Australia’s Harry Jowsey first shot to worldwide fame back in 2020, providing Netflix subscribers with essential lockdown viewing as a huge part of the reality dating show, “Too Hot to Handle,” but in an interview with M&F, the 6’4” star and model shares how he was forced to take stock of his lifestyle after seeing pictures of himself that had been snapped by the paparazzi. Jowsey reflects on his first brush with fame, and why he’s replaced spirits with smoothies as fitness becomes his No. 1 priority.
Now 25, Harry Jowsey had already been on another dating show in New Zealand before his name would skyrocket to global fame on Too Hot to Handle, but along with the red carpets and a new life in Hollywood came instant pressure. “The positives that came from the show was that I got to meet some fun people and experience falling in love for the first time,” says Jowsey. “Some of the bad results would be some public opinion and those that left negative comments (on social media), and put me down. That kind of put me on that fitness journey, and getting so focused on my health. As I watched myself on the screen, I was not happy with the way I was looking. I saw some paparazzi photos of me on the beach, when I didn’t look my best. I was enjoying the party scene too much. I’ve always enjoyed fitness and training and working on my body and my mind, but when I saw those photos I wanted to reset and refocus. Being on the show and watching it back made me realize how much I wanted to focus on my health.”
While the hunk from Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia, seemed confident on the outside, he was dealing with the same body insecurities that the rest of us face. “I was always the lanky kid and most of my friends started bulking up,” he says. “I used their inspiration as fire to get myself active and that started my journey with building muscle and taking better care of myself. I noticed too, that as I worked on my physical health and created a regular routine, making workouts a fundamental part of my day also helped to keep my mental health in much better form. Working on my fitness gives me a purpose to get out of bed and start moving.”
Harry Jowsey got his head back in the game by staying sober
“When I first moved to L.A.., I found it was really easy to be consumed into the chaotic party lifestyle and I got myself involved a bit too much,” he shares. “I was out three to four times a week, especially coming off “Too Hot to Handle,” where people were inviting me out to
events all the time. I would go hard and I would be useless for days afterward. I would try and get my head back into the game but always felt I was foggy or catching up. I understood quickly that in order for me to make my dreams a reality, I needed to remain clearheaded and use all the time I have to dedicate myself to learning, growing and meeting people that were driven and that inspire me. So, I pledged to myself I would be sober and stay focused for an entire year and here we are now. I feel so good.”
Too often, people only work on their relationship with alcohol at the extreme end. Either they are dealing with addiction, or they are cutting it out entirely. For the millions of people that sit somewhere between these extremes, developing a better relationship with alcohol simply means taking stock and not consuming so much that it blurs your goals. “I don’t feel I had a bad relationship with alcohol,” says Jowsey. “I just understand that for me to become the man that I want to be in five years, I need to be more goal focused and not let the distraction of the party scene be an obstacle in my journey. That is why I pulled back and made that pledge to myself. I just don’t need alcohol to have a great time and I would rather just have fun and make sure to take care of my friends and my people.”
Harry Jowsey keeps track of his progress to edge closer to his goals
For Jowsey, everything is possible for this ambitious, goal-focused star. Having made an impact on reality television, he also broke into the fashion world with his “Naughty Possums” line of hoodies. He takes the same driven approach to his nutrition as he does to his career. The star says that he taught himself how to track macros via Under Armour’s MyFitnessPal app, and these days has meals specially prepared for his individual carbohydrate, protein, and fat requirements. As Jowsey ditches the vanity of his partying days, he’s getting more from his training too. “I realize that getting to the gym and getting muscly is fun, but it’s not necessarily functional,” he says. “I wanted to feel good about myself so I am trying to incorporate more cardio, boxing – for that fast twitch muscle activation, more hill sprints, and things of this nature, just to be a more athletic version of myself. I want to look like an NFL Player. That’s the goal!”
To achieve this, Jowsey trains anywhere from five to seven days per week for at least two hours, and has set this as his regular morning schedule. Each morning, he works on a muscle group and follows this up with a 5-mile jog, or walk, taking the time to appreciate his beautiful LA surroundings. Jowsey’s move toward functional training has him in awe of those that teach calisthenics, and so he loves to incorporate bodyweight exercises into his routine wherever possible. Losing bodyfat has allowed him to improve in this area. “When I first started training, I would eat what I wanted… thinking that I would just burn it off in a workout, but even just the quality of skin and tone around my muscles have improved with a better, cleaner diet,” says the heartthrob.
Small changes amount to big wins
“I am not too strict, and make sure that I have Sundays for my “naughty” meal,” says the Too Hot to Handle star. “Having those pre-made meals from a local company in LA is great for me because when I get home, I am usually exhausted and still have work to do, so having something already dialed into my diet and super quick and easy to prepare is a blessing. I know my body now, and it thrives on carbs and low fat. I know a lot of people are different and cut the carbs, but for me, without them, I tend to be a shell of a human! “
There’s no doubt that small changes have made a huge impact on Jowsey’s appreciation of life. He’s in awesome shape, and is more focused than ever before on cultivating more television appearances and potential movie roles. One of the secrets to the stars success has been his ability to combine work with fun. “I still enjoy making TikToks and creating different content on social media but my passion is in front of the camera; having fun and hopefully making people smile along the way,” he says. “I’m also super excited about my partnership with Spotify with my weekly live show, “Dating Harry Jowsey”. My listeners are super engaged and I just feed off their energy.”
Jowsey is also working on expanding his podcasting presence and as if that were not enough, he’s a keen investor too, passionate about helping businesses to get off the ground. Ditching the wild parties in favor of chasing that pump has put Harry Jowsey on the path to something great.
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