The format of the show is based on activities designed to build a woman's self-esteem and self-confidence. These include photographing the woman naked and then displaying a very large picture of the woman's body in a public place, such as projected onto the side of a building or on the side of a van, and asking passers-by what they think of them. Viewers typically respond very positively, which builds the woman's self-esteem. Wan burns the woman's current underwear and then replaces it with more flattering underwear, including "tummy tuck pants". At the end of each episode, Wan asks the woman to walk down the modeling catwalk showing her new nude look to family and friends.
In more recent episodes, Wan has used a variety of very personal tactics designed to encourage women to love their bodies and feel sexy. He has had women pose naked in London shop windows, stopped women on the street and asked if they have Lady Lines, published the image of a semi-naked woman on the front of a fake newspaper titled Naked News, and then handed the newspaper out on a busy London street. At the end of each catwalk show, the woman is encouraged to strip naked on stage to show how far they had come in terms of body confidence.
Versions in other countries
The U.S. version of How to Look Good Naked airs on Lifetime, and is hosted by Carson Kressley. The show was promoted on The Oprah Winfrey Show, in addition to receiving rave reviews from the New York Times and the L.A. Times. Its premiere was the biggest in the network's 24-year history. The US version has aired on Network Ten in Australia and E4 in the United Kingdom.
In Belgium, there is a show called Look Good or Nicely Naked.
There is also a Swedish version called Snygg Naken, an Italian version called Nude e Belle, an Israeli version called בעירום מלא (Be'erom Mal'e), a French version, Belle toute nue, which began on the M6 channel on 9 December 2008, and Polish version called Jak dobrze wyglądać nago, which will begin on TVN Style channel in March 2009.
In late 2009/early 2010, the Canadian version of How to Look Good Naked premiered and currently runs on the W Network, on which the UK version once aired. It is hosted by Zain Meghji.
Since 2010 there is also a Czech version called Nahá jsi krásná (Naked you're beautiful) hosted by Libor Šula.
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