When Akonne Wanliss ripples his oiled-up abs, he has the facility to make women and men scream in delight. However, there’s one one who steadfastly refuses to lap it up — girlfriend, Daniella Hemsley.
His profession as a stripper has lengthy brought on rigidity between Akonne, 33, and his accomplice of 4 years, who believes that it isn’t a job a future husband ought to do.
In truth, Danielle, a 24-year-old content material creator, was so determined for him to pack away his pants for good that she got here up with an excessive plan: secretly signal him up for the second sequence of Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends — the ITV actuality present that sends males to a coaching camp designed to ‘remodel’ them into higher companions.
With the present happening in Tenerife, a plan needed to be hatched to get Akonne to board the flight to the Canary Isles. Producers managed to influence him that it was all for a (pretend) present referred to as ‘Hot Shots’, the place he could be competing to be generally known as the perfect social gathering starter. After spending the day posing poolside in minuscule gold pants and grinding on different girls in a nightclub at evening, Akonne was confronted by Daniella, and the true goal of the present was lastly revealed.
Recalling the second that the penny dropped, Akonne admits to Metro that he felt betrayed. ‘You don’t count on to go on one thing that’s a setup by the particular person you like. All I had on was an apron and bow tie, as we have been instructed it was what we wanted to put on for our subsequent problem,’ he explains.
‘I’m not shy, nevertheless it felt exposing. I didn’t know the place to cover myself. I had numerous points with the entire strategy of being lied to. I wanted to sleep on it to determine if I even wished to remain.’
Akonne was additionally shocked that Danielle would even take into account him a ‘dangerous boyfriend’. ‘I’m attentive, protecting, and I make her chuckle,’ he says in defence.
Plus, he provides, he’s been a stripper for the final 12 years, alongside content material creation and MMA combating. ‘For me, it has by no means been that deep. It’s fast, simple money for a few hours’ work. I’ve had many girlfriends who’ve had issues with it, however they should belief me,’ he says. ‘I don’t desire a accomplice who tries to vary who I’m. If I need to finish my profession, I’ll do it on my phrases, and I didn’t like Danielle pondering {that a} husband couldn’t be a stripper, too.’
However, Danielle argues that the true situation is that Akonne commonly crosses a line when he’s working and doesn’t respect boundaries. ‘I’ve seen him take it too far with my very own eyes,’ she tells Olivia on the present, describing how she’s seen girls grabbing his penis and Akonne doing nothing to cease them. ‘I’ve to sit down there as his girlfriend after which go dwelling with that,’ she provides.
Do you assume Akonne ought to cease stripping for the sake of his relationship?
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Yes, it is disrespectful to his girlfriend
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No, it is his profession and selection
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They have to discover a compromise
When Metro raises this level with him, Akonne admits: ‘I’d somewhat her be trustworthy and put it on the desk, nevertheless it’s my job. I can compartmentalise. What I’m doing on stage is a part of my efficiency. I placed on a magic present. If the choreographer is telling me to do one thing, then my arms are tied.’
Not fairly, it seems, as Danielle complains on the present that her accomplice nonetheless likes to strip even when he’s not getting paid. On the primary day of filming, certainly one of her fellow disgruntled girlfriends spies on her boyfriend as a part of the present and reviews again that he ‘obtained his d**okay out 3 times’.
Akonne’s response? ‘If I’m working or not, I’m residing for the applause and don’t take into consideration anybody else other than that.’
With such a distinction of opinion, some would possibly marvel why the couple even hassle staying collectively; nevertheless, Akonne explains that they’ve one thing very particular between them.
‘We’re very related in numerous methods — two very loopy, vibrant and assured characters,’ he insists. ‘She’s like the feminine model of me, so it may be stunning when it really works.’
It’s the rationale he determined to stay out the truth present the place boyfriends are banished to dwell in ‘Brozone’ – primarily a park stuffed with soiled caravans with guidelines like no intercourse or going out, whereas the ladies camp out in a luxurious villa.
![This image and the information contained herein is strictly embargoed until 20.00 Tuesday 2nd September 2025 From Optomen Olivia Attwood?s Bad Boyfriends: SR2 on ITV2 and ITVX Pictured: Olivia Attwood and the cast of Olivia Attwood?s Bad Boyfriends [l-r]: Akonne, Chaynie, Joe, Miles, Dillon, Max, Italo, Dan, Antony, Daniella, Jacinta, Veronica, Shay, Mia, Izzy and Ellie. This photograph is (C) ITV Plc and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned above, or ITV plc. This photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by ITV plc Picture Desk. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on the website www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SEI_264371991-36ce.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Controversy surrounding Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends
Some viewers query whether or not Bad Boyfriends is sending the unsuitable message that ladies want to vary males, somewhat than choosing males who deal with them how they need to be handled from the outset.
A Reddit Thread was set as much as focus on the sequence, with one particular person writing: ‘Bad Boyfriends feels prefer it’s suggesting that you could change a man for the higher, which doesn’t really feel like the perfect message to place out?’
‘It’s so unhappy and exhausting to observe! Some of the ‘boys’ on this present are so poisonous to the poor ladies. Not all the pieces could be fastened,’ one other commenter added.
Host Olivia Atwood has beforehand defended it to Metro: ‘My philosophy is that people are flawed, and people make errors.
‘But I don’t need the narrative to be misconstrued that individuals ought to combat for anybody. This experiment was very a lot about seeing if exposing the boys to their dangerous behaviour would affect them in a method that they’d need to change.
‘I’m not encouraging folks to stick with some horrible one who isn’t good to them. Not the case in any respect. There is scope for human error, change and improvement.
‘We’re residing in an epidemic of violence in opposition to girls, and misogyny is at an all-time excessive and really, for various these guys, seeing themselves was a really sobering expertise. There’s a deeper route that the present takes.’
The males are then given duties designed to assist them develop, together with group therapy-style chats with Olivia, video games assessing how nicely they know their accomplice, and film nights to point out clips of their behaviour. The most improved is then given £20,000 for his or her efforts.
While Akonne is staying tight-lipped about whether or not he wins or not, he says he’s grateful to the present for altering his relationship and serving to him develop into extra introspective in simply three weeks. ‘On this journey, I undoubtedly should assume deeper. It was a fairly intense expertise,’ he explains.
‘I used to be in a position to take myself out of my very own footwear and to see how my actions can have an effect on different folks, particularly folks near me.
‘I used to assume that in case you love me, it’s good to do it unconditionally, particularly if I’m simply working, my intentions aren’t something malicious, and I’m simply having enjoyable being me. I’ve extra emotional intelligence now.’ In phrases of whether or not Akonne remains to be stipping, he teases {that a} resolution has been made, which can be revealed in a later episode.
New episodes of Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends air at 9pm on ITV, and can be found to observe on ITVX
Do you’ve got a narrative you’d wish to share? Get in contact by emailing Josie.Copson@metro.co.uk
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