‘The Bachelor’ featured some catty women, but there were also a great group of women that should be favorites to be the next Bachelorette.
Matt James’ season of The Bachelor is coming to an end this week with Monday’s three-hour finale, which will feature a two-hour show and one-hour After the Final Rose special.
It’s usually during the After the Final Rose where the franchise likes to announce the new Bachelor or Bachelorette. And given how things have taken an uncomfortable turn on The Bachelor‘s current season amid racism controversy, they’ll likely want to move on from Chris Harrison, who won’t be hosting The Bachelorette next season, as soon as possible.
While Matt’s season featured a number of catty women that bullied fellow women in the house, there was a great group of women that came from this season — and they should be favorites for the next Bachelorette.
Here are four women from Matt’s season that would be great choices of the new season of The Bachelorette.
‘Bachelor’ host Chris Harrison will be sitting out the new season of ‘The Bachelorette’ amid the franchise’s ongoing racism controversy.
The Bachelor franchise is going to be without its biggest face when it returns later this year with the next installment of The Bachelorette.
Chris Harrison will be sitting out the new season of The Bachelorette amid the franchise’s ongoing racism controversy, Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment announced in a statement Friday.
After announcing that he would be “stepping aside” from The Bachelor franchise for a period of time, Harrison won’t be hosting the new season of The Bachelorette, which is set to start production in the coming weeks.
In Harrison’s absence, two of the franchise’s alums — and former Bachelorettes — Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will serve as co-hosts of the new Bachelorette season.
“Chris Harrison will not be hosting the next season of The Bachelorette,” Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment said in a statement. “We support Chris in the work that he is committed to doing. In his absence, former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will support the new Bachelorette through next season. As we continue the dialogue around achieving greater equity and inclusion within The Bachelor franchise, we are dedicated to improving the BIPOC representation of our crew, including among the executive producer ranks. These are important steps in effecting fundamental change so that our franchise is a celebration of love that is reflective of our world.”
The decision for Harrison to sit out is no doubt the right one following his defense of Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell’s racist behavior after a photo surfaced of her at an “Old South” antebellum party during college and after she “liked” a photo of two people standing in front of a confederate flag on Instagram.
The show hasn’t ruled out a potential return for Harrison in the future, but for the first time in the franchise’s history, he won’t be the familiar face in the series.
Twitter had plenty to say about Harrison stepping aside for the new season. While there were some people that were upset about Harrison’s benching, there were plenty of people that recognized the show will in fact go on without Harrison.
y’all are acting like chris harrison is THEE backbone of the show when all he does is say, “ this is the final rose” and “take your time to say your goodbyes” #thebachelorpic.twitter.com/HxnlnHKhds
Oh no! Without Chris Harrison, who will write the fantasy suite notes that are clearly written by a 19 year old female intern? pic.twitter.com/Bget5WlkWZ
Chris Harrison being replaced by both Tayshia and Kaitlin is so reminiscent of the time the NYT couldn’t bring itself to pick one female candidate to endorse so it went for both Liz and Amy
Harrison will make an appearance in the previously-filmed The Bachelor finale, although he won’t be hosting the After the Final Rose special. Activist and FOX Sports anchor Emmanuel Acho will step in for Harrison during Monday’s After the Final Rose, where he’ll lead the conversation about the racism controversy on the show, including interviews with current Bachelor Matt James and Kirkconnell.
“This is the most uncomfortable conversation in the history of ‘The Bachelor’ franchise,” Acho told Good Morning America. “Because it’s not just about relationships, but now it’s about race. We’re intertwining race with relationships on one of the greatest unscripted shows in the history of television.”
The Bachelor‘s three-hour finale airs Monday at 8/7c on ABC.
Both Josh Dobbs and Mason Rudolph have dated former Bachelor contestant Hannah Ann.
The Steelers made a transaction Sunday that will have little bearing on the NFL landscape in 2020 but could rock the Pittsburgh quarterback room.
OK, I’m being a little dramatic but things could get pretty awkward after the team signed QB Josh Dobbs . You see, Dobbs was dating Bachelor finalist Hannah Ann Sluss back in March. Apparently, things didn’t work out between the two because Hannah Ann confirmed in May that she was dating Steelers backup Mason Rudolph.
