We’re still a few weeks away from Bachelor in Paradise Season 10 making its debut on the 2025 TV schedule, complete with a new showrunner, new location and some other changes along the way. Details have been trickling out about The Bachelor spinoff after its yearlong hiatus, and we finally have confirmation about the first wave of cast members. The announcement, however, left me confused for one major reason (and a couple of minor ones).
Major Confusion: Where Are The Goldens?
Sixteen alumni of The Bachelor/Bachelorette were announced by the reality dating franchise, with Clare Crawley’s ex-fiancé Dale Moss being the biggest surprise. Contestants on Bachelor in Paradise have traditionally come down to the beach in waves — after a larger initial group to kick off the season, men and women are sprinkled in as the days go by. The 16 singles who have been announced for Bachelor in Paradise Season 10 (and whose season they came from) are:
- Alexe Godin (Grant Ellis)
- Bailey Brown (Grant Ellis)
- Brian Autz (Jenn Tran)
- Dale Moss (Clare Crawley)
- Hakeem Moulton (Jenn Tran)
- Jeremy Simon (Jenn Tran)
- Jess Edwards (Joey Graziadei)
- Jonathon Johnson (Jenn Tran)
- Justin Glaze (Katie Thurston)
- Kat Izzo (Zach Shallcross)
- Kyle Howard (Katie Thurston)
- Lexi Young (Joey Graziadei)
- Ricky Martinez (Jenn Tran)
- Sam McKinney (Jenn Tran)
- Spencer Conley (Jenn Tran)
- Zoe McGrady (Grant Ellis)
So … where are the Goldens? It’s already been confirmed that cast members from The Golden Bachelor/Bachelorette are joining BiP Season 10, so where are Leslie Fhima and Gary Levingston on this list? Does this mean they’ll have a shorter stint on the season if they’re starting later?
Come to think of it, the leaked set footage showed a lot more cast members than the 16 listed above, and it was reportedly shot during Gary Levingston’s arrival, which definitely speaks to the theory that the Goldens may not appear in the Season 10 premiere. That’s a huge bummer, especially considering reports from ABC execs about how hard the Goldens were partying.
Minor Confusions: What’s HE Doing Here?
As for those who were announced, it was to be expected that the majority of the cast would come from Jenn Tran, Grant Ellis and Joey Graziadei’s seasons, since those are the three that have filmed since the disappointment that was BiP Season 9. However, I’m a little confused about why Kyle Howard is back.
Katie Thurston’s season was four years ago and, admittedly, I can understand bringing his castmate Justin Glaze back. (He was the runner-up that season, was on BiP 8, and he’s just so meme-able!). However, Howard was sent home in Week 2.
Kyle Howard references this in his Real Housewives-style tagline — “You may not remember me, but after this, you’ll never forget me.” — but I’m not completely sold. I am, however, keeping an open mind for why producers want us to see more of this man.
I’m also wondering why Sam McKinney is back. Look, when it comes to The Bachelor, I fully understand that producers create characters and then manipulate the edit to serve their narrative. Even with that, there was nothing about McKinney that made me want him on my screen again. Jenn Tran said her piece at her season’s “Men Tell All,” and I would have been more than happy to leave it at that.
Either way, I’m excited to see what other changes are in store for Bachelor in Paradise when Season 10 premieres — including the addition of Hannah Brown in the champagne lounge — but I’ll be severely disappointed if we have to wait to enjoy the Goldens.
We’ll find out how it plays out soon enough. Tune in for the premiere at 8 p.m. ET Monday, July 7, on ABC and streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.
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