Hi Steve,
Hope you’re doing great! There has been chatter on social media about the bombshell “first same-sex hookup” in Bachelor in Paradise history taking place on their Australian version of the show earlier this year so after researching it a bit I thought it would be interesting to compare the two. In Australia the two participants involved were Alex Nation and Brooke Blurton, both from previous seasons of The Bachelor Australia. Both girls were well known as bi-sexual, Alex having been previously involved in a open lesbian relationship and Brooke having come out as bi on her season of The Bachelor. Alex and Brooke even commented on media before the show was filmed that they were looking forward to meeting each other and had PI comments by the two girls leading up to their get-together during the show.
The big moment took place about halfway through the season when Alex gave Brooke her date card and the two left the beach to get to know each other better. They got together over Pina Coladas and ended up engaging in a big, long passionate kiss on camera which the media covered with great excitement. Unfortunately for Brooke, Alex dumped her at the next Rose Ceremony in favor of the guy she’d been exchanging roses with the whole time and that was the end of that. Brooke was heartbroken and left paradise on Episode 6 of the season.
It’s hard not to believe the Alex/Brooke hookup didn’t leave the U.S. franchise a little embarrassed at not having done a same-sex couple first or simply licking their chops at the opportunity when Demi fell into their laps. But rather than coming up with an honest way to present Demi and Kristian’s well established relationship to the public they decided to hide it and present it in an elaborate reveal made out of whole cloth. They started by pretending Hannah and Chris Harrison were totally unaware of the girls’ relationship by downplaying Kristian as having a serious relationship with Demi and compounded it by getting Derek involved in the whole ploy, presumably to reinforce Demi as bi-sexual. All this despite many BN people already being aware the two girls planned on getting engaged on the show and your breaking the story wide open in early June before it was even filmed.
The difference between how the U.S. Bachelor in Paradise producers handled their first same-sex relationship versus that of their Australian sibling couldn’t be more striking. The BIP Australia version was received by fans and press with great accolades while the U.S. iteration has been plagued with skepticism from the start for a whole range of reasons. First the obviously fake way the plot unfolded with Hannah and Chris. Secondly for involving Derek whether he knew the plot or not. Thirdly the fact they broke their rules by involving a non-BN participant who was already involved with Demi back home, a situation that typically ends up with that BN person being damned and extricated from the show. And finally, for allowing them to stay on the beach and carry on, which of course they had to do for the engagement part of the plot to play itself out.
I truly think if the Bachelor in Paradise bigwigs and producers had been truthful up front and honest to the American public they could have found a genuine way to present Demi and Kristian’s relationship. Instead they have made a mess out of it with their ridiculously obvious false narrative and made dishonest brokers out of a whole bunch of participants both on camera and behind the scenes. My question to you is, with so many people knowing about this pre-planned, staged scenario and as excellent a spoiler as you are how did the producers ever think the public would not find out about it? Or did they even care?
Comment: I honestly don’t think they care. Because as many people that follow spoilers, still WAY more of their audience doesn’t, doesn’t read blogs, doesn’t want to know the behind the scenes stuff, etc. And that’s what they bank on. They prey on the naïve. Always have.
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Hi Steve!!! I hope all is well! Quick question for you. If ABC one day pulls the plug for the Bachelor/Bachelorette show, would you write a tell all book about the show?
Comment: No. Can’t see myself doing that.
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Hey RS!
So if they film the announcement of the next Bachelor with an audience, do they make each audience member sign a waiver to keep quiet?? If the media is supposed to not reveal anything, I’m not sure how they’d expect a group of fans to not get on their phones immediately and spoil it. That’s how it was filmed for the longest time. Even the ATFR. So yeah, people in the audience that day of filming knew the ending, even if the spoilers were already out. Then they realized they’d at least like to keep that part someone secret to the public who didn’t follow spoilers, so they went with the live finale I believe around Emily’s season? I’m forgetting.