That’s right, folks! We got ourselves a full-blown love triangle in the Steel City. The potentially awkward situation was first pointed out by ESPN’s Brooke Pryor…
I have no horse in this race, but Rudolph is a better match for Hannah Ann, in my opinion. Dobbs is a literal rocket scientist, and … how do I put this nicely: During her time on The Bachelor, Hannah Ann didn’t come off like someone who would be very interested in such a daunting academic pursuit. Hannah Ann and Mason have a lot more in common, anyway. Like how both were second choices who disappointed when given a brief stint in the spotlight.
Rudolph also has some things in common with the Bachelor on Hannah Ann’s season, Peter Weber. Like Peter, the most interesting thing about Rudolph’s season involved him taking a hit to the head. Only in Peter’s case, it was a golf cart playing the role of Myles Garrett.
If Rudolph and Dobbs can’t get along, ESPN’s Mina Kimes has figured out the best way to sort out any potential issues…
only one way to decide who gets to be the backup…. MIKE TOMLIN, TAKE THEM ON A 2 ON 1 https://t.co/UR2RBLbRKk
The famous Auburn star has hit up a new connection with a famous baseball player.
The greatest way to move on from a dead-end relationship is by simply living your best life, and that’s exactly what Bachelor survivor Madison Prewett is doing.
Five months ago, a pilot named Peter and his helicopter mom, Barb, became the two most hated people in America when Peter’s season of The Bachelor came to a tumultuous finish. Those were simpler times back then.
For 48 hours America was fooled into thinking that Madison Prewett, a 24-year-old Auburn native, had captivated the hearts of a nation and won The Bachelor.
Spoiler alert: they broke up.
Peter still exists somewhere, but nobody cares because MADISON is out here living her life to the fullest. When she isn’t hanging with celebrity pals or killing it on Tik Tok, she’s turning heads on Instagram.
One of her latest posts featured Prewett in a form-fitting short Sherri Hill dress with the flirty caption, “Roses are red, violets are blue, whoever finishes this best, dinner on me for two.”
What guy wouldn’t want to have dinner with her!? Shout-out to the eight guys I know who tried to cleverly finish her riddle, but you have some tough competition. The phrase “shoot your shot” is what this guy does for a living. In fact, his nickname is “Clutchman.”
22-year old Oriole rookie Adley Rutschman swung for the fences when he commented, “roses are red, violets are blue…. I’ll change your name to Rutschman from Prew.” Smooth move, man. Prewett responded with, “woah this is moving really fast….. first I need to know how do u say that last name.” Understandable, all she needs to know is that it rhymes with “clutchman.” Rutschman was ever so clutch in his pursuit as he responded with, “guess we will have something to talk about over dinner then😉.”
Oh, young love. Whether there are sparks or not between Prewett and Rutschman, I’m rooting for them both.
Also, Rutschman’s mother Carol is the sweetest woman and we love supporting awesome moms here. Here’s a touching Mother’s Day story between the two.
Matt James is the first black ‘Bachelor’ in show history.
ABC announced on Friday that Matt James will be the star of the next season of “The Bachelor,” which will mark the first time in series history that a black man has been chosen for the role. The announcement comes after many former stars within the Bachelor community have called for more diversity on the show, most notably former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay.
So, who is Matt James? James is a 28-year-old from New York City, who works as a real estate broker and entrepreneur. He has not previously been on any Bachelor show, but he was originally set to be a cast member for Clare Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette, which was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. He’s also an athlete, and played Division I college football at Wake Forest.
In an interview on Good Morning America, James said that he hopes America will get to see that “diverse love stories are beautiful” during his season, which is coming in 2021.
“It’s an honor. I’m just going to lean into myself, how my mom raised me, and hopefully when people invite me to their homes on Monday night, they’re going to see that I’m not much different from them, and they see that diverse love stories are beautiful.”
Peter and Madison’s doomed relationship has ended just days after the finale.
It’s been a week full of shocking news, but on Thursday evening, fans of The Bachelor received an update in their timelines that was entirely expected. Just two days after the disastrous live finale of Peter Weber’s season of The Bachelor, Peter and Madison have mutually decided to end their relationship.
To recap: Peter proposed to Hannah Ann during the penultimate episode of the season and she accepted, but they grew apart almost immediately, as Peter was still harboring feelings for Madison. Madison had broken up with him just prior to his proposal to Hannah Ann, citing their myriad differences and general incompatibility. Their relationship was also complicated by the fact that Peter’s immediate family believed Madison wasn’t a good match, and that Peter should pursue Hannah Ann.
