Rules The Contestants On The Bachelor Have To Follow
Since its debut in 2002, ABC's reality show, The Bachelor, has evolved into a global phenomenon, with several equally popular offshoots (including The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise) and international versions. Taking the franchise's many seasons into consideration, it can seem like the world contains an endless supply of men and women who are looking for true love (and who are also simultaneously willing to sign up to be filmed for two months under what could kindly be called extreme situations).
Despite the raucous antics and epic, extreme behavior that has garnered the show so much attention, the contestants' lives are actually rather regimented, as a result of the many rules and regulations they're forced to follow in order to participate on the show. Luckily for us, many of the show's cast members have since spilled the tea on what their time in the house was like. Read on to find out what contestants have to agree to in order to nab that chance at finding their Mr. or Ms. Right.
Kiss the outside world goodbye while filming The Bachelor
Contestants on all of The Bachelor programs agree to completely disconnect from the outside world, meaning they also can't contact friends or family while they're being filmed. As ABC News reported in 2010, contestants are banned from watching television or using their phones or laptops in the house. "It's kind of shocking because for the first few days you're going through withdrawal of everything in your life. And it definitely feels like a bubble," Season 13 contestant Melissa Rycroft (pictured) told ABC News. According to bachelor Jake Pavelka, the supposed goal of forced isolation is "cutting away, just the crud that the world inundates you with, that makes a relationship tough."
In 2017, The Verge examined how the contestants keep themselves busy in lieu of screen time. Season 17 contestant AshLee Frazier said the only book allowed during her tenure in the house was the Bible, though other contestants said they were allowed to bring "printed content" (though not magazines). Contestants also revealed that they whiled away the hours between dates with approved activities such as exercising (though the house doesn't feature any workout equipment), strumming guitars, and playing games.
You might have to give that Bachelor bling back
Anyone who regularly watches The Bachelor franchise is familiar with the Neil Lane diamond rings the finalists are presented with at the end of the season. The rocks tend to be massive, with Entertainment Tonight putting their estimated price between $50,000 and $100,000. However, as Hollywood.com reported, there are some strict stipulations surrounding that high-dollar bling, specifically when it comes to what happens if the couple doesn't stay together.
The Bachelorette winner Jesse Csincsak, who got engaged to DeAnna Pappas at the end of the show's fourth season, told the site, "In the contract, it says if you are not together for two years after the final day of the show airing, you have to give them the ring back."
And what happens to that second-hand ring? "It may eventually be repurchased," an insider explained. "...Just like estate jewelry or anything that gets returned. But it doesn't happen for a while."
Declining a date is not an option ... no matter how crazy
A big part of The Bachelor and its many spin-offs' appeal is gawking at the insane and contrived dates that producers arrange for the bachelors and bachelorettes and their prospective fiancees. As E! News highlighted in 2016, some notable standouts include Juan Pablo and Kat's Season 18 rave run; Season 16's awful bikini ski date with Ben Flajnik (pictured); and an unbearable singing date on Season 19 with country duo Big & Rich. And who could forget when six contestants had to attend The Bachelorette Season 11 star Kaitlyn Bristowe's fake traditional Irish wake to say "goodbye" to her. Shudder.
Per The Bachelor's eligibility requirements, contestants must be willing to agree to participate in all manner of extreme physical activities, including, "skydiving, snow skiing, ice skating, parasailing, water skiing, rollerblading, and the like."
More or less, the motto here is: suck it up. This sentiment was clearly evident during a Season 22 group date when the ladies competing for Bachelor Arie Luyendyk's heart were tasked with competing in a game of bumper cars. The seemingly innocent challenge traumatized contestant Annaliese Puccini due to some past bullying she experienced, so she initially refused to participate. But after some reassurance from Luyendyk, she joined the other ladies and ended up performing quite well, per an Elite Daily recap.
