Feb 12
Could a Gay 'Golden Bachelor' Be on the Way? Producers Weigh In
Emell Adolphus READ TIME: 2 MIN.
"The Bachelor" franchise continues to reinvent itself with its latest "Golden" expansion that sees middle-aged contestants looking for love. But could a gay "The Golden Bachelor" be on the way? The show producers have something to say.
As reported by Variety, show producers said they have several more "Bachelor" spinoffs in the works.
"We've talked a lot about like what a Bachelor or Bachelorette looks like in their 30s or 40s as opposed to someone in their 20s. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility," said executive producer Claire Freeland.
Executive producer Bennett Graebner added, "We have talked about it and we're open to anything... But not all the 23-year-olds are equal. There are 23-year-olds who really have their shit together, and are ready to settle down."
The producers explained that they are currently working on season 28 of "The Bachelor," season 21 of "the Bachelorette" and going into the first season of "The Golden Bachelorette" after debuting "The Golden Bachelor" to much fanfare. The latter reached 6 million viewers, the biggest ratings of any "Bachelor" in nearly three years.
And though the female centered franchises have not found their leading ladies, the producers explained that the country seemed "pretty invested in the women they met on Gerry Turner's season."
"I think you just go into it trying to make the best show that you can and tell the best story that you can, have the best people on the show that connect with people who are watching the show. And then hope for the best when it comes to ratings," said executive producer Jason Ehrlich. "We've been really surprised and really happy with the way the ratings have gone and we're seeing it with Joey – in just one year, 'Bachelor' is up year-over-year."
Ehrlich added that producers also want to explore more LGBTQ+ people carrying a spinoff of the franchise.
"We hope to get the opportunity to do that," Ehrlich told Variety. "The most wonderful thing is that love is universal and so is the frustration of not finding love. We'd love the opportunity to tell all kinds of people's stories."
Graebner added, "During my tenure on the show, the two spinoffs that have been pitched to be the most frequently are a Bachelor for older people and a gay Bachelor. We checked one of those boxes. We're talking about checking out the other box."
Will you be watching?