Following Peter’s breakup with Hannah Ann, however, Bachelor host Chris Harrison flew to Alabama to inform Madison that Peter was now single, and she returned with Harrison to Los Angeles to reconnect with Peter. At the live finale, Peter’s mother and father spoke out against the potential relationship, with Peter’s mom warning that no one around Peter believes that the union will succeed. It turns out Barb was right! In a statement on Instagram, Peter wrote that the separation “is what makes most sense for the two of us.”
Many Bachelor fans will likely blame Peter’s mother for poisoning the well and ensuring Peter and Madison could never have a happy relationship, but those people would be ignoring all the issues we saw during the dating process. This was never going to work. Madison already had to compromise her values significantly just to come back on the show, and that doesn’t bode well for a long-term relationship.
The unfortunate outcome is that Hannah Ann was pulled into this mess, but she would make for a great Bachelorette in 2021 after Clare Crawley. Make it happen, ABC!
An engagement, a breakup, a reunion, and all-out family warfare. The Bachelor finale had it all.
Bachelor host Chris Harrison touts every single season as “the most dramatic ever,” but this time around, he wasn’t lying.
Peter Weber’s unpredictable season as The Bachelor came to a close on Tuesday night, and the final two-episode delivered an engagement, a breakup, a reunion, and the start of an all-out war between the Bachelor’s new partner and his mother.
In part one of the finale, 23-year-old Madison broke up with Peter and walked away from the show, explaining to Peter that they simply are too incompatible to have a stable long-term relationship. Peter was heartbroken, and had appeared to be favoring Madison as his first choice, but a few days later he proposed to 23-year-old Hannah Ann, who accepted.
At the time, Peter seemed fairly certain that Hannah Ann was “The One,” remarking that she’s the “most beautiful spirit” that he’s ever met.
“I am choosing Hannah Ann because I am 100 percent certain, and I want to choose her every day.”
Things changed when Peter and Hannah Ann returned to the real world. It was revealed that Hannah Ann and Peter went through a period where they didn’t see each other for a month (Chris Harrison later said they hadn’t talked for a month, but given their conversation, it seems like they were still in contact). The issue was that Peter could not get over his breakup with Madison, and that he could not fully “give his heart” to Hannah Ann. The engagement was broken off, and in a fiery segment on stage on Tuesday, Hannah Ann roasted Peter for taking away her first engagement.
“If you want to be with a woman, you need to be a real man.”
This somehow wasn’t the wildest moment of the episode. Afterward, Chris Harrison revealed that he had flown to Auburn, Alabama, to meet with Madison and inform her of Peter’s situation. Madison was ready to give her relationship with Peter another try, and accompanied Harrison back to Los Angeles to meet with him.
The entire time this video package was playing out, and for the majority of the show, Bachelor producers kept a reaction camera on Peter’s mother Barbara, who had expressed on Monday’s show that she strongly preferred Hannah Ann over Madison. Barb didn’t disappoint with her facial expressions.
After Madison and Peter announced that they intend to resume their relationship, Chris Harrison interviewed Barb – who didn’t hold back. Barb criticized Madison for her behavior in Australia on the day she met with Peter’s family, and reiterated that she believes the relationship has nochance.
“He’s going to have to fail to succeed…. Everyone that knows him knows it’s not going to work.”
Barb was booed by the live audience and excoriated on Twitter, but I can’t help but feel that Bachelor producers crossed a line of decency that could have profoundly negative effects on the Weber family in the long-term.
Peter’s mom mentioned during the episode that she had received “DMs” over how she acted on Monday’s show, likely signaling that she had also seen the waves of criticism from fans who felt she manipulated Peter, or hated on Madison. She probably entered part two of the finale already feeling under attack, which is why her discussion with Chris felt more like a battle. It made for memorable TV, but it absolutely did not need to happen.
The Bachelor keeping a camera on Peter’s mom and show her reaction to the entire show was amusing for a few moments, but excessive and gross as it went on. She was made to be a laughingstock on national television, and I somehow can’t believe that will lead to a healthy relationship with her son’s new girlfriend. Before Peter and Madison walked off the stage on Tuesday, it already felt like he was going to have to choose between his new love (who he has serious compatibility issues with) and his family because of the way the finale was staged.
