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The Bachelor franchise has graced our television screens for nearly 20 years now. It has been one of the most riveting reality TV shows for years. People cannot get enough of the nonstop drama, the fight for love, and all the juicy secrets on this show. But as with most things, there's a dark side that not many know too much about.
Here are the darkest and dirtiest secrets from The Bachelor...
Producer-Contestant Relations
Apparently, there’s a lot more that goes on behind the scenes with contestants and producers than people know. "There are more producer-contestant relationships than viewers realize," Jamie Otis told Women's Health. "They're always kept hush-hush."
Flashcards
During those earlier rose ceremonies when there are lots of contestants left, it’s hard for the lead to remember everyone’s names. A producer prepares photo flashcards with the contestant’s names on them that are kept offset. The lead can step away and go back to refer to the cards if they forget someone’s name.
Tracking
Amy Kaufman’s tell-all book revealed that producers go as far as tracking the ladies’ menstrual cycles to film them when they are likely to be “a hormonal, emotional wreck," she says. This is pretty disturbing.
Limo Entrance Approvals
The contestant’s limo entrances are vetted by the producers beforehand. "If it’s something they want to do, they’ll allow it to go through, and if it’s something they don’t want for you and for your story [they won’t]," Darius Feaster told Betches. "That has a lot to do with the producers and how they want to portray who you are.
Personal Time
Many of the female contestants on The Bachelor pack their personal vibrators to bring along with them. This might be TMI, but if you only get 72 hours at most with the lead in 6 weeks, sometimes you get a little lonely.
Desperate Times
Some girls ask for drug store hair dye kits throughout the season. They’re not allowed to leave the house and desperate times call for desperate measures, sometimes. After all, they’re filming for a primetime television show.
Producer Betrayal
Clare Crawley, a contestant on Juan Pablo Galavis’ season felt betrayed by producers when they edited a scene in such a way that made it seem like she and Juan Pablo had had sex in the ocean. "I felt so betrayed by the producers," she said.
No Safe Place
There is little to no privacy while filming the show. Courtney Robertson from season 16 of The Bachelor shared that girls would go to the bathroom to cry so they wouldn't be caught on camera.
An Early Choice
Bachelorette winner Jesse Csincsak revealed that the lead usually has their final four picked from night 1. "Producers orchestrate the entire thing, sitting contestants down with the star, then directing others to kick them out. Then they tell the lead, ‘Pick four people you would like to get to know better.'"
Girls >Boys
The Bachelorette has a higher success rate than The Bachelor. Out of the 15 seasons of The Bachelorette that have aired since 2003, six of the couples are still together. Only two of the original couples from The Bachelor are still together in its 24-season run.
First Out
The order the contestants come out of the limos does matter. "I remember one of the producers said to me, 'You are going to be the first one out of the limo.' I didn't think much of it," Sean Lowe told Glamour. The producer then said to Lowe, "'Because you are first, everyone here thinks you are going to do well.' They want to get the show started off on the right foot."
The Long Night
Night 1 at the mansion takes around 12 hours to shoot. The women who don’t get a rose on the first night are often seen leaving when its daylight again. Yikes!
Welcome Gifts
When female contestants arrive at the mansion they are given welcome baskets with free products and bikinis. According to one past contestant the bikinis "made your boobs look really big." Well, alright then.
No Eating Allowed
The meals they are served on their one-on-one dates aren’t actually eaten—they’re more of a prop than anything. Both the lead and the contestants will eat in their hotel rooms prior to the night portion of the date. It would be a little strange to be chomping on some steak while trying to have a serious conversation about the future.
Hometown TV Magic
Hometown dates aren’t always at the actual contestant’s family’s home. Sometimes, for filming purposes, they’ll often shoot at a wealthier relative’s home instead.
Screentime Without Screentime
Throughout the duration of filming, contestants are not allowed to have access to phones, computers, TVs, magazines, or books while filming. The digital devices we understand, but not being able to even read a book to kill time is a crazy rule!
One Hot Island
The villas where the contestants stay while on Bachelor in Paradise might look nice, however, they do not have air conditioning. Believe it or not, this is done on purpose so that the contestants have to leave their rooms and mingle more with each other.
The Two-Year Hurdle
Couples must remain together for two years post-show in order to keep the Neil Lane engagement ring. If they break up before the two-year mark, they have to give that big ol’ engagement ring back to Mr. Lane.
The Bachelorette Advantage
The Bachelorette has the advantage when it comes to her engagement ring. She essentially gets to drop hints to producers and Neil Lane about what ring design she prefers.
Psychologist Included
Understandably, there is a psychologist on staff. Between the producer-induced drama and the sheer trauma of sharing your bf or gf with 30 others, it’s probably nice to get to talk to someone before you lose your mind.
Close Quarters
According to Amy Kaufman’s tell-all book about the show, a producer sleeps right next door during the fantasy suite dates. She says they’re "just a wall over, where they can literally hear what's going on."
Surprise Dates
The lead doesn’t have a say in what the date activities and locations will be. In fact, they don’t find out what they’re doing until the day before or the morning of the actual dates.
