‘The Bachelor’ Producers Vow They’re Here For The Right Reasons — Despite Criticism Over Tense TCA Panel

Following The Golden Bachelor‘s soaring success, The Bachelor‘s executive producers Bennett Graebner, Jason Ehrlich, and Claire Freeland attended the 2024 Television Critics Association’s winter press tour.

During an Unscripted Storytellers panel on Saturday, February 10, the three fielded questions on the recently announced Golden Bachelorette spinoff, a potential gay Bachelor lead, and more. When NPR’s Eric Deggans asked about the franchise’s past handling of racial issues, Freeland (who previously worked with The Bachelor Canada) gave a lacking response. Deggans pressed producers for a more direct reply, and after 10 seconds of silence he said, “Guess we have our answer.”

After one of the most dramatic panels in Bachelor history, Decider stole the executive producers for a second (13 minutes) to further press them on their insufficient response. “We’ve certainly made some mistakes along the way,” Graebner said. “But moving forward we’re going to do everything in our power to correct this.”

“The three of us took over the franchise at the beginning of last year, and we really wanted to make a concerted effort to put everything we could into these shows to make them as great as they can be,” Ehrlich explained.

Along with addressing prior missteps and maintaining that they’re here for the right reasons, the trio opened up about everything from The Bachelor‘s Golden era and other potential spinoffs to recent ratings, the future of the franchise, and more.

I wanted to back up a bit, pre-Golden Bachelor. In 2022, I interviewed several longtime fans who were taking a break from the franchise for various reasons — Chris Harrison drama, diversity issues, contestant scandals, and the fact that after 20+ years the show had started to feel a bit stale. Would you say that viewer sentiment, or the presence of a franchise slump, was recognized internally at that time?

Bennett Graebner: I don’t know if I would say it was recognized internally. You’re so focused on what’s in front of you in the moment and who that person is — the Bachelor, the Bachelorette — and what that season is, I don’t know if we ever talked about that or felt that, or thought that. Also, we were in the middle of a pandemic trying to figure out how to make television shows in this very, very different world. I think we’re just focused on being in the moment.

The Golden Bachelor came along and ironically, these senior citizens breathed new life into the franchise. I know the ratings speak for themselves, but as producers, did The Golden Bachelor and its reception renew your sense of hope in the franchise?

Jason Ehrlich: I feel like it really started with Charity’s season. Charity’s first episode was one of the lowest rated, and I think people were anticipating some of like — the three of us took over the franchise at the beginning of last year, and we really wanted to make a concerted effort to put everything we could into these shows to make them as great as they can be. I think the viewers’ sentiment was evident on Charity’s first episode, because the ratings were down, and by episode five, we had had, I think, the biggest midseason growth in almost a decade, or a decade. It started there. The change started on Charity’s season and I think it was continuously amplified on Golden. It was a totally different voice, but we put those same initiatives — heart, hope, humor, and really belief in this fairytale and finding love and authentic storytelling — and that’s continued through to Joey, whose numbers continue to grow. So I think there was an initiative at the beginning of last year and the three of us really, really trust and respect and work together to make these shows as good as they can be. We love this franchise, and I think the viewers are seeing it and they’re responding.

“The change started on Charity’s season and I think it was continuously amplified on The Golden Bachelor.”

Jason Ehrlich, Bachelor EP

Well I was thrilled to hear about The Golden Bachelorette. Just to clarify, you’re hoping to cast a lead that Bachelor Nation knows already from The Golden Bachelor.

Claire Freeland: That’s the goal. There are so many deserving women.

I know, I wrote an article about my Top 8. I love Ellen, Faith, so many women, but now I feel like it just has to be Leslie? Or a whole year of different Golden Bachelorette seasons.

CF: It’s really a high-class problem. But there’s something in the value of audiences already being invested in the outcome of the story of the women who have appeared on The Golden Bachelor. It’s helpful, frankly, to have that already before the show starts.

I loved The Golden Bachelor, but I did see one major oversight. Are you ever going to honor Natascha’s request for a sitting rose ceremony? Every episode I was waiting…

JE: We haven’t really looked at putting that plan into action. We hear her on the chairs…

CF: These women look so beautiful, these dresses are so fabulous, I want to see all their glory. I appreciate the ask though.

BG: I’m not sure chairs are the answer. We did also get the note from a few of them that they wanted —

CF: Cushioned risers.

BG: Yeah, like in restaurants. That’s what they asked for. That we might be able to entertain.

Now that a Golden Bachelorette is coming, have there been any talks of some senior version of Bachelor in Paradise where you get all these charming contestants together for yet another shot at love?

JE: We would all love to see what that looks like.

CF: You said you have a Top 8 out of 22 women…

Yes, and I could have just done a Top 22.

CF: I was going to say, if given the chance I’m sure you could have written a reason why for all of them. So when we think about what other opportunities are there for these women who have connected so much with the audience and who have so much more story to tell, it’s very exciting to think what the possibilities could be, whether it’s Paradise or something else.

