For fans of reality dating shows, there are so many options, and the 2026 TV schedule won't be an exception. From raunchier series like Love Island to gimmicky hits like Love Is Blind, there’s never a shortage of people willing to go on TV in hopes of finding love. The Bachelor franchise, for instance, has been around for over two decades, and as a longtime fan, let me assure you that 2025 was a pretty eventful year.
Across The Bachelor and all of its spinoffs, the past 12 months have brought us engagements, breakups, weddings, scandals and headlines that have the potential to change the trajectory of ABC’s dating franchise. Here are 6 things that happened within Bachelor Nation in 2025 that I’m still not over.
The Bachelor Franchise Cleans House After Toxic Workplace Accusations
Shortly after Grant Ellis’ season of The Bachelor wrapped earlier this year, the shocking announcement was made that The Bachelorette would not air in 2025. Allegations of a toxic workplace culture followed soon after, and co-EPs Michael Margolis and Keely Booth resigned. Ultimately, executive producers Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner also parted ways with the franchise.
In addition to on-screen issues like the cruel treatment of Jenn Tran during her season finale, the senior producers were accused by a dozen current and former crew members of running a “hostile” operation, where the employees allegedly experienced mental and verbal abuse, mind games and threats to their jobs if they didn’t “step in line,” according to Deadline.
It wasn’t just the ones at the top, though, who were replaced. No Bachelorette season meant no jobs for the rest of the producers, and when Bachelor in Paradise returned for Season 10 this summer, it featured new showrunner Scott Teti and an entirely new production crew.
Bachelor In Paradise Jumps The Shark By Introducing A Cash Prize
With all fresh faces behind the scenes, it’s no surprise that Bachelor in Paradise Season 10 looked different than what Bachelor Nation fans were used to. The biggest change, however, came midway through the season, when host Jesse Palmer announced that no new arrivals would be entering the game. The couples were locked in and would spend the rest of the season competing for up to $500,000.
This was a huge issue for longtime fans, who continue to value contestants going on the show “for the right reasons,” i.e. for love, rather than money or clout. Some of the cast members took issue as well, especially those who weren’t romantically involved with their partner but were forced to compete as couples anyway. The big swings didn’t pay off, in my opinion, and it didn’t help that the “love or money” ultimatum at the end made absolutely no sense.
Zach Shallcross Becomes The Second Bachelor To Marry The Woman He Proposed To
The Bachelor franchise has faced plenty of issues over the years, but one of the biggest criticisms is how rarely its final couples actually make it to the altar after getting engaged. Bachelor in Paradise has had a pretty good success rate, as well as The Bachelorette, but on The Bachelor, Season 17’s Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici were the only final couple to actually get married — until 2025.
Zach Shallcross from Season 27 married Kaity Biggar, the woman he proposed to two years earlier on The Bachelor finale. Unlike Sean and Catherine before them, Zach and Kaity did not have a televised wedding, opting instead for a small ceremony in May and then a larger celebration of about 100 loved ones in November, both taking place in Austin, Texas.
A couple of The Bachelor’s leads have previously gone on to marry their second-place finisher, but for the dating show to see its second wedding between the lead and the actual winner of the season is a pretty big deal.
Mel Owens Causes Golden Bachelor Controversy Before His Season Even Starts
We’re only a couple of seasons into the Golden spinoffs, but fans have come to expect a more heartwarming show from the older contestants — one that values hope and second chances over drama and clout-chasing. Mel Owens soiled that reputation a bit when he went on Michigan football’s In the Trenches podcast ahead of The Golden Bachelor Season 2 premiere and basically said he had no interest in dating women his age. His exact words:
They asked me, like, ‘What’s your preferences?’ So I just said 45 to 60, just being honest, right? And then the process went and I was selected. And then we had lunch with the executive producer. I said, ‘If they’re 60 or over, I’m cutting them.’ [He said] ‘Oh no, you can’t. This is not The Silver Bachelor, this is The Golden Bachelor.’ He goes, ‘But they’re gonna be hot, don’t worry about it.’
The 66-year-old’s comments made a bad first impression, and it only got worse when the show premiered. Mel Owens proved unwilling or unable to express any emotions in front of the camera, and the season was a mess overall with the unnecessary introduction of a “villain” and low ratings.
Gerry Turner Goes Scorched Earth On Ex-Wife Theresa Nist
Mel Owens wasn’t the only Golden Bachelor lead causing drama in 2025. Season 1’s Gerry Turner published a memoir, Golden Years: What I’ve Learned from Love, Loss, and Reality TV, in which he accused his ex-wife Theresa Nist of manipulating him, misleading him about her financial situation and trying to get him to spend millions of dollars more than he was comfortable with on a house. He also took issue with her carb-free diet.
Theresa Nist, who was married to Gerry Turner for three months before they announced their divorce, fired back on the Dear Shandy podcast, accusing Gerry of anger issues. She said he’d called her names, yelled at her and said he didn’t care to hear her opinion. After their uplifting season of The Golden Bachelor, this was a surprisingly brutal turn of events.
Taylor Frankie Paul Is Named The Next Bachelorette
As wild as this year has been for Bachelor Nation, we may see even more fireworks in 2026, with The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul crossing franchises to look for love on The Bachelorette Season 22. After binge-watching all three seasons of SLOMW in two weeks, I have so many questions about what this means for the Bachelor franchise. Will this kick the ratings back up? Will it inspire the show to cast more celebrities as leads, rather than previous contestants?
Taylor Frankie Paul, at the very least, is going to bring a different energy to the show than past Bachelorettes (she's already got Jesse Palmer doing TikTok dances), and after the 2025 we’ve had, I’m here for it. Tune in when The Bachelorette premieres at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 22, on ABC and streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