Date Selection
Although they don’t get to choose the actual date, they do get to pick who they go on the dates with. While in the beginning, producers usually make suggestions based on who will make good TV, it’s ultimately up to the lead to choose who they want to take on each date.
The Married Couples
There are 11 married couples that have come out of The Bachelor/ette/BIP franchise specifically. The couples are Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter, Ashley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum, Desiree Hartstock and Chris Siegfried, Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici, Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert, Carly Waddell and Evan Bass, Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon, Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo, Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney, Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham, and Krystal Nielson and Chris Randone (Krystal and Chris just recently announced split). While the odds don’t typically seem great, for these folks, it all worked out in the end.
BYO Wardrobe
The contestants have to outfit themselves for the entire season. The only time ABC provides the contestants with clothing is for the finale episode. The final two contestants are given dresses or suits.
The Engaged Couples
Five other Bach-Nation couples are currently engaged: JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers, Raven Gates and Adam Gottschalk, Becca Kufrin and Garrett Yrigoyen, and Kevin Wendt and Astrid Loch, Hannah Godwin and Dylan Barbour—two Bachelorettes and three couples that met on BIP.
Freeform Fitness
Contestants always seem to be super fit, but there is no gym in the mansion to keep up with their physique. Some contestants have said they run up and down the mansion stairs or even use random objects around the mansion in lieu of weights.
Engagement Not Necessary
There is no contractual obligation for the Bachelor/ette to end in a marriage proposal. But, you know, sometimes, you gotta give the people what they want!
Dress to Impress
Contestants must bring "clothing for both cold and warm weather, athletic wear, bathing suits, heels, tennis shoes, sandals, cocktail, long, and casual dresses, and heavy coats." And all of those things must be packed into just two suitcases. Good luck!
Limited Time
According to former Bachelorette, Ali Fedotowsky, contestants spend around 72 hours total with the lead if they’re given the final rose, and about 8 of those hours are spent sleeping in the fantasy suite date. Not much time to really bond before agreeing to marriage, don’t ya think?
The Lead Gets the Clothes
The leads are given a big budget for their wardrobe. Emily Maynard was given a $350,000 budget and somehow still went over that amount!
Skip the Patterns
Former Bachelor, Sean Lowe, also revealed that cast also can't bring clothes with "stripes, small checkered patterns, giant patterns, solid white, or branded logos.”
Fireworks
When Ryan Sutter proposed to Trista during her season of the Bachelorette, there was almost a serious accident on set. One of the floating candles in the pool lit a nearby plant on fire during the proposal which could have turned deadly had it not been caught in time!
Tear Producer
There’s a producer who is specifically hired to help get the tears flowing. Former producer, Sarah Gertrude, said that her job was to get contestants to open up to her, give them terrible advice, and spend most of the night doing just that so that they were deprived of sleep.
Doin' Business
Amy Kaufman revealed, however, that past contestants have snuck into various business centers in hotels throughout filming to google themselves and find out what the world thinks of them before the show debuts.
Ahead of the Game
Casting for the upcoming season begins over a year in advance. Producers solicit people on social media to be on the show while others apply all on their own.
Getting the Scoop
The casting process is long and detailed. A PI is even involved in vetting contestants. Past contestant Darius Feaster said, "The P.I. was asking me about my friends’ histories based on pictures from social media.”
Getting Tested
All contestants must submit to STI testing and comprehensive physical exams before they can appear on the show. The most common reason that people don’t make it on the show is for, believe it or not, herpes.
Making the Cut
Contestants find out if they’ve been cast just two to three weeks before filming begins. That’s not much time to assemble the ultimate closet and get yourself prepped for TV.
Wet Pavement
Producers wet the pavement outside the mansion to make it appealing for filming, as it gives it a shiny appearance. For the women, though, this often means soaked floor-length dresses.
Paying for Drama
Top producers have paid other producers to create drama with bribes. Executive producer, Scott Jeffrees, would slip $100 bills into the pockets of producers who helped create the best and most dramatic TV moments for the show.
Televised Wedding
In addition to having to stay together for two years to keep the ring, producers also have the rights to the couple’s wedding should it occur within that two-year time frame. Contestants are paid $10,000 per hour of TV for their televised wedding specials.
Paying Her Rent
Former contestant and Bachelorette, Desiree Hartsock said she told producers when she was on The Bachelor that she would not be able to stay on the show unless they paid her rent. At the time she was living paycheck to paycheck and would have lost her housing if they didn’t fork it over.
Loving the Spotlight
Former Bachelor, two-time Bachelorette contestant, and one-time BIP contestant, Nick Viall, admitted that he enjoyed getting the attention post-show, but tried to remember that fame is fickle. "'What am I doing?' I try to tell myself this isn't going to last. I'm aware how forgettable we all are," he said.
Brand Deals
Post-show, contestants with brand deals get anywhere from $250 to $10,000 for Instagram posts. Former Bachelor favorite, Ashley Iaconetti, who has over a million followers on Instagram revealed that she has learned to profit from her fame. "250,000 followers = $1,000/ad. 500,000 followers = $2,000/ad. And if you have 1 million followers? You're probably getting at least $10,000 per ad," Kaufman wrote in her book.