Expecting payment on The Bachelor? Too bad
It's easy to imagine that anyone appearing on a nationally broadcast hit reality show might be raking in the big bucks, but if you're a contestant on The Bachelor, you get exactly zip. According to Business Insider, the bachelors and bachelorettes are believed to be paid about $100,000 per season, but contestants supposedly receive no payment. On top of that, contestants are also expected to arrive with a full wardrobe of impressive outfits.
The Bachelor contestant and subsequent bachelorette Jillian Harris said she re-mortgaged her house prior to appearing on the show and spent around $8,000 on clothes. "I remember when I went on the show we got goodie bags filled with some stuff that they wanted us to wear but half of it didn't even fit. And that was it!!!" she wrote on her site. "The girls do have to bring all of their own clothing and of course, they want to be wearing the best clothes EVER to be seen on TV in!!!" Hence, Season 20 The Bachelor contestant Olivia Caridi was rumored to have spent $40,000 on her wardrobe for the show!
Bachelor contestants must agree to physical and psychological testing
Along with making sure you have the right wardrobe, you'll also need to prove your physical and mental health before appearing on The Bachelor. Per the show's official eligibility requirements, contestants "who are selected to travel to Los Angeles may be required to undergo physical, medical and psychological examinations and testing (to be conducted in Los Angeles by qualified personnel selected by the Producer) and meet all physical, medical and psychological requirements."
As ABC News reported in 2010, the vetting process is rigorous and includes an STD screening and "an 800-question psyche evaluation." According to Dr. Catherine Selden, who conducted evaluations on contestants, "We want to make sure that people are going to be OK with coping with the stress involved, and make sure that they are going to be offered the help that they need if it's the case."
Per the application requirements (via Vulture), all potential contestants must also be willing to submit to a background check, which could include, "a credit check, a military records check, a criminal arrest and/or conviction check, a civil litigation check, a family court litigation check, interviews with employers, neighbors, teachers, etc." Jeez.
Hope you weren't hungry
In real life, it's normal to enjoy a little meal during a dinner date, but you may have noticed that on The Bachelor, plates of food often go uneaten (check out this piece from Bon Appetit for proof). It's not because the contestants are so enraptured with each other. It's that the show's participants are instructed not to enjoy their meals.
"Nobody eats, and that's primarily because nobody wants to watch you eat and the mikes will pick up the chewing," Season 17 bachelor Sean Lowe (pictured) told Glamour. But don't feel too bad. Lowe explained that producers do let the daters dine before their nighttime dates, adding, "Between the two date portions, they would bring us to a hotel, where you can shower and change and get ready — and it's during that time that you can eat."
By the way, contestants have to cook for themselves in the house. Contestant Ashley Spivey told Refinery29, "We were responsible for making all of our meals in the house ... Dinner would be prepared by whoever felt like cooking for everyone."
Hidden cameras and mics? You're being recorded 24/7 on The Bachelor
Another extreme aspect of the contestants' lives is the fact that, for almost the entirety of the show's production, they're under the camera's glare 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As bachelorette Trista Rehn's release and waiver spells out, she had to agree to waive her privacy and to being filmed and recorded the entirety of the time, including via hidden cameras and microphones (though the document notes that cameras will not be positioned to capture anything embarrassing in the bathroom). Contestant Leslie Hughes told the Daily Beast that "[The cameras] are on you all the time ... As soon as you wake up in the morning, your mic is put on you ... When you go to bed, it's taken off."
The only time contestants aren't filmed is if they "win" an evening in the fantasy suite with the bachelor or bachelorette. According to Insider, the site describes how bachelorette Andi Dorfman (pictured) wrote in her book It's Not Okay: "As soon as the door is closed, everyone takes a deep breath ... It's the first time you don't have cameras and microphones on you..."
If you win, you have to stay together ... at least until The Bachelor finale
As an avid fan of The Bachelor franchise, you might ask yourself: "What happens if the couple breaks up before the finale airs?" That's a fair question, reader.
