The cast of FBoy Island, HBO Max’s new reality dating show, is almost entirely made up of extremely muscular guys who are always topless. They have personalities, sure, and they don’t all look alike, but man, there are a lot of jacked bros in tiny clothes for the viewer to keep track of. But don’t sweat it if you’re struggling—even host Nikki Glaser admits she couldn’t remember all of their names during filming. “It was really hard for me,” she told Esquire over Zoom before the show’s July 29 premiere. “I found it very difficult to keep track of all the guys, but I didn't put that much pressure on myself to do so, because I knew as someone who watches these shows, cuts get made, and then we thin the herd and then you can really dive in and get to know people.”

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With the next batch of three episodes dropping August 5, we will certainly get to know certain members of the cast better, for better or for worse. The series follows three women who are looking for love and tasked with finding it in a cast of 24 men—12 of whom are nice guys that share their desire for a relationship, and another 12 fuck boys who are there to win some cash. The women must, based on challenges and dates, determine who is there for the right reasons, and make eliminations accordingly. Unless, of course, they fall for a fuck boy before its too late.

Executive produced and hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser, the series is a self-aware, fun, and stupidly entertaining summer watch. We talked to Nikki about what making a reality dating show is like, her personal favorites among the cast, and her take on the guys’ bold fashion choices during filming.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Esquire: I saw you told the Daily Beast that you wanted to make a reality show because that's what you like to watch, which is why I cover reality.

Nikki: It’s the most enjoyable. When you start in standup, there's just a trajectory you have like okay, you're going to have a sitcom like Seinfeld, then you're going to go on tour. Reality shows really aren't a place that I had ever even considered I could belong in, but I've always wanted to be in. Before I began stand up, I wanted to be on the Real World, but I never let myself do it because I didn't want to become famous just for reality TV. I wanted to do it the other way—do something and then get into reality. So it worked out. But I take that back now. I would probably advise anyone to get into reality. I think it's a great way to break into the biz because these people are truly talented and captivating. And that's much of what being a celebrity is about. The best comics are reality stars. Ones that you watch on stage and go, "Wow, that person's saying something or doing something or telling me about something they did that's so embarrassing. I would never admit that, but it makes me feel less alone.” That's what reality stars do for us. I think me doing standup comedy was just a vehicle for me to get to this point.

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Any crazy stories or surprising things from filming that stand out to you?

We were in the Cayman Islands and we had to quarantine for two weeks before we were allowed out into the world. And then once we were, it was Covid free. And so I think part of why the show really just worked. Although it was so annoying to have everyone there for two weeks beforehand just in a hotel room by themselves waiting, I think that added to the anticipation of getting out of there and wanting to just fall in love. This was really before the U.S. opened up. It was like the Roaring ‘20s on an island in a situation where you don't even realize the rest of the world exists.

The thing I found out about reality shows is that you truly get swept away in it. And that's why I think reality stars are pretty brave, because they put themselves in a situation that maybe some of them don't understand how vulnerable they'll end up being. They think they have control over it, but you do let down your guard eventually when you're on a reality show. Even me as the host, there was one elimination where I really went hard on a guy who I thought was lying. And I had no idea until the next day that I really was screaming in a way that scared a lot of people on the set and the crew and especially the guy who was yelling at. I really thought I was being funny and not that harsh at all. But it showed me that even I lost control of my behavior and performed in a way that would have been embarrassing had they aired the whole thing. And if it got me, it can get anyone. And so I think that it was just a perfect environment to put a bunch of hot single people and have them all fall in love.

Sky's out, thighs out.

I mean, I was on Dancing With the Stars for two episodes because it was a two night premiere. I was voted off first. And I was invested in that show in a way that you would've thought...I mean, I was wanting to wear ‘Dance Is Life’ shirts. After I got voted off, I was asking all my friends, "How am I never going to dance again?" And they were like, "You never danced. A month ago, you would never dance and now it's your life?" And it was just because I was in a reality show bubble. It's amazing. I love reality because you really disappear into the world and it's totally unpredictable. You don't have to memorize lines. You don't have to do too much preparation. You just get to be yourself. And as the host of the show, I was excited that HBO let me be myself, just as much as they would if I were a cast member. They wanted me to actually have a personality and to have likes and dislikes and maybe lose my temper sometimes or be disappointed in someone I was invested in.

Did you know who the FBoys were in the cast throughout filming?

I truly cared about the girls and was really invested in them making the right decisions, but I might not have given the best advice. I found out I am not the best at that. I have 10 years on these girls, so I thought I would be much better at sniffing out the FBoy. But the truth is, I just think that everyone is capable of change.

I did find out that people are very good at lying, though. And I am moving throughout my life in a romantic sense with a lot more caution after what I've seen on this show. But the girls standing up to these guys was inspiring for me. It’s always been something that's very scary for me to confront men, because I'm scared of abandonment. But on this show, the guys can't really abandon you. They're trying to stick around. So they're like, "I'm sorry." One elimination, I remember being moved to the point that I sent off like a text that was very unlike me to a romantic interest addressing things that I wouldn't have stood up for myself for in the past. I was influenced by the women's courage and self esteem that I witnessed. And I was sitting there thinking I was someone who could advise them. So, I hope people watch this show and learn to be a little bit more discerning of people they trust, but also learn to be vulnerable at the same time.

Nikki advising Sarah, CJ, and Nakia.

