Bachelorette’s Lead Was Chosen Before Cancellation Amid Toxic Workplace Scandal!

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A wave of surprise swept through Bachelor Nation recently when the planned 2025 airing of The Bachelorette was unexpectedly scrapped, along with reports about a supposedly harmful work environment within the franchise. To make matters more puzzling, it appears the halt on the spinoff series came abruptly, as rumors suggest that a Season 22 lead had already been selected – and this individual wasn’t among the current contestants from Grant Ellis’ season.

Who Was Allegedly Picked As The Bachelorette Season 22?

As someone who’s been following “Bachelor” for quite some time, I was taken aback and dismayed when I found out that one of Grant Ellis’ eliminated contestants wouldn’t have another opportunity to find love as the lead on her own season of “The Bachelorette”. It turns out, this wouldn’t have been possible even if the show hadn’t been suspended. The reason being, the woman reportedly chosen for Season 22 was a known figure from Joey Graziadei’s season.

According to former “The Bachelor” contestant Ashley Iaconetti on her “Almost Famous” podcast (as reported by Swooon), Maria Georgas was initially chosen by the show’s producers as their top choice for the upcoming season.

It’s highly likely that Maria from Joey’s season was one of the favorites, as she seemed like a strong contender for the Bachelorette role during Jenn’s season. However, according to sources, they couldn’t manage to make it work with Maria, and that’s why the show didn’t get renewed because they didn’t believe they had a compelling enough lead to draw high ratings. In other words, they probably thought the storyline wouldn’t be captivating enough for viewers.

Maria Georgas, who has been in the spotlight for reportedly ending her relationship with Pete Davidson (which Georgas has strongly disputed), stated that she was initially chosen to star in Season 21, but opted out instead. Jenn Tran eventually became The Bachelor franchise’s first Asian lead, however Tran denies the claim that she was merely a backup option.

Ben Higgins, who previously hosted Almost Famous and was a contestant on The Bachelor, shared his thoughts on the rumors surrounding the cancellation of the upcoming season and the choice not to select an alternate lead. In essence, he claims:

The individual with significant control over the production strongly preferred the Maria storyline and argued, “If we’re not going to include Maria, it’s not worth producing at all.

Ashley Iaconetti mentioned that her sources pointed to two ladies from Grant Ellis’ season being potential contestants for Season 22, along with Rachel Recchia. Interestingly, Recchia herself didn’t disclose names but told Iaconetti and Higgins (as reported by US Weekly) that she too had heard a choice has been made regarding the upcoming season.

I heard the lead was decided and it made sense to me who they picked. Again, rumors.

Is it possible that the longtime contestants of “The Bachelor” are right when they suggest Maria Georgas as the cause for delaying “The Bachelorette,” or was this decision instead due to allegations concerning the executive producers creating an unhealthy working atmosphere?

Production Crew Accuse Bachelor EPs Of Fostering Hostile Environment

After it was announced that The Bachelorette would be taking a break, it’s been reported that most of the production staff were let go. Prior to this, Deadline revealed that one producer had referred to the franchise as a “dumpster fire” under its current Executive Producers – Claire Freeland (who, according to reports, was allegedly involved in the harsh treatment of Jenn Tran during her finale) and Bennett Graebner. Another producer reportedly made similar comments.

Over the past two years, and more so the last half year, I’ve found myself in an environment that’s been nothing short of harsh, poisonous, and downright awful.

According to further accounts, the executive producers are said to have given subtle, indirect criticism to the work of long-term employees, often choosing to isolate themselves in their private offices with minimal interaction with staff members. They were also accused of disregarding senior team members. It was rumored that workers felt threatened with potential termination if they didn’t conform to certain expectations. Warner Bros Television Group is reportedly examining these allegations.

It appears that ABC’s reality dating series is experiencing some turmoil backstage, so as we watch the unfolding drama, let’s immerse ourselves in Grant Ellis’ romance tale instead. Tune in every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC or catch up the next day with a Hulu subscription for streaming.

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2025-02-25 04:37