elys Hutchinson and Alex Snell. Throughout this season, both duos have faced hardship as they overcame love triangles, challenges from Lana and almost being dumped from the retreat. However, despite Elys initially being the one hesitant to open up to Alex, it’s actually Alex who is having second thoughts about their relationship and whether he’s ready to fully commit to Elys by the final day.
So what does Alex decide? And are Elys and Alex still together? Here's the tea.
Do Alex and Elys break up during 'Too Hot to Handle'?
Elys and Alex have not had an easy journey to the end. But the good news is that they do actually end the show as a couple and leave as boyfriend and girlfriend.
Elys initially coupled up with Hunter LoNigro. However, despite feeling a physical connection to Hunter, Elys couldn’t stop thinking about Alex, even after she broke the rules by kissing Hunter. That told viewers how much deeper her connection was with the former.
After finding out about Hunter and Elys' kiss, Alex did try to move on with Megan Thompson but his eyes kept straying back to Elys. So good ol' Lana did what she does best and got involved. Lana sent Elys on a date with Hunter but halfway through, she gave Elys the choice to stick with the date or switch over to Alex. Though the date was going well, she quickly jumped at the opportunity to spend time with Alex. Alex and Elys’ date went so well that when they got back to the villa, they announced to the group that they would be sharing a bed from now on, much to Megan’s heartbreak.
From that moment on, Alex and Elys were pretty inseparable and their connection grew so strong that they embarked on a record-breaking 12-minute kiss resulting in a $36,000 deduction from the Too Hot to Handle prize fund.
Amongst all their high moments, Elys was struggling to be open with Alex about her feelings. But after a group exercise with the girls, Elys was able to tell Alex how she felt about him and their relationship.
When sent out on their final date, it was Alex’s turn to have doubts. Alex was battling with whether or not he wanted to commit to Elys. While he liked her, he wasn’t sure if he was ready to stop being a wanderer. Elys told him he could have both as she loves traveling too. While he was happy to hear that, he still felt scared of commitment. But he was pushed outside of his comfort zone when Elys decided to ask Alex to be her boyfriend. While he was shocked, he did end up saying yes.
Alex’s continued doubts saw Lana issue him one last challenge. Lana gave him an ultimatum of securing $25,000 but leaving the retreat then and there as a single man or staying on the retreat, continuing his relationship with Elys and forfeiting winning the show and the prize fund. Ultimately, he chose love over money as he realized he was in love with Elys.
Are Elys and Alex still together?
Currently, both Elys and Alex’s social media pages don’t give many hints about their current relationship status. Elys's Instagram shows her spending time with her castmates Megan and Christine. Meanwhile, Alex has a lot of shirtless pics.
However, Elys did speak to Elite Daily in July 2023 and revealed that the couple had split after a six-month romance: "We stayed together just under six months after filming. It was a very fun six months—very fiery and passionate. But with me traveling so much and us doing long-distance, it just didn't work. We're still on great terms, which is really nice."
She added that she is currently single: "Right now, I’m focusing on my career. I’m in L.A. with my family and having a really good time. I’m open to going on dates, meeting people, and seeing where it goes, but I’m very happy being single and doing my own thing."
Who won 'Too Hot to Handle' season 5?
After both Louis and Alex rejected Lana's $25,000 offer, Lana ended up selecting Elys and Dre as the season 5 finalists because she felt they had made the most growth.
The rest of the contestants got to vote for who they felt should be crowned winner and they ultimately chose Elys to receive the $100,000 cash prize. However, she decided to split the money 50/50 with Dre because she knew how much it would mean to him and his family.
All episodes of Too Hot to Handle season 5 are streaming on Netflix now.
