Ever wonder how things work behind the scenes on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette… or maybe how much of it is actually staged?
Well, we’ve got a few answers that will most certainly surprise even longtime, card-carrying members of Bachelor Nation.
Here are 16 crazy things that you never knew about The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and their cast of characters …
The Contestants Do Their Own Cooking and Laundry
You might imagine that staying in the Bachelor Mansion is a luxury, but the contestants not only lack total privacy, they’re also responsible for their own cooking, laundry, etc. This is not a lavish lifestyle they’re living.
The Ladies Buy Their Own Dresses
Those beautiful dresses aren’t provided to the ladies by ABC. The women have to bring their own, with the exception of the dresses the final two contestants wear in the finale. It goes both ways, too. On The Bachelorette, the guys are expected to come prepared with suits for each rose ceremony.
Contestants are Screened for STDs
Yep, each contestant on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette is apparently screened for STDs, which, on some level, probably makes sense. Oh, and they all have to get a psychological health screening too…
The Food is Not For Eating
Ever notice how those one-on-one dinners leave out the part where each person takes a bite of food? That’s because they don’t. Instead, each person eats at a hotel before the dinner.
A Real Family Lives in the Bachelor Mansion
When The Bachelor isn’t being filmed at the mansion, a family of four lives there. They pack up their stuff and leave twice a year for 42 days, while a new set of hopefuls come in to take over the space.
One Month
Each season might seem like it spans over a lengthy period of time, especially since someone is proposing marriage at the end of the whole thing, but actually, it only takes about a month to film.
No Contact with the Outside World
Seriously. None. The contestants aren’t allowed to have computers, cell phones, magazines, or anything like that. They also can’t watch television. What they are allowed to do? Drink. And stay in the house with the other women, because they aren’t permitted to leave. Sounds like fun, huh?
Late Nights
Contestants on The Bachelor have a lot of late nights. In fact, one contestant admitted that for the first night, they began filming at 7pm and continued until 8am the next morning.
Not Every Couple Gets to Keep the Ring
There’s a commitment involved! Engaged couples at the end of the season must stay together for two years in order to keep that pretty Neil Lane ring.
What REALLY Happens in the Fantasy Suite
It doesn’t take much imagination to guess what the fantasy suite is intended for, but for many of the couples, their time is just spent talking (they cameras are finally off, after all!) rather than getting physically intimate.
Flashcards
Ever wonder how the bachelor can remember all those names on night one? The answer is, he doesn’t. It’s actually typical for the crew to use flashcards to help with that process.
Speaking of “Process”
That word is reportedly a very big no no. If anyone says “process” on camera, they have re-shoot it. The they’re supposed to say instead is “journey.”
Producers Pick the Dates
Quite frankly, that explains some things, considering how odd the dates on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette can often be. Not only do the bachelor or bachelorette not choose the dates, but they often don’t know what they’ll be doing until the day of.
Those Crazy Limo Arrivals Are Also Planned
From riding in on camels to coming dressed as sharks, those crazy limo arrivals are also planned by the producers. But hey, it makes for great television, right?
It’s Someone’s Job to Make People Cry
There’s a producer on set who’s job is to get people to cry during those interviews. What a great talent to have…
First Kisses Aren’t Always the First
Apparently, a lot of times, those first kisses take practice before they look nice on camera. That means there is even more kissing going on than you might have imagined.