According to reality TV producer Lewis Fenton, contestants' contracts generally stipulate that they cannot do anything that will damage a show's storyline, at least until the finale and reunion show has aired. That includes breaking up, cheating, and all other manners of controversial behavior. Fenton told E! News in 2010 that "even if a former Bachelor or Bachelorette tries to move on quietly [from their engagement] and happens to get snapped by a persistent paparazzo, that could count as a violation of the contract," which could then trigger a lawsuit in the millions of dollars. However, Fenton said, the likelihood of that happening is slim, as most contestants are in the business of "wanting to make the show a success. They don't want to blow it up."
Keep your mouth shut, or it will cost you
Got an extra $5 million floating around? That's the amount you'd be on the hook for if you break contract and reveal any secrets about the show's outcome before the finale, according to Medium. The final couple is even periodically whisked off to a "safe house" when filming ends so they can keep seeing each other in secret, according to bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky. This lessens the chance of spoiling the ending before the finale airs. "The producers really do everything they can to help the couple see each other and help keep the relationship strong during the tough few months when the show is airing," Fedotowsky said in a blog post for E! News.
And yet, in 2015, Season 11 bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe released a major spoiler when she posted a Snapchat video showing her cuddling in bed with contestant Sean Booth, thus totally ruining the end of her season for everyone. During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (via HuffPost), Bristowe said she felt "really bad" about her gaffe. She claimed that she thought she was sending the snap to the producers but accidentally posted it to the public. Luckily for Bristowe, she somehow managed to avoid having to cough up that $5 mil.
Can you keep a Bachelor secret?
One persistent question surrounding The Bachelor concerns how the contestants arrive at the mansion complete with a glamorous wardrobe. Season 22 contestant Chelsea Roy (pictured) admitted many cast members reach out to local boutiques for free clothes, which makes sense given the massive publicity the store will receive in exchange.
The only possible snag in this arrangement? You can't reveal the reason why you need the designer duds, as Roy told Vox in 2019, "We sign a big NDA [nondisclosure] agreement where we're not allowed to tell anyone that we've been cast and we're going to start filming the show. I was able to reach out to a couple of people, local people, and say, 'I would like to support your store in exchange for some exposure in the next few months. Just trust me.'" She added, "A lot of my dresses were borrowed; they weren't given to me. It's a trust thing that you have to build while also remaining secretive."
We're not sure what happens if you spill the casting beans before ABC announces the season lineup, but we assume it means potentially jeopardizing your spot on the show. Translation: Blab at your own risk.
Don't expect to booze it up on The Bachelor
It's not unusual to see Bachelor contestants taking swigs from flutes of champagne or imbibing in a variety of alcoholic beverages. This festive atmosphere is especially visible on the series' spin-off show, Bachelor in Paradise, which faced a major scandal in June 2017. It all started when contestants Corrine Olympios and DeMario Jackson drunkenly hooked up in the jacuzzi — right in front of the cameras — sparking an investigation regarding whether the session was consensual.
The footage, which never aired, was brought to the attention of Warner Bros. (the studio that produces the series) by two producers who reportedly felt uncomfortable with the situation. Production was halted for 10 days, and Warner Bros. ultimately concluded that it could "not support any charge of misconduct by a cast member," and denied that "the safety of any cast member was ever in jeopardy," according to People. Jackson maintained to The Hollywood Reporter that the encounter was "was 100 percent consensual," while Olympios told Good Morning America (via USA Today) that she "didn't remember much at all" about the incident due to a mix of the alcohol and prescription medication she'd consumed.
As a result of the controversy, BIP cast members were only allowed two drinks per hour, per TMZ. This rule was reportedly also applied to Bachelor Winter Games in 2018, according to People, although it's unclear whether it's the law of the land in The Bachelor universe.
