Bachelor in Paradise has yet to kick off its 10th season on the 2025 TV schedule, but already the addition of Golden franchise contestants has created buzz around the reality dating spinoff. In fact, after host Jesse Palmer and bartender Wells Adams commented on the potential of age-gap romances, a couple of former contestants weighed in with some strong opinions.
How Ex-Bachelor Cast Members Reacted To Age-Gap Comments
Age-gap romances are all the rage right now, if not in movies like The Idea of You, Babygirl and even Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, we’re seeing one play out in real life between 73-year-old football coach Bill Belichick and his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson. However, in the eyes of some Bachelor Nation alumni, that shouldn’t be the goal of the franchise.
In an Instagram post from the podcast Chicks in the Office that referenced Bachelor in Paradise host Jesse Palmer’s comments in a recent interview, The Bachelor Season 25 winner Rachael Kirkconnell commented to say:
Hm don’t think we should be encouraging 50 year age gaps.
Jade Roper — who has been married to Tanner Tolbert for nine years after meeting on Bachelor in Paradise Season 2 — commented simply, “Ew,” and when asked if she could expand on why she took issue with the thought of The Golden Bachelor contestants dating the younger cast members, Roper responded:
I was on this show, it would’ve made me feel very uncomfortable having six old men trying to hit on me constantly on a beach for a month. Is that good enough for you?
So what exactly did the Bachelor in Paradise bartender and host say to inspire the backlash?
Jesse Palmer And Wells Adams’ Comments On Age-Gap Romances
While the Instagram post mentioned above cites Jesse Palmer in an US Weekly interview as the one hoping for intermingling between the differently aged contestants, the college football broadcaster actually seemed hesitant to share his feelings when Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson were brought up. Check out the actual interview clip below:
While Jesse Palmer does say, “Yeah, hopefully they’ll… yes,” that doesn't sound to me like a fully thought-out endorsement. Rather than continuing on that line of thinking, he merely referenced Bill Belichick’s viral CBS interview by saying:
There’s something I want to say about a recent interview, but I won’t.
Bartender Wells Adams, meanwhile, seemed more into the idea, saying he was “hopeful” about seeing some crossover between the two casts. He also mentioned the real-world example, saying:
This happens all the time in the real world. Look at Bill Belichick right now. It’s happening in front of us all the time. I don’t know if it will, but I think it’ll be cool to have the Goldens around.
By all accounts, those involved seem to be thrilled that fan-favorites like Leslie Fhima and Gary Levingston were part of the summer spinoff, with reports coming out of filming that the Goldens were partying even harder than the younger cast members. As for age-gap romances, though, Levingston shut that down and said audiences can “rest assured” none of that went down.
Regardless of where you fall in the debate, this is an issue that’s definitely gotten fans and former contestants talking. If you want to see how the casts work together, be sure to tune into Bachelor in Paradise Season 10 at 8 p.m. ET Monday, July 7, on ABC, and streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.
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