Well, this was definitely a surprise. Got an email yesterday afternoon saying they heard The Bachelor announcement would be made after the show goes off the air in the Eastern and Central time zones. The first time I heard it. Knowing that there was no live portion of last night’s show (this Thursday’s Men Tell All tape), that we’re certainly not yet into finale night, and that there are still four men left on Jenn’s season, this seems like an oddly timed announcement . Let’s face it, when they’ve announced this in the past, it’s usually been posted on ATFR a week or two before filming actually starts. Maybe now this gives them more opportunity to cast women who actually want to get their BA there. Then again, this show has never been about finding the 25-30 lead that best suits them. Anyway, we have a new Bachelor in Grant and now they have 4-5 weeks to promote him since filming for past seasons usually started around September 19th-21st. So assuming they keep the same filming schedule, this seems like a way to keep people talking about him longer and get women to hold off on applying, executive producer Robert Mills confirmed on Twitter last night at this point.
Here’s Mills’ tweet from last night, in case you missed it:
We announced Grant so soon so people could still apply for his season. If you think Grant might be the man of your dreams, or you know someone who is, please apply as soon as possible! #bachelor
— Robert Mills (@Millsy11374) August 13, 2024
Again, let’s not lose sight of the fact that they are casting a TV show. That doesn’t mean the only women allowed on Grant’s season are those who are compatible with him. That doesn’t mean they announced him early because they didn’t apply and they desperately needed women to join. All we know is that the show casts its contestants every season before they cast the lead, and most seasons, by the time the contestants have been accepted onto the show, they don’t even know who the lead is. Changing things like this is actually a positive thing because doing it the way they did in the past seems ridiculous.
If you’d like to watch my live broadcast last Sunday night, which included a lengthy discussion about the movie “It Ends With Us,” you can watch the show here:
Email readers again tomorrow. If you have any questions, queries, comments, or hot takes, send them to [email protected] or hit me up on IG and pop your questions in tomorrow’s column. I’m sure you have more questions about the Bachelor’s Degree announcement.
On yesterday’s podcast, I mentioned that I had a meeting about next year’s fan appreciation party. Many details are still to be ironed out, but the date is set. It will be held on May 31, 2025 in Las Vegas. My 50th birthday. As you know, this has always been the first Friday in June, but since next year my birthday is on a Saturday, I thought why not make it my 50th birthday as well and move the party up a week. There are more details, but that doesn’t mean you can’t book a flight and/or hotel room now and get on your list. There will be plenty of space for next year, but it will still be on a first-come, first-served basis. So if you book a flight and email your itinerary, or book a hotel room and send it to me, you’ll be on the list. Just know that next year’s party will be the biggest yet. Biggest venue, biggest crowd, 50th birthday, this will be a themed party for anyone who wants to dress up and there will be a live stream from the venue before our regular reception. Details will be announced in the coming months once everything is finalized, but you can get on the list now by confirming your flight itinerary, hotel reservations, or if you’re a Las Vegas local, let me know you No matter how many people are in your party, don’t cancel.
Let’s start on page two and discuss last night’s two main themes: Grant’s performance as the next Bachelor and Sam.