Prepare to travel light, future Bachelor contestants
Many contestants who go on The Bachelor have no idea how long they'll be away from home, making packing a potential nightmare. What's more? Cast members often feel pressure to look their best on the show, meaning there's a good chance they're bringing their entire wardrobe, makeup kits, and hair tools. So you can imagine some contestants were horrified to learn they could supposedly only bring two suitcases to the mansion. However, it turns out it's a rule many ladies choose to ignore.
"I brought the two suitcases I was told I was allowed to bring, and only later found out that some girls brought five," Season 12 contestant Courtney Robertson wrote in her book, I Didn't Come Here To Make Friends: Confessions of a Reality Show Villain (via Bustle). But if you do break the alleged stipulation, you're on your own. "It's not like we had people to carry our luggage," Season 22 contestant Bekah Martinez told Glamour. "So if you have five bags, that means you're going to have to wheel them all onto the shuttle or the bus."
The upside? Sometimes production assistants will help a gal out in desperate times. "If you run out of deodorant, no big," Season 16 star Jaclyn Swartz, told Refinery29. "But brow pencil? You're screwed! They definitely aren't running to a Sephora. I was so paranoid about running out of my brow pencil in Mexico that I brought four just in case."
Politicians need not apply to The Bachelor
The eligibility requirements for The Bachelor are long and specific, so we're not surprised a rule about politics made the cut. Applicants "may not presently be a candidate for any type of political office ('Candidate') and may not become a Candidate from the time the application is submitted until one (1) year after first broadcast of the last episode of the Program in which they appear," the application page notes. We're not sure if any aspiring politicians have ever tried to apply for the show (can you imagine New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shooting her shot?), but we do know of one contestant who launched a campaign after The Bachelor.
Season 20 Bachelor lead Ben Higgins filed paperwork in July 2016 to run for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican. Just one day after the announcement, the former reality star backtracked, saying in a statement (via E! News), "I regret that I must withdraw my candidacy. Despite my best efforts to pursue this opportunity in good faith, I recently received information that has made such a pursuit unworkable." Higgins never gave a reason for leaving the race, although it's rumored he was "threatened" by Disney, which owns ABC, to drop out because of his political leanings, according to a statement by the then Colorado GOP Chairman, Steve House (via The Blaze).
So, will Higgins give politics another shot? He hinted the answer is yes in an October 2016 interview with Entertainment Tonight, but who really knows.
Get with the program, um, journey
There are a lot of clichés floating around in The Bachelor world, all the way from host Chris Harrison claiming every season is the most dramatic season ever to contestants frequently referring to their experience on the show as a "journey." Speaking of journey, Season 17 Bachelor lead Sean Lowe made an interesting claim about the word in a January 2015 interview with Glamour. "Any time you call it a process, they will make you retape it and say journey," Lowe revealed. Hmm.
It appears producers have eased up on this supposed rule, as future contestants have said the word "process" many times. Case in point: Season 24 Bachelor lead Peter Weber uttered it during a date with contestant Kelley Flanagan, per Entertainment Tonight: "I need you to trust in this process. I need you to trust everything about it." So much for trusting the journey, huh?
Appearing on The Bachelor means press, press, and more press
When you're booted from The Bachelor, it potentially doesn't mean your journey is kaput. At least that's what Los Angeles Times writer Amy Kaufman claimed in her 2018 book, Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America's Favorite Guilty Pleasure, writing, "In the year following the finale of your season, you must be available to take part in a 'reasonable number' of interviews, photoshoots, and chats for publicity. You also have to agree to take part in any special episodes of the show — like 'After the Final Rose' or other reunions — for three years." Three years seems a tad excessive, no?
The rules are supposedly more stringent if you decide to get married on-air, as Kaufman added, "And if you make it to the end of the Bach and decide to get married within the two years following the show, the producers own the exclusive rights to your wedding."
Bottom line? Leave your schedule wide open post-leaving the mansion.