23 things you may not know about 'The Bachelor' franchise

We should credit ABC and its executives for sticking with a show whose whole premise is built on finding everlasting love but failing to even land a proposal in its inaugural season. Alex Michel had the honor of being the first lead in the franchise. He ultimately chose Amanda Marsh but did not get down on one knee as has become customary for many future seasons. Instead, the two decided to date before breaking up shortly after. 

The Bachelor has spun off multiple successful shows, including The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise. That said, a handful of others fell by the wayside, one of them being Bachelor Pad. Contestants were former participants from their flagship shows competing for $250,000 in a competition-based show with weekly votes that eliminated one contestant. The premise sounds fine, but maybe it was ahead of its time, having aired from 2010-12.

Speaking of spin-offs, one that also had a very brief run was The Bachelor Winter Games. This sounds like it would be fun, but it never stuck. There were rumors of having a summer variant in 2020, but that didn't come through. As its name suggests, the show coincided with the 2018 Winter Olympics. I don't know about you, but I think this should be considered for a return. Who wouldn't want to watch Hannah Brown or Tyler Cameron lace up some skates and do a figure skating routine? 

That's right. That famous Bachelor mansion isn't owned by anyone on the show or the network. The owner is Marshall Haraden. He receives a check each year for allowing the show to film at his property for a month-plus each year. Now that sounds like a serious Airbnb investment by that gentleman. 

California isn't void of rainfall. That said, if you believe that it conveniently rains JUST BEFORE the grand introductions of the premiere, well, I hate to break it to you. Producers soak the ground to give it that wet look before the limos arrive. The reason is for aesthetics. Apparently, the wet look gives off a glistening that shines each person in a better light. 

Wait, what? You're not alone if you've ever turned to whoever you watch each episode with and uttered, "Why don't they ever eat that delicious-looking food on the table?" I always wondered how these contestants could be so resistant to that French baguette just staring at them. The food is for show. The reason has to do with how chewing sounds on a microphone... it's not good. The distracting muffling sound would not play well on TV, so food is prepared solely for visual appeal. Contestants who go on those dates end up eating before they arrive on the date. 

Unlike its predecessor, The Bachelorette ended up with a successful proposal that has withstood the test of time. Trista Rehn has been married to Ryan Sutter since 2003. We love love and love to see that The Bachelorette was able to start on a high note. 

There's no money when competing with 25-30 other people for love. That being said, there certainly are financial benefits to appearing on a major network (and lasting at least a few episodes). 

Where does all of that money go, then? To the lead, of course! There have been multiple leads who have given a ballpark for what they can be paid. Jason Tartrick from Season 14 once said that $100,000 is often thrown around. One of the biggest insiders, Reality Steve, says $100,000 is typically the minimum and can go upwards of $250,000. 

The Bachelor isn't just going international when it comes to their lavish cross-country dates. The franchise has versions all over the world, from Canada to Japan. All we can hope for one day is one mega-sized Bachelor in Paradise where multiple contestants from across the world embark on one island seeking love. 

Recently, I began to wonder, "Has the show always picked its leads from the prior season?" It turns out that is the case for The Bachelorette, where every star has been picked from the prior The Bachelor installment. That wasn't the case for The Bachelor in its early days. 

Maybe this isn't a major shock to anyone, but it's worth mentioning. Every Bachelor Nation fan knows it's about to get serious when Neil Lane makes his appearance each season. He makes no money off of the show, instead reaping the benefits of all the free press. Every kiss may begin with Kay, but every new love on The Bachelor franchise has a Neil Lane. 

It's not legally the lead's ring. The show has a right to the item and only withdraws its rights after the couple has been together for a certain amount of time, which some suggest is two years. I wonder if the show covers the shipping label for all of those rings sent back then. 

This may not be a huge surprise for Bachelor Nation. While the rose ceremonies can be crammed into the final five minutes of the episode, they take much longer in real life. Reports suggest it can take upwards of two hours; some say even longer. That is a long time to wait to see if that love you're feeling is reciprocated. 

Think back to some words or phrases that you repeatedly hear throughout the show: "Journey," "falling for," and "here for the wrong reasons." There's a list of cliches that are said, but there's a reason. Producers suggest certain words and phrases to contestants and leads alike. There's no apparent reason for this other than it has created a dictionary of sorts for Bachelor Nation that has you pointing at the screen whenever someone accuses another of "being here for the wrong reason." 

Fantasy Suites are a major milestone in each season. The lead typically has two-to-four people left at this point and gets to spend one night (if they both choose so) with each of the remaining finalists. While it may seem that this would take a week or so, it actually takes up to two weeks. There are days where the two involved with that Fantasy Suite spend all day doing on-camera interviews for B-roll, which is why it can 2-3 days for each "date night." 

When each season ends, there are numerous opportunities for many of the leads and fan favorites. Some take advantage more so than others. As of 2024, Hannah Brown has the most followers for any Bachelorette lead with 2.7 million Instagram followers. Likewise, Ben Higgins tops the chart for The Bachelor leads with 1.1 million. That's even more than the current host, a former lead, and former NFL player Jesse Palmer, who has 276,000 followers. 

For as fancy and high-end as the show is with its dates, contestants aren't given a team of stylists. They all have to do their makeup. For how good they all look, let's call it a job well done by all of them and give them the credit they deserve. 

Leaks always get out, but the show attempts to do its best to avoid attention when traveling. With the show taking extravagant trips across the world, there's no way to hide a group of 15-20 men or women who are all extremely good-looking. Contestants are told to say they're a dance team or a rugby team if they're asked while in an airport what they're there for.

Intoxication has always been a part of reality television. There have been issues with overdrinking on some seasons, but when it comes to Bachelor in Paradise in particular, we do know there's a drink limit: two drinks per hour. Honestly, that is a pretty light limit, which explains why Bachelor in Paradise has some of the messiest storylines in the franchise. 

We all know those seasons where you keep screaming out loud, "HOW DID THEY GET A ROSE?" Whether it's the villain of the season or someone who just keeps getting entangled in drama, every season has that person who keeps advancing in the rose ceremonies. There may be a reason for that. Producers won't mandate who stays, though they can suggest or "manipulate." What they do control is the rose order. After all, this is a show, and drama makes for good TV. 

While shows like Big Brother advertise their continuous footage, The Bachelor franchise also has cameras rolling 24/7. We obviously don't see this all, but you can't tell me a Bachelor live feed wouldn't be flooded with unsuspecting eyes? 

Let's not look past the entire point of this franchise: to find real love. While none of the major dating shows have an overwhelmingly successful rate of landing the perfect marriage, The Bachelorette has a better track record than The Bachelor as of 2024. There have been 28 seasons of The Bachelor, and only four couples are still together with the two most recent leads, Zach and Joey, who are not yet married but still together with their choice. Meanwhile, The Bachelorette also has four couples together but only 20 seasons. Also, all but one season has ended with a proposal (which is a success), whereas The Bachelor has had 11 seasons with no proposal.