After greater than 20 years, may The Bachelor be canceled? Following two less-than-successful seasons, it doesn’t look too good for Bachelor Nation’s future on ABC, however whether or not the community has formally pulled the plug on The Bachelor is but to be decided.
Followers began to take a position that The Bachelor had been canceled after ABC introduced the unscripted sequence it had renewed for the 2025 to 2026 tv season, and The Bachelor as not on that listing. As a substitute, the 5 exhibits had been American Idol, Shark Tank, Movie star Wheel of Fortune, Movie star Jeopardy! and America’s Funniest Residence Movies.
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The hypothesis got here after information broke in February 2025 that The Bachelorette—The Bachelor’s long-running spinoff that premiered in 2003—had been canceled and wouldn’t be airing in 2025. The announcement got here as The Bachelorette, which usually begins manufacturing in March with the previous three seasons premiering in July, was anticipated to start filming.
So is The Bachelor canceled too? Whereas ABC hasn’t formally introduced whether or not the sequence has been renewed, on the time of writing, it’s possible that it’s going to return. Each The Golden Bachelor Season 2 and Bachelor in Paradise Season 10—two spinoffs of The Bachelor—are set to premiere within the fall, which is a constructive signal that ABC continues to be investing within the franchise.
Deadline additionally reported in February 2025 that, whereas The Bachelorette received’t air in its typical time slot in 2025, the sequence isn’t lifeless for good and ABC hasn’t dominated out a return sooner or later. Which means ABC can also not be canceling The Bachelor, however reorganizing its schedule to air the present later in 2026 (and even 2027) as a substitute of its regular premiere date in January. Nonetheless, the unsure future round The Bachelor and The Bachelorette does put stress on The Golden Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise. If these exhibits are additionally unsuccessful, there may very well be robust selections forward.
Following hypothesis that The Bachelor had been canceled, Jenn Tran, the lead of The Bachelorette Season 21, addressed claims that she and Season 29 Bachelor Grant Ellis had been liable for the tip of the franchise.
“No, no, no, you guys are taking a look at this all flawed,” Jenn mentioned in a TikTok video in response to a fan who claimed the franchise was in “shambles” due to her and Grant. “I used to be really such an incredible Bachelorette and my relationship led to such success that they will merely by no means discover anybody to interchange me as a result of my season shall be endlessly ingrained in your little brains and also you’re by no means going to get out of your heads. Thanks.”
As for why The Bachelorette was placed on pause, Bachelor Nation alums Ashley Iaconetti and Ben Higgins claimed on their podcast,” Nearly Well-known,” in March 2025 that manufacturing sources instructed them that 75 % of the filming dates for The Bachelorette Season 22 — together with in European areas like Greece and Portugal — had been set earlier than ABC determined to cancel the present for 2025. The hosts additionally alleged that an iHeartRadio podcast-themed date was within the works with Ben and Ashley I., in addition to different iHeartRadio podcast hosts equivalent to Jana Kramer, Jennie Garth, Kevin McHale, and Jenna Ushkowitz set to participate. The date was allegedly a competition-themed date with the winner receiving an invitation to the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
As a result of The Bachelorette reportedly deliberate to movie in Europe as a substitute of staying in Los Angeles to avoid wasting prices — as ABC did with The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette — Ben defined that he didn’t imagine The Bachelorette was canceled in 2025 attributable to cash. As a substitute, Ben and Ashley I. alleged that the primary purpose they heard The Bachelorette was canceled for 2025 was as a result of ABC couldn’t discover as robust of a lead as Maria Georgas, the fourth-place finalist from The Bachelor Season 28 with Joey Graziadei, who allegedly was set to develop into the Season 22 Bachelorette till negotiations fell by way of.
“It seems like from our supply that Maria was the frontrunner,” Ben mentioned. “The powers that be actually needed to be the lead of this season. It actually sounds to me like they couldn’t make it work with Maria for no matter purpose that was, and due to that, they needed to pull the plug on the present as a result of any person who had numerous affect on the present was pretty caught on that storyline saying, ‘If we don’t do Maria, it’s not value doing.’”
Ashley I added, “We’re fairly sure Maria was a frontrunner to be the Bachelorette as she was a frontrunner to be the Bachelorette throughout Jenn’s season. The supply says that they don’t know precisely what occurred, however they couldn’t make Maria occur and that’s why the present didn’t get picked up as a result of I’m assuming they didn’t have a robust sufficient result in get sufficient rankings.”
Ben additionally defined that the rankings and adverse response to the solid for The Bachelorette Season 21 with Jenn Tran additionally possible performed a component in ABC’s determination to not renew The Bachelorette for 2025. “This looks like the explanation this season isn’t taking place. The rankings haven’t been adequate. Regardless that I feel there have been nice seasons, however I am going again to I feel the present took a large hit with the lads that had been solid for Jenn’s season,” he mentioned. “Jenn did a fantastic job. I feel we’ve seen Jenn thrive after her function because the Bachelorette, however I feel the lads on her season actually damage the present. And since the present did the ‘don’t ask, don’t inform’ technique, I feel the present is in a extremely robust place.”
Ben and Ashley I. additionally claimed that a part of the explanation ABC canceled The Bachelorette was as a result of the community believed that it may fill The Bachelorette’s regular time slot with Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which has an identical demographic and has already completed filming.
