Were Rats Scurrying Across The Screen In ‘The Bachelorette’ Season 21 Premiere? A Decider Investigation

Looks like ABC didn’t get the memo: It’s supposed to be Brat summer, not Rats summer.

The Bachelorette premiered on ABC this week, debuting the show’s first-ever Asian-American lead, 26-year-old physician’s assistant Jenn Tran.

The new season began as all seasons do, with Tran meeting all of the 25 gentlemen who will be competing for her hand in marriage this season. This time, however, there was a surprise appearance: Two rats who appear to be looking for their own romance.

While some viewers were mesmerized by Sam M.’s dashing good looks, eagle-eyed Bachelorette fans spotted what appeared to be two rats scurrying past them in the background.

“Sorry but do two rats run across the background,” one viewer asked on X. The clip now has 5.2 million views on the platform, while a similar clip on TikTok has 58,000 views.

In the clip, Sam N. confesses to Tran that he’s a “love virgin” meaning he’s “never been in love.” But, as the camera pans out from Tran giggling at him, it appears that two rats run across the floor in the distance. (Watch the video below.)

Sorry but do two rats run across the background pic.twitter.com/n0hNvvjlTG

— ali segel (@OnlineAlison) July 11, 2024

Did you miss it? Here’s a GIF:

Still missing it? Here it is again in super slo-mo.

The Bachelorette producers seemingly confirmed that those were, indeed, rats.

“You’ll notice there were two of them,” the producers told Entertainment Weekly. “Everyone deserves to find love!”

Decider reached out to ABC for further comment.

Fans on social media appeared to believe that the rats deserve their own love story, too.

“It seems like they also want to have a moment… LOL,” one fan commented.

Another viewer noted that the rats were especially camera ready. “Rats knew their cue for the full shot,” they said.

One viewer who replied to the clip claimed that they recently worked an event at Hummingbird Nest Ranch, the venue where they filmed this season of The Bachelorette. “Wait okay I recently catered a wedding at this place where they’re filming and there were rats EVERYWHERE,” they alleged.

Most of this season of The Bachelorette will be taking place at Hummingbird Nest Ranch as opposed to the iconic Bachelor Mansion in Agoura Hills, California. But there’s another twist: The cast will be taking a surprise trip to Melbourne, Australia in the next episode.

As one fan pointed out on social media, “No wonder their going to another country in the next [episode].”