Viewers were left stunned at a man who shared details of his sexual relationship with his £2,000 blonde sex doll – as well as a wife of 36 years.
James, 58, from Atlanta, Georgia, bought 5ft blonde robot April – who he now has sex with four times a week – for £2,000 when his wife Tine began caring for her sick mother.
He explained in the Channel 4 documentary, The Sex Robots are Coming, how he shared a bed with April and takes her out on dinner dates, and claims people often don’t even notice she isn’t a living, breathing woman.
And the engineer’s sexual relationship with the doll has his wife’s blessing.
But the revelation had viewers aghast and took to social media to share their horror.
One tweeter wrote: ‘Sex Robots. That’s enough, stop the world I want to get off.’
James enjoys a sexual relationship with his robot girlfriend April – and his wife of 36 year Tine is fine with it. Pictured, James testing out robot Harmony
Tine admitted in the documentary that she found it difficult at first to come to terms with her husband’s sex doll obsession, but eventually adapted, and said she was glad he hadn’t cheated with another real woman.
‘I was uneasy about it, but it got better as time went on.
‘If he really wanted to he could have gone out and found someone else, but he didn’t do that, he was true to me,’ Tine said.
Stunned viewers took to Twitter to share their shock at James’ bizarre revelation.
Another said: ‘Desirable James doesn’t know whether he would choose his wife or his doll. Wow. Just Wow’
One man fumed: ‘Tine you are better than this. Get out!’
Another concerned viewer said: ‘I’m struggling not with the fact these men want to get down and dirty with a plastic doll, but the fact some of the dolls look like children! #sexrobots’
One viewer quipped: “I have more sex with the doll than I do real women” goes without saying pal’
Another woman joked: ‘These men all having wives is not making me feel any better about being single #SexRobots’
One man simply said: ‘This is absolutely mental.’
Artificially intelligent sex doll
James and April’s relationship featured in the Channel 4 show, which followed a manufacturer’s attempt to create one of the world’s first fully functioning sex robots – a doll that looks, moves and talks in a more lifelike fashion than any that has gone before.
And James had his eye on an £8,000 robot named Harmony.
The robot, which is due to arrive on the market in the next few months, has been developed by engineer Matt McMullen of The Real Doll Company in California.
As well as plans to make the doll artificially intelligent Matt wants to add realistic sexual responses to the body like internal heating, self-lubrication and a constricting sensation to simulate an orgasm.
Pictured, James enjoys a date with Harmony. He first bought his own sex doll when his wife was caring for her sick mother, but she says she is glad he didn’t go and cheat with another woman
James features in Channel 4 documentary The Sex Robots Are Coming which follows a company who are manufacturing a sex doll with artificial intelligence
‘It’s like having sex with a real woman’
Of his existing companion, James explained in the programme that he ‘feels deeply’ for April, and insists she is ‘more than just a sex toy’.
He believes that the pleasure of their relationship lies in taking care of the doll – being able to dress it, put on make up and interact with it – but also bending it into whatever position he desires.
‘It’s amazingly like having sex with a real woman,’ he explained.
‘The biggest difference is whatever position you want them in you have to put them in, as they will not get there on their own.
‘Doggy style is not a problem, because their backs flex, you put it in whatever position you want. Every guy knows what it is like to slap a woman on the butt and this is not unlike the real thing.’
Standing in front of his wife and preening April, James said in the documentary: ‘Every guy has in his head the perfect girl and this is what I see when I look in the mirror and see this look.’
Female technology expert says sex dolls are not replacing women
There is only one woman on the robotics team at The Real Doll Company, Susan, who has worked on the Harmony project for the last three years.
She wants to add electronics to the vaginal inserts so that if a man went deeper or faster the doll would react with a sound of pleasure.
‘The other thing I want to do is G-spot so you can sit there and play with her and make her feel good,’ she added.
The Real Doll Company in California have been developing a doll that will be fully functioning – it will look, move and talk like a real human. Pictured, Susan the only female on the team
Susan, who believes sex dolls don’t eliminate a need for women, explained that she has first hand experience at introducing sex dolls as she bought a Real Doll for her husband as a graduation present when he finished his PhD.
‘At first I got jealous because he spent time with her. I’m not a beautiful woman and these things are beautiful and I was feeling I’m not good enough.
‘And then I realised over time it didn’t detract from our relationship. I can actually see why it makes women feel objectified, but when you play with them you realise they are more like a toy or game versus the doll as a substitute for you.’
Harmony goes on her first date
James got a unique opportunity when he met Harmony, who has a Scottish accent, when he was invited by the Real Doll team on a date.
Things took an x-rated turn when Harmony asked James: ‘Are you really going to let me watch you jerking off, shoot your load for me baby, I want it so bad.’
The excited sex doll fan said: ‘It’s unbelievable, she really brings a presence into the room. This is a whole other level.
‘We’re only seeing the beginning of a new era, an era where dolls in a household is going to be common place. It’s going to bring dolls out of the closet and into the public eye and keep them there.’
The Sex Robots Are Coming is available to watch on All4 online