‘Bachelor’ Co-Executive Producers Exit Franchise

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Two of the joint executive producers, Michael Margolis and Keely Booth, have chosen to leave their positions within the ‘The Bachelor’ series. This departure has been confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter.

Leaving occur concurrently with recent allegations about a supposed hostile work environment at ABC and Warner Bros.’ reality show productions, including The Bachelor as part of their collection.

Or simply:

Their exits coincide with recent claims of a potentially toxic workplace in the ABC and Warner Bros. reality TV shows, which include The Bachelor among others.

The franchise encompasses “The Bachelorette” starring women, which ABC unexpectedly halted a month ago without providing an explanation or indicating if and when the female-led adaptation might resume. When they announced that season 22 wouldn’t air in its traditional summer slot on “The Bachelorette,” ABC remained silent about this matter.

Despite the temporary break, I’ve learned that it led to quite a few crew members losing their jobs, as reported by Deadline. A group of past and present producers from the franchise, who chose to remain anonymous when speaking with Deadline, have since accused showrunners Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner of fostering a work environment that’s been described as “toxic” and “hostile.” (Their legal representative stated they were taken aback by some of these allegations, expressing shock and sadness.)

According to a source, Margolis and Booth, who have previously worked on the Canadian versions of ‘The Bachelor’ and ‘Bachelor in Paradise’, chose to step down from their roles. It is known that Margolis is married to Freeland.

After two decades of turmoil surrounding the franchise, its creator Mike Fleiss stepped down from his position in January 2023. Freeland, who had previously overseen the Canadian version of the show, took on a role with the U.S. edition at this time. Graebner, who had been working with the franchise since 2008, and Jason Ehrlich, a long-time member of the team, were promoted to replace Fleiss. At the same time, executive producers Nicole Woods, Peter Geist, and Louis Caric departed from the franchise.

Later on, Ehrlich also departed, but the exact departure date is unknown. He was still holding his position when the television producers were questioned by the Television Critics’ Association regarding diversity issues within the franchise as early as 2024. In a subsequent interview with the Los Angeles Times, they discussed a recurring cycle of racism. During that period, Freeland and Graebner emphasized their commitment to casting a Black lead for ‘The Bachelor’, which they eventually did for the ongoing 29th season. Jodi Baskerville, who joined as the franchise’s first Black executive producer in 2021, resigned in early 2024 as well.

Warner Bros. Television Group informed Deadline that they were examining the issues raised in their report: “We place a high value on maintaining a healthy work environment and ensuring safe production conditions, which is why we’ve made significant adjustments to our on-set protocols and procedures in recent years. Alongside ABC, we are dedicated to further refining how The Bachelor franchise is produced, so that everyone involved feels comfortable and their voices are heard.

This summer, besides “The Bachelor,” the spinoff series “Bachelor in Paradise” will be back from its break. It last aired in 2023 with season 10. Moreover, two new additions to the franchise are the “Golden Bachelor” and “Golden Bachelorette.” The “Golden Bachelor” has already been given a second season go-ahead.

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2025-03-05 01:24