Vibrators, psych exams, expensive dresses - oh my. Thought you knew everything about The Bachelor? Chances are you would never have guessed these 34 facts to be true, but these secrets are officially out:
1. It's all part of the Journey. If a contestant refers to the show, or anything on it, as a "process," producers force them to retake the scene and use "Journey" instead. Apparently, "process" could shed darker light on the mansion happenings. Beware the P-bomb.
2. Safe sex, anyone? Allegedly, condoms, (much like "process") are not part of the Journey either - well, they're not provided at least, which is a Journey's minor detour at least. This means it's every man for himself (ladies, you too!) when it comes to being prepared. Courtney Robinson even said she was asked point-blank during her audition interviews if she was taking birth control.
3. Rules are just suggested guidelines, really. Sean Lowe divulged that Emily Maynard only pretended to not do overnight dates. What she actually did was have cameramen film her three finalists fake leaving and once they had the shot, she'd have the boys return for private slumber parties.
4. The blind leading the blind. Rachel didn't plan the Goodyear blimp date at all. In fact, The Bachelor/ette "doesn't plan the dates and doesn't even know where or what the date is until either the day before or the morning of the date." So basically no one knows what's going on. Audience and cast included. Good (re: Journey).
5. Shop 'til you drop - or 'til you find love (whichever comes first). ABC only provides two dresses throughout the show: both for the two finalists to wear during the finale. Every other dress comes at the expense of the women themselves. Jillian Harris says she spent $8,000 on clothes alone for the show. That shopping spree sounds like a fraud-alert call waiting to happen.
6. Dinner with food is like, so 2001. No one actually eats on the one-on-one dinners because the sounds would get picked up by the microphones. Makes sense, but that means contestants eat at the hotel beforehand instead. Better think of conversation topics STAT.
7. Ain't nothin' more important than the mula. Ben Higgins says that the lead gets compensated in accordance to what they would have made in the "real world" (ie. before their paid vacation). Typical pay per season for leads is around $100,000, though it's rumored that Emily Maynard was paid $250,000.
8. Come prepared, but only two suitcases worth. Contestants are told exactly what to bring to the house, including "cold and warm weather clothing, athletic wear, bathing suits, heels, tennis shoes, sandals, cocktail, long and casual dresses and heavy coats." As if that precise planning isn't challenging enough, they only get two suitcases to make it happen. That's like when your parents force you carry-on when you damn well could check that luggage.
9. Bills don't stop just cause you do. Without Internet, phones or any technological connection with the world tbh, contestants have to sort out their financial obligations prior to their potentially six-week long Journey. JJ Lane said she had to set up auto bill pay and give her parents deposit slips and access to email passwords. The steep price these contestants pay have no bounds.
10. MRS. degrees < college degrees. The contestants left behind a life inclusive of a career before you got to learn the ins and outs of their day-to-days. Most popular occupations: realtor, marketing, pharmaceutical sales rep, and account manager.
11. Every woman's real dream. The Bachelorette essentially gets to design her own engagement ring by dropping not so subtle "hints to producers." Fiancés, take notes.
12. Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes (and then some). Casting begins over a year in advance of each season, so contestants better keep their jobs while waiting for their TV debut.
13. Marriage at first sight. Is it crazy to get engaged to someone you've only semi "known" for six weeks? Oh absolutely! Ali Fedotowsky says, "you spend so little time with the person you choose before the final rose ceremony. I would say you probably spend about 72 hours tops with the person you wind up choosing, and 12 of that is spent ‘sleeping’ in the fantasy suite. You can't really get to know a person in that time frame.”
14. Be a good roomie or GTFO. Contestants have to do their own cooking, cleaning, and laundry in the house, like, you know. A real person.
16. Ciao to the (better) competition. Contestants can plan their limo exits as long as they get input from the producers. Otherwise it's pretty lenient since likely no one cares that or how they're leaving, just that they are.
17. Hope you're doing well! Contestants have to take a comprehensive psychological exam before appearing on the show. No manic mishaps allowed at this mansion. #justJourneythings
18. Sorry it's so last minute but... Contestants only find out they've been selected to appear on the show around 2-3 weeks before filming begins. Wonder how those "hey boss brb while I frolic on TV for up to 6 weeks" conversations go.
19. When your home is famous but you're not. The Bachelor mansion is called Villa de la Vina and it has its own website. It also has its own owners, the Haraden family, who relocate to a hotel nearby twice a year while the show films.
20. Just your average up-keeping. A painting crew is in charge of re-painting the 9,000 sq. ft. house as it switches between The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. The walls have been repainted about 44 times, meaning the home itself has more coats than in all the girl's suitcases combined.
21. Really, really, ridiculously good looking. Fingers crossed these ladies know how to work a curling iron, because they don't have anyone but themselves to blame for flat hair (or runny mascara, for that matter). Contestants only get professional styling done on the first night and on the finale night - otherwise, they're on their own.
22. So what's your sign? Some couples do actually just talk during their time in the fantasy suite! We don't really believe this one though. Moving on.
23. Sorry, didn't quite catch that. Jillian Harris says producers forced her to go to speech therapy because they didn't appreciate her Canadian accent. What is THAT a-boot?
24. What's your day look like? Shooting and sleeping. Apparently the first night of roses at the mansion takes roughly 12 hours to shoot (the sun is sometimes coming up when contestants leave the mansion!). Ah, the sweet smell of Journey-ing.
25. The Fantastic Four: The Bachelor edition. Jesse Csincsak says the final four contestants are picked the first night. "Producers orchestrate the entire thing, sitting contestants down with the star, then directing others to kick them out. Then they tell the lead, ‘Pick four people you would like to get to know better." Sorry @EveryoneElse.
26. Gotta make it WERK. There's no workout room in the mansion so contestants burn calories DIY style. There's a worn-down path in the backyard of the house that contestants use as a track. They also lift random household objects as free weights.
27. What game is more fun than make-believe? Hometown dates are sometimes had at the contestant's family's house if they're noticeably wealthier. NBD. I bring all my dates to my uncle's.
28. Drawing a blank... During rose ceremonies, a producer hands flash cards to the lead that are prepped with the names and photos of each contestant so they can identify them. That's why the leave the ceremony room briefly, gotta go study up real quick.
29. It's not all fun and games. They need to decompress. Obviously. Apparently the fantasy suite dates are stretched out over a few weeks so stars can get some much needed R&R.
30. A slippery slope. The hose down the mansion's driveway with a hose before the limos arrive. Anyway...
31. Interests: long walks on the beach with stimulating conversation. Ben Higgins tells us that couples do have more serious conversations, about things like religion and finances, but that it's just not aired on TV.
32. Who doesn't like big surprises? The person paying. Contestants aren't paid to go on The (Wo)men Tell All special and they have no clue who the winner is.
33. 'Til 2 years do us part. If couples don't stay together for at least years after the show, they don't get to keep the Neil Lane engagement ring. Every marriage comes at a price (especially televised ones, they'll getcha every time).
34. If nothing lasts forever, then what makes, then what makes, then what makes, love the exception? Well only two couples from The Bachelor are still together: Sean Lowe and Catherine Lowe, and Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi. A whopping five couples from The Bachelorette are still together: Trista and Ryan Sutter, Ashley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum, Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Shawn Booth, and JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers.
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