Sick with Doubt
Former lead, Jesse Csincack, proposed to DeAnna Pappas at the end of his season, but he said there were red flags leading right up to the proposal. Apparently, he was throwing up that whole day, which makes sense, since the pair split after just a few months.
Cold Feet
Catherine Giudici, who was Sean Lowe’s final pick, said that Sean has cold feet right before the proposal. He told her he wasn't going to "settle for anything less than a family that will center around Christ." While the pair are still married with two children, she said that she wished he had discussed this with her sooner.
Called Out
When Nick Viall appeared on Andi Dorfman’s season, he called her out for sleeping with him in the fantasy suite and then not choosing him in the end. "I'm not trying to defend it—it wasn't the platform," he told Kaufman. "But I also wasn't trying to shame her...The truth is if a girl had done that, all the feminists in the world would have been like, 'You go, girl! Way to call him out!'"
Frankenbites
A former show editor revealed that they cut clips to create a different narrative for TV. The editor called it “Frankenbiting” and explained that "you can make it whatever you think. You think, 'Oh, she's going to say something bitchy and we'll use that.' No, no, no. You make whatever she does sound bitchy."
Forced Into It
Former producer, Elan Gale, supposedly tried to pressure Chris Bukowski into proposing to BIP contestant Elise Mosca. He was hesitant because at this point in the season he couldn’t stand her, but Gale insisted that it would fix his image. Ultimately, though, Chris did not go through with it.
Girl Chats
Kaufman revealed that female contestants are encouraged to participate in “girl-chats” where they sit around in a big group and talk about the lead, the other girls, and who they believe will be sent home that week. This was a more recent addition to the show.
The Mansion Owner
The Bachelor mansion is actually privately owned by Marshall Haraden. It’s called Villa de la Vina and for ten months out of the year, Haraden and his family live in the six-bedroom, nine-bathroom house.
Nasty Notes
Producers write nasty casting notes about the contestants. Kaufman found a binder during Jesse Palmer’s season with notes that read "very young and immature," "girls won't like her," and "gets prettier the longer you watch her tape."
Interracial Dating
Eric Bigger, a contestant from Rachel Lindsay’s season, was praised for being one of the last black men standing, however, Bigger admitted that prior to the Bachelorette he had “exclusively dated” white women for six years prior. "There aren't that many African Americans in Los Angeles—at least not the area I'm in," he said.
"Losing the Audience"
A former producer revealed that the lack of diversity on the show is due to producers being afraid to “lose the audience.” In 2017, Rachel Lindsay was finally the first black Bachelorette after 13 seasons of the spinoff and 21 seasons of The Bachelor. There still has never been a black male Bachelor.
Staying Fit
Former season 9 contestant, Erica Rose, said that producers encouraged them to lose weight and get in good shape. "They did encourage everyone to get in their best shape. They'd say, 'Maybe you want to lose some weight, maybe workout.'" She added that if people were already very thin, producers would not encourage them to get even skinnier. Male contestants said they too felt the pressure to look fit, stating that producers would ask them to take their shirts off and show off their muscles.
The Leads Get Paid
The leads are the only ones paid to appear on the show. Originally, they were paid a salary close to what they would make in their regular jobs, however, now, leads don’t make any less than six figures. Emily Maynard, for example, was paid $250,000 for her appearance.
Voice Coaching
Former Bachelorette, Jillian Harris, was sent to speech lessons by the producers to “get rid of her Canadian accent.” The classes were canceled, however, when producers realized her voice was part of her appeal.
The Buzzword
‘Journey’ is the Bachelor buzzword. Sean Lowe revealed that if a contestant is doing an interview and calls it a ‘process’ the producers will make them reshoot the interview using the word journey instead.
No Beauty Help
Contestants must do their own hair and makeup for the show. A stylist and makeup artist are only provided for the premiere episode and the finale.
The Roses
The roses distributed at rose ceremonies are stored very carefully in a…trashcan, with ice of course. Gotta keep ‘em fresh!
The Meatball Theory
Among producers, there’s a hilarious theory about who will be sent home on night one that they call the “meatball theory.” "If they're afraid to talk to the Bachelor, they stand next to the meatballs,” said Executive Producer, Bennett Graebner, and are therefore more likely to be sent home.
Two Weeks of Fantasy Suites
Fantasy suite dates are filmed over a two-week span of time. "What people likely don't realize is that the Fantasy Suites are stretched out over a two-week timespan," said Andi Dorfman from season 10 of The Bachelorette. "It does come in one quick episode, but this isn't back-to-back like viewers see."
Movin' on Up
In the earlier days, beloved host, Chris Harrison, used to sleep on the mansion floor in the closet of the master bedroom between takes. Now he finally has his own trailer and is just a text away from joining in on the action when there’s drama to defuse.
Film Schedule
Behind-the-scenes interviews can occur weeks after dates have taken place. Former contestant from season 16, Courtney Robertson, revealed that she was once asked to put on clothes from a previous date that had happened the week prior to make it look like they filmed her interview that same day.