Speaking of Bachelor in Paradise, there have been some rumors from former franchise host Chris Harrison that the show has been “postponed for a year” or soft-canceled. Do you have any Paradise updates?

CF: That’s a question for the network and the studio. We’re still in post-production on Joey, casting for Bachelorette, casting for Golden Bachelorette.

Earlier this morning, we heard that over 1/3 of The Golden Bachelor‘s audience on Hulu was new to the Bachelor franchise —

BG: Is that true?

That’s what the press release said, yeah!

BG: Oh, wow that’s very cool.

You mentioned Joey’s ratings have gone up since previous seasons. Do you attribute some of that popularity to The Golden Bachelor bump? And if so, how do you plan to keep new viewers (and anyone who left and is returning to the franchise) invested?

JE: So what we experienced this year on Joey’s season is somewhat of an anomaly, which we’re really excited about. Yes, I think Joey’s Episode 1 numbers were up perhaps because of Golden. There could be other reasons. Joey’s fantastic. He’s an incredible Bachelor. But his Show 1 numbers were up. The Show 2 episode numbers were higher than Show 1, and Show 3 were higher than Show 2, which we are most excited about, because it says people didn’t only come to sample Show 1. This never happens. Usually there’s a fall-off after Show 2 and then it builds back up towards the finale. But the fact that more people are coming speaks to the fact that Joey’s season is fantastic. And like I said with Charity’s season, it was important to us that we made that a great series, which we did — same with Golden, same with Joey. And we hope to continue a trend of growth for this whole franchise.

BG: I try not to spend too much time thinking about ratings. We just try to make the best show possible. And that means putting people in front of the camera who have interesting things to say.

As touched on in the panel, diversity comes in many different forms. Looking forward is the franchise genuinely open to expanding beyond Golden spinoffs to continue highlighting diverse stories?

JE: Heck yes. Diversity is a huge initiative for all for us moving forward. And I think, while it didn’t seem to appease the gentleman in the room, it was the message that we were saying — that we have strong initiative here to tell all sorts of different stories. We want people to see themselves in the show and love is universal.

That moment in the ballroom — I want to give you the opportunity to address that question again. I think it was along the lines of, “Why has The Bachelor and Bachelorette struggled with race when Black people are the star of the show?” Is there anything you’d like to say in addition to Claire’s comments in the room?

CF: Just for me, I don’t know the people on the show. Talk to me about the show in Canada for the last ten years, I got you. But all I can do is say what we as a team here are committed to doing, and I would hope that the last year reflects that.

“We’ve certainly made some mistakes along the way. But moving forward we’re going to do everything in our power to correct this.”

Bennett Graebner, Bachelor EP

BG: I was there for Matt James’ season. I was there for Rachel Lindsay’s season. I was also there for Michelle Young’s season, Tayshia Adams’ season, Charity Lawson’s season. I think as stewards of this franchise, which has been such a part of the cultural zeitgeist for over two decades, there’s a tremendous responsibility to have conversations on camera that are difficult and challenging — conversations about race, conversations about class, conversations about gender. We have done that. Have we always done it perfectly? No. We’ve certainly made some mistakes along the way. But moving forward we’re going to do everything in our power to correct this.

I also wanted to follow up on the question about a potential gay Bachelor spin-off. I know several contestants have publicly come out since being on the shows, and it’s something fans have been asking for for years. Is that a real possibility down the line?

JE: Like I said, we’re really invested in interested in telling different stories. I think we would hope to be able to do that and more. Love is universal. 

BG: I remember the night before Colton came out. He called me and said, “I just want to let you know that tomorrow I’m gonna come out as gay.” And it was, it was a beautiful moment.

Since Mike Fleiss departed and you all stepped up as EPs and showrunners, what are some of the key takeaways you’ve learned about the franchise and viewers this past year?

CF: For me, it’s always love first. I can’t really comment on what it was, because I came in and I’ve been here a little over a year now. But for me, it’s about leading with the heart; leading with the love story. That’s really what this is all about. That’s why we do this. I always feel like we’re in the business of “happily ever after.” It’s what gets us out of bed every day. It’s why we work such long hours on so many shows at all times because there’s nothing better. That’s what it’s all about. So that is our guiding principle.

BG: Anytime there’s a change in the producing team, there’s gonna be some kind of tonal shift. We’re not trying to reinvent this franchise or this show but hopefully the subtle tweaks that we are making will resonate with the audience.

Before we wrap, when I chatted with Joey last month I asked him his thoughts on the importance of diversity and inclusion within the franchise. His response was, “What I’ve noticed from my time is they’re doing everything that they can. I think they’re aware that they can always improve. I think we all can. But I think the biggest thing that I’ve noticed is that they are aware… I’m someone who likes to learn, and I think that’s what everyone needs to do. And I think that’s what the show is trying to do.” Can you assure fans that those efforts and improvements are ongoing?

JE: It’s very important to us.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

New episodes of The Bachelor air Mondays from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET, with next-day streaming available on Hulu.