Sarah Hearon
A last rose is not eternal. Not all couples survive the curse of reality TV, especially on Bachelor Nation. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the franchise is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, reality shows on television.
When The single person debuted in 2005, not even then host Chris Harrison reportedly predicted that five different spin-offs would result: the bachelorette, bachelor pad, Bachelor in Paradise, Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise and The Baccalaureate Winter Games.
In 2020, the show is a bit different after a handful of scandals have surfaced. During season 4 of Single in Paradise, the production was shut down following a sexual misconduct complaint involving Corinne Olympias and DeMario Jackson. The situation made headlines for months and the rules were changed the following season.
Now, one of the biggest controversies is the number of background checks the production team does — which Harrison promises is getting better.
“I know steps have been taken and people have been hired to dive deep into people’s social media and try to cover our bases as much – as much – as possible,” he said. The Hollywood Reporter in 2019. “But at the end of the day, we live in a very different world than where the show started 17 years ago. We evolve and change and do our best. But there will be things that will come up. You hate being reactive; you would like to be proactive. But you can only be so proactive. Things are going to happen, so you do the best you can with the information you have at the time.
In the end, even if it’s a cliché, the show is constantly on the lookout for people who are there for the right reasons. We Weekly put together a list of all the winners of The single person and the bachelorette over the years – it’s up to you who competed for true love.