LOS ANGELES — Allie Eve Knox may be the first adult performer to ever enter the business with an advanced degree in the field of archeology.
The University of Alabama grad is one of the 16 contestants — eight female and eight male — in the upcoming reality porn competition “The Sex Factor,” which will make its broadcast debut this summer.
“I’m still tied to the show but you’ll see a lot more of me soon,” Knox told XBIZ.
The show will crown one female and one male winner with prize packages that executive producer Buddy Ruben says are worth $1 million. Hosted by Asa Akira, the “The Sex Factor” also features fellow celebrity judges Tori Black, Lexi Belle, Remy LaCroix and Keiran Lee.
“It’s big stuff,” Knox said. “I networked with the judges. They’ve seen us work and coached us. It’s a huge foot in the door.”
Win or lose, Knox intends to parlay her notoriety from “The Sex Factor” into a full-fledged porn career. She and the rest of the cast already have filmed several episodes with more production days starting this month in Los Angeles.
Ruben said at press time he was targeting June for a broadcast distribution announcement with hopes to premiere the series in July.
“The show will air this summer,” Ruben told XBIZ. “We’ve shot a bunch of episodes so far.”
Without revealing specific details, he said the prize package for the winners consists of “cash up front, plus a contract.” The former executive in Silicon Valley said he was bored selling software when he had the inspiration for the series.
According to the SXFactor.com, “each episode will feature a new challenge to test the contestants’ skill set and sex appeal.
“They’ll work with each other and existing industry stars to refine their craft and advance through increasingly complex and explicit sexual situations while receiving an Ivy League porn star education from the industry’s best.”
Ruben came into the project with no prior porn experience; he was just a casual fan.
“I’ve always been fascinated with reality TV, specifically why really smart and awesome people are so obsessed with it,” Ruben admitted. “I combined that fascination with the adult industry and started to develop this show. It’s obviously got a ton of traction going and I’m super excited to make some big announcements over the next couple months.”
“The Sex Factor” received national exposure in February on ABC News’ “Nightline,” which zeroed in on Knox as one of their main sources. It also has received coverage from TIME, Rolling Stone, Vice, Gawker, The New York Post and New York Daily News, among other outlets.
“The whole concept really is to facilitate the contestants getting into the industry and sustaining long careers,” Ruben said. “We’re giving all the contestants access to the biggest stars in the world who are coaching them.”
Ruben said there would be additional adult industry guest stars as the show progresses, and contestants will be eliminated along the way.
He said Knox so far has been a standout.
“I think she’s been tremendous. I’ve been really impressed with her, not only performance-wise, but also in terms of her marketing skill set and how to brand herself,” Ruben continued. “She’s doing a great job with social media and uncovering business opportunities. She’s just an aggressive marketer and that’s kind of half the battle in the entertainment business.”
The 25-year-old Knox, a native of Atlanta, was a Playboy Cyber Girl in her late teens who has appeared in some of Playboy’s special editions. She’s also done appearances for the iconic magazine.
Then last September she started regular web-camming for PlayboyLive.com.
“Camming has been so good to me,” she said. “I really love it. I’m really into connecting with people.”
It was one of Knox’s Playboy Live fans that brought “The Sex Factor” casting call to her attention.
“So I sent in my applications and we did a series of Skypes and [Buddy] thought I would be a good fit,” Knox recalled. “So I flew out for the first round of casting in Palm Springs.
“I’ve just been getting really great feedback so far.”
A resident of Dallas since last summer, Knox creates research papers from archaeology dig reports when she’s not on cam. She has two undergraduate degrees: one in art and design and the other in anthropology.
“I’m so flexible now. I just work a few days a week, so it’s not going to be hard to have another career,” Knox said. “I can go out to L.A. for a few weeks and come back.”
She said she’ll be represented by Motley Models when she’s done with the show and ready to book sex scenes.
“I just want to work,” Knox said. “This is the career I would like to have.”
Dave Rock, the president of Motley Models, said he worked with Ruben on casting the show and will be representing the talent from “The Sex Factor” when they’re ready to shoot paid scenes.
“We have a pretty strong scouting system and we wanted to leverage that to help find talent for the show,” Rock told XBIZ.
He said he did not know Knox prior to her filling out the online application for “The Sex Factor.”
“We thought Allie was a good fit and we’re excited to represent her,” he said. “She’s a great girl. She’s a super articulate, smart, pretty girl who's all natural. She’s definitely a contender.”
Knox already has landed a photo shoot with one high-profile L.A.-based photographer since the filming began.
“We offer coaching and mentorship with the show,” Ruben said. “We’re training them for every aspect of the business, from the health and safety aspects to how to carry yourself and be smart with your money.
“The contestants are getting mentoring with the best in the industry. It’s a unique value proposition for the contestants and the viewer. It’s also unique for the stars. They’ve never done anything like this before.”