We watch reality TV to feel better about ourselves because we go, "Oh my God, I'm not that much of a mess." When in reality, you would be that much of a mess if you took your personality and put it into a pod where you were talking to a guy and fell in love with a guy's voice, and then you saw him and he was shorter than you thought he would be. And you also might drink too much to cover up your feelings. You know who I'm talking about, but I can't judge anyone on reality shows anymore because we are those people and you don't understand the circumstance in which their behavior comes out. We would all act that way. I'm just comfortable with the idea that I'm not perfect and neither are all these people. And I think it's very commendable to put yourself out there for entertainment.

Reality TV is like watching David Attenborough, just a documentary about humans. No one ever makes fun of people for watching Planet Earth. You're just watching birds hookup or monkeys socialize and eat together. But people will be like, "Wow, you're so smart because you want to watch nature documentaries." But the second you want to watch the Housewives, it's like, "Oh, you just want to watch these women screaming at each other and getting drunk and throwing wine?" It's like, yes, because these are an advanced form of primates that are very intelligent. It's just another kind of animal that you're watching. Reality TV is really just watching animals in captivity, and it's fascinating. And it's a study in psychology, sociology, and some other ology I don't know because I'm too dumb because I watch reality TV.

The confrontation with Sarah and Garrett, where he FaceTimed the ex, that was crazy to watch.

Yeah. That was wild. That was a moment that I was really in awe of Sarah and I thought it showed this new side of her that was not scared. It’s so scary to talk to someone's ex who they might still be in a thing with! It's a nightmare to meet an ex. And for her to get on that call and be able to do it, I thought was really brave. And the way she handled it and the way she felt afterwards, it's not something I would have wanted to do in her position. But I think it actually was for the best. So that was an example of me being like, "Sarah FaceTimed with Garrett's alleged girlfriend? What? Our Sarah?" I think some of these girls found a new voice and a new courage and self-esteem and a bravery that they maybe wouldn't have had walking into the show.

And for someone who is so optically villainous, I thought Garrett was very, very emotionally aware of why he was the way he was. And that made me both feel safe and terrified. He was really shallow at times, and would say ridiculous things. And then he'd tell you why he says it. He's like, "Oh, because I'm adopted and because I've never felt safe." He'd psychoanalyze himself, but keep doing the ridiculous things. So I don’t know if that’s good or bad.

Sarah listening intently as Garrett lies to her repeatedly.

I also wanted to know if you had any thoughts about the men's fashion on the show, particularly like OG Jared was wearing a very tight peach suit in one elimination, which was a standout for me. Do any outfit moments stand out to you?

Well, I didn't like mocking OG Jared. I was playful with some of the guys regarding their wardrobe, but with OG Jared, I never went there because he didn't seem to have a sense of humor about it and took it very seriously. But it was hilarious what he wore. It was always an exciting moment to see him step out at elimination night in what he had chosen that evening. And the guys' fashion is the thing that throws you because they all care so much about what they wear, which you think is an F boy trait. So they all present as F boys.

And it kept getting worse, because they're only surrounded by each other. These guys hate buttons. They either can't button buttons or they just don't like buttons. All of them were Benjamin Unbuttoned. And in the beginning, they definitely were all trying to make a statement with how they dress because that's how you get attention. Peacocking wearing something weird. I mean, I'm 37. I didn't know people dress like this. I'm just not out with 20 somethings that much. And it seemed like every day was a costume party to me, but there was something about the guys being so into fashion that I kind of liked. I like that side of younger men now. There's more like, we do care about how we look and we're not going to be ashamed to put some effort into it. So a lot of it was quite adorable and a good sign of men not being scared to try hard.

But they are all working on their bodies so much. The thing I don't understand is why they all need to be able to lift so much. They lift all this weight, and then none of them actually have to lift anything in their lives besides the weights that they're using to build the muscle. I understand being fit and wanting to be strong, but the obsession with the body is a little intense. I don't surround myself with these kinds of people generally. And by that I mean I don't feel like I'm cool enough for them. But I was into that look by the end of the time there. I went back home and just yell at my friends, "You need to start wearing everything unbuttoned all the way down. Really bright neon colors, lots of gel in your hair.”

So much muscle.

Did you have any personal favorite guys in the cast that you got along with or thought were great?

I mean, the host is supposed to really fraternize with everyone. But yes, of course, I had my favorites and I had the guys that I was just like, "Ugh, get off." I will say that the guy who gets first voted off the show, Peter, was one of my favorites. I was so sad when he got eliminated because he was just so funny. I thought his joke that he made to CJ that annoyed her was funny. And so I didn't understand why he was voted off, but I also didn't witness it until I watched the episode. And even now that I have seen the episode, I stand by it. I don't think he should have been voted off. But that was the beauty of this show is that just because you may not be just because you might face elimination doesn't mean everything's over for you...

The show plays with the fact that there are so many guys, we don't even know half of them. And I wanted to know if you always remembered all the guys’ names.

I did not. It was really hard for me. For some reason I always wanted to call Greg "Josh." I found it very difficult to keep track of all the guys, but I didn't put that much pressure on myself to do so, because I knew as someone who watches these shows, cuts get made, and then we thin the herd and then you can really dive in and get to know people. So as much as I should know everyone's name and I tried to, I allowed myself to not because I knew they wouldn't stick around long. But as much as they all dress alike and ridiculously, and they all have the same promo codes for whatever gummy bear they're selling, I think that they were all really individual characters and perfectly cast.

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