When you said Peter’s group of girls looks mostly young & blonde, it got me thinking. The show will likely receive A LOT of flack for not giving Mike the gig and giving up the chance to have “the first black Bachelor.” Do you think they might cast a few black women to potentially have a second black bachelorette to save face? Unless they figure having the first same-sex engagement is enough. {Insert eye roll} There will always be black women in the cast. At least a few. Whether they last long or not is a different story.
Tayshia was on Ali & Rachel’s podcast a couple weeks ago claiming she was single. Shortly after that, you revealed she had been dating JPJ. I can’t buy a damn thing she’s selling. I wouldn’t either. Granted, if she did that interview recently, she has to play the role of what the story on TV is.
I noticed Mike told Angela that Clay said “he never said ‘I love you’ ” and then they just left it at that. I thought, for sure, they’d show Angela flipping her lid on Clay. Do you know if that’s something Clay did actually say?
Thanks for reading! Enjoy your weekend in Vegas! I’m a Cardinals and Broncos fan and am excited for a new season.
Comment: Don’t know what Clay did or didn’t say. Yes, looking forward to Vegas per usual. Only 24 hrs away.
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Hi Steve,
Peter as the bachelor is all well and good but I’m curious to know what they’ll market his season as because as of right now, I can’t think of a huge story line to him than than having sex in a windmill 4 times. Hannah was the outspoken one every girl could relate to. Colton was the virgin bachelor. Becca was the heartbroken “winner”. Arie was the old, new face. Rachel was their first lead of color and so it goes. But unless something hugely dramatic happens on his season, I don’t really know what they can use as a marketing tool for his season. Honestly, they don’t need a major marketing tool. The season is made by casting, not the lead. I’ll say it til I’m blue in the face, not many people were screaming for Sean, Ben, Nick, Arie, or Colton when they were named. Sure they had their fan base, but the amount of “What? Why them?” was the majority. And then people watched and people enjoyed their seasons. You don’t need to focus your season around the lead. Ever. It’s made in casting, post-production, and manipulation.
I might be the only bachelor fan in the world who doesn’t think that Mike would have made a great bachelor. His smile is to die for but it’s also all he has. He might be a person of color but he’s just as boring as Peter in my opinion. When they do decided to do a black bachelor, it really should be someone with a bit more charisma. I don’t know much about Mike. He has 3 queens in his life, he had a miscarriage with an ex (which I’m guessing is not something that’d be constantly harped on if he were the lead), and he’s former military. Tell me really anything else we know about the guy?
Another unpopular opinion, but I don’t get the hype around JPJ. I thought he behaved very immaturely last week and this week. Derek isn’t perfect either of course but JPJ either got a really bad edit or he’s just kind of a douche. And Tayshia is no saint in this either. For someone who had so much to say about Hannah stringing along Dylan; Tayshia’s been a bit of a hypocrite. I fully agree with that.
Do you think that because of the whole Tyler and Gigi thing, that now some of the new participants on the Bachelor/ette might come on the show because they think they have a chance at being with a celebrity? They already do that. Of course, very few people achieve that, but plenty are thinking it. It’s more just about opportunities they see that people before them got, and they think it’ll totally happen to them too. Some it will. But most? Nope.
Also this is wishful thinking and probably a bit premature, but do you think there’s any chance that for the next Bachelorette, they might cast an older woman from an older season? Especially because Hannah’s season ended in somewhat of a distaster?
Thanks for all that you do!
Comment: I mean, who? The top 4 women on the 3 previous Bachelor seasons pre-Colton are all taken. You’re really stretching if you think they’re gonna make the lead someone who finished 5th or worse from 3-4 years ago. Just not gonna happen. 99% chance the next “Bachelorette” will be from Peter’s women.
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Hi Steve,
Thanks for all of your spoilers- I hate that you are a few time zones behind me, because i am so anxious for your commentary on the previous night’s episode! Wait, I’m confused. I’m in Central Time Zone. I can’t be two time zones behind you. If you’re EST, I’m only one. And CST watches the show at the same time as EST, so I see it the same time you do. Totally confused ha ha.