Good luck to the happy couple. They’re going to need it.
We’ve seen Peter Weber make bad decision after bad decision over the course of his season as The Bachelor, but we’re quickly running out of show time, and he may have already ensured that this season ends with heartbreak.
Peter’s two remaining options, Hannah Ann and Madison, met Peter’s family in Australia on Monday’s part one of the two-night finale, and for perhaps the first time all season, someone told Peter the unfiltered truth. After Hannah Ann aced her visit with the Webers and Madison’s time was mostly spent exploring the various ways in which she isn’t suited for Peter, Peter’s mother, father and brother tried to get him to realize that his choice should be very simple.
Peter’s family members, who presumably know him better than anyone, reminded him that faith isn’t nearly as big a deal to him as it is to Madison, and that Madison doesn’t match his social lifestyle. There’s a long list of reasons why a relationship between Madison and Peter could potentially fail, while Peter himself has described Hannah Ann as a perfect woman with zero compatibility issues. Blinded by love, or short-term satisfaction, Peter simply wants Madison more.
During their one-on-one date at Uluru, Madison wisely breaks off her relationship with Peter, explaining that she has to make the smart-long term decision given all their differences. This should have been the end, but Peter is attracted to conflict. He’s repeatedly prolonged doomed relationships (with Alayah, and later Victoria F.), under the guise that since he had to “fight” for it, it must be worth fighting for.
Instead, it was revealed in the final episode preview that Madison will return on Tuesday night’s show – which may be the big revelation that Chris Harrison makes to Peter.
So how does all this end? According to Harrison, even Peter doesn’t know the ending of the season, which will play out on stage in front of an audience. I have theories, though.
What seems most likely, at this stage, is that Peter will continue to pursue his relationship with Madison in Australia, spurning Hannah Ann. It’s fairly clear that at the time of filming, Peter wasn’t ready to commit to Hannah Ann, and I don’t expect him to reverse course just days after Madison broke up with him.
Madison, hopefully, will realize she’s making a mistake. She’s waffled on camera at times, but seems to know that Peter isn’t the right person for her. This would leave Peter to try and reconcile with Hannah Ann on Tuesday, and hope that she’ll settle for being his second choice. It’s possible though, that Peter will choose Madison in Australia only to be turned down, and he’ll try to win her over again on stage. The most surprising ending, to me, would be Peter offering his final rose to Hannah Ann in Australia.
Who will Peter the pilot end up with after a chaotic season?
Peter Weber’s tumultuous season of The Bachelor will conclude this week with a two-part finale on Monday and Tuesday, and only two women remain from Peter’s original field of 30.
In one corner is 23-year-old Hannah Ann from Knoxville, who seems to have won over Peter’s heart despite his initial concerns over her age and readiness for marriage. In the other is another 23-year-old, Madison from Auburn, who has been a leading favorite from the very first one-on-one date, but who also may not be able to forgive Peter for sleeping with other women on the show.
We learned last week that Peter’s parents are in Australia to meet both women, and Bachelor fans have been waiting all season for an intensely dramatic scene starring Peter’s mother. It was revealed in the opening season preview that Peter’s mom pleads with him to “bring her home to us,” likely referring to either Hannah Ann or Madison.
Which woman is Peter’s mom referring to, and will Peter listen to his mom? Our three Bachelor experts have made their finale predictions – and one is calling for a shocking twist.
Marissa Kasner: Peter will choose Madison… but will she accept?
Which woman is Peter’s mom referring to?
Peter’s mom HAS to be referring to Madison… right!? After I got over thinking it was Hannah B (in week 3), I’ve been feeling this plea has to be about dear, “pure” Madi.
Here’s why it’s got to be Madison:
She’s a flight-risk. Did you see last week’s rose ceremony? We were made to believe there was threat she wasn’t going to show up AND when she did, even Peter asked “Are you sure?” when she responded with an unconvincing “Yeah”
Barb met Madison week 1 – Madi is the only woman Barb’s been able to picture her beloved son with for WEEKS now, making this passionate plea feel all-the-more personal.
However, I don’t think she leaves the regularly scheduled filming with the final rose – which is why “no one” knows the ending. Not even Peter, according to Harrison.