Question: During Arie’s season, Tia was pretty vocal about despising Krystal and Kendall really went after her during the two-on-one (with incredible respect, but it was not well-received by Krystal). Why then, were they invited to Krystal’s wedding? I get that ABC probably wanted their more popular Bachelor Nation faces there, but I wouldn’t want people who I actively despised at my wedding.
Would love to hear your thoughts.
Comment: Because this is Bachelor Nation and that’s pretty much all thrown out the window when it comes to weddings, since they always invite the “in” crowd.
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Not so much a question as a comment. Why does Chris Harrison & a lot of Bachelor Nation love Caelynn? She has got to be one of the most disingenuous people I have seen on the show. I know a lot of cast members have long term goals/aspirations with appearing on the show and most of the time the goal is not falling in love
But I can’t for the life of me understand why Caelynn keeps getting a pass. Literally over the course of less than 14 days she’s attempted to destroy Blake’s reputation (all while being a hypocrite) ”fallen” for Dean. Cried over Dean. Got over Dean. “Started to fall” for Connor. dumped Connor and went back to Dean (whose antics make Blake look like a saint)
It seems like Blake was destined for failure and it was pointless to even try and defend his actions of the reunion (from what I have heard) since Chris and ABC have staunchly been team Caelynn. I’m not saying Blake is this innocent victim but at the worst, he’s only guilty of doing what majority of the cast does (juggling multiple partners/relationships within the franchise)
I pretty much know your opinion on Caelynn I just wish there was a way for you to release some of the stories that you’ve heard about her so that people could see she’s not some innocent victim that is unlucky in love. She seems calculated.
Thanks!
Comment: I’d say calculated is an accurate word. She knows what she’s doing.
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Hi Steve,
Thanks for all your insight. Love your page, your sarcasm and podcasts.
I am writing regarding JPJ. I find him to be immature and obnoxious. To each their own but I have never been a fan or found him to be humorous. I couldn’t believe how long he lasted with Hannah and not sure why he was brought to BIP but I guess he does have a fan base. What people see in him is beyond me.
All that said this drama with him Tayshia and Derek has me rolling my eyes. First few episodes they showed him sleeping all the time. Out of nowhere he seems to have a crush on Tayshia. Next week later it is JPJ episodes on cringe-worthy dates with others. Now jealous of Tayshia talking to Derek. Did I miss something? Perhaps I zoned out because JPJ but it is rather a bizarre storyline even if bad editing. I didn’t think it was possible to think less of him than I did until the wedding.
I am trying to figure out what Tayshia could possibly see from him to not have told him not interested. I don’t see how he could help her brand and I don’t understand why anyone could remotely be interested in someone who made some random scene at a wedding.
Any insight on this? Tayshia can’t be this naive or she has really bad taste in guys…or does she?
Thanks again and enjoy Vegas!
Comment: Yeah, I’m not sure because all of that confuses me. Other than wanting to continue to stay on the show, it really is all over the place how much back and forth she’s doing. Even post-show.
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Hi Steve!
I always have enjoyed your re-caps thanks for the updates. I cannot even believe what a train wreck BIP has become, and same goes for the bachelor/bachelorette series.
These contestants are on these shows for multiple weeks at a time, I’ve always wondered what are they paid? Is it just perks?
I am amazed I have now fell in love with the love Island franchise and cannot even believe I likes that show better! It was actually somewhat more real for a reality show !
Thanks for your time,
Comment: The lowest payment to be on Paradise this season is $400 per day you’re gone. But not everyone gets that. Some get much more. All depends on what they choose to negotiate. Someone like Hannah G or Caelynn I’m guessing aren’t getting the minimum to be on that show. Someone like Old Matt Donald? Probably, but I don’t know for sure.
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Hey Steve-
I listened to an older podcast today that had Robert Mills on it and he said they were talking about bringing Bachelor Pad back. Have you heard anything about it? That would be amazing especially with Paradise being such a hard to watch shit show this season. Thanks again! You’re the best!
Comment: No, hadn’t heard that. I thought “Bachelor in Paradise” has already been renewed for next summer. So if BP is an option to bring back, I think the earliest would be Summer of 2021. Unless they add it as 4th show in a calendar year. But that’s the first I’ve heard of it.
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