Steven Ruiz: An old flame will return
Which woman is Peter’s mom referring to?
After the Fantasy Suites episode, I was convinced that Peter’s mom was talking about Madison. I had assumed that Peter either sent her home or she left on her own, and with his parents already having met her, Momma Weber would have had some idea of who she is. But with Madison still around, I’m out of ideas.
Hannah B. is a little too obvious, so I’ll actually go with Kelley being the mystery woman. It doesn’t really make sense with how things ended, and, presumably, Pete’s mom has never met her, but it’s really the only way it makes sense with the whole “this is what love stories are made of” thing since they met before the show.
*adjusts tinfoil hat*
On top of that, Kelley was conspicuously absent from the Women Tell All episode despite being a key character this season. HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT!?!?
Will Peter bring her home?
Okay, so here’s how I think it goes down. Pete’s mom does her spiel about love and fate and blah blah blah. He’s a sap so he eats it up and goes to get Kelley to bring her home. At first she’s like, “Nah, you suck, man.” But then right before it’s time to choose between the final two, Kelley shows up and professes her love. This is 100% how it’s going down.
Nick Schwartz: Peter will defy his mother – but end up choosing the right woman
Which woman is Peter’s mom referring to?
Peter’s mom gets so emotional in this scene that she has to be referring to someone she feels she has a strong connection with. I doubt she could conjure up those feelings after spending half a day with Hannah Ann, but as Marissa noted, she’s probably been picturing Peter’s wedding day with Madison since her vow renewal ceremony. The only other logical option is Hannah B., but I think that ship has sailed.
Will Peter bring her home?
No, and he’ll be right not to. Look, the fantasy suite debacle revealed that Peter and Madison are not a match. They don’t share the same values regarding sex, and who knows what else, and that’s fine! If Madison is true to herself, she probably shouldn’t accept Peter’s rose anyway.
Hannah Ann, meanwhile, has aced this entire show (with the exception of #ChampagneGate, which wasn’t her fault). She’s as perfect for Peter as anyone on the cast this season, and I think Peter will eventually realize that.
Peter’s choice is clear after Fantasy Suites week.
Bachelor Peter Weber is down to his final three Bachelorettes – but his actions during Fantasy Suite week in Australia may have narrowed his field even further. Madison told Peter that she couldn’t move forward if he slept with any other women, but will she return for the next Rose Ceremony?
With just two episodes left in the season, we’re getting close to a proposal. Who is in the lead entering the Tell All episode, and who should be going home? We’ll be recapping each episode and ranking all the contestants weekly on FTW.
1. Hannah Ann
Last week’s rank: 1
Peter and Hannah Ann had the first Fantasy Suite date in Australia, and spent the day jet skiing and making out on a beach. Peter reaffirmed his feelings for Hannah Ann, telling her that “when i say i’m falling in love with you, i mean that.” From Peter’s confessionals, it certainly seems like he’s ready to get down on one knee in front of Hannah Ann.
“I see exactly what I have in front of me, and it’s the most perfect woman I’ve ever dreamt of.”
The pair spent an eventful night together in the fantasy suite, but Hannah Ann was vague about their date the next day to Madison, who was clearly struggling with the reality that Peter was sleeping with other women.
At this stage, Peter’s choice should be fairly easy – Hannah Ann is without a doubt his best match of the season – which means he’s probably going to mess it up.
2. Madison
Last week’s rank: 2
Last week’s episode ended with Madison asking Peter to have a conversation immediately after the Rose Ceremony, where it was expected that Madison would reveal to Peter that she’s saving herself for marriage.
Madison didn’t do that, however, and instead simply told him that if he were to sleep with any other woman, it would be “difficult” for her to move forward. Peter tried to get her to clarify what she was proposing – which is that he effectively had to choose a future with Madison or a future with the other women on the spot.
Madison exited the conversation feeling that she got to share what she “needed to share,” but the entire episode could have played out differently if Madison was more forthcoming about her stance.
Once the show moved to Australia, producers conspired to put Madison in the worst possible situation. All three women were forced to live together in the same suite, and Madison’s date was scheduled last.
After seeing both Hannah Ann and Victoria F. arrive the morning after their date, Madison likely knew that Peter had been intimate with both – but that didn’t stop them from having a fairly excellent date climbing a massive tower. In a confessional, Madison said that when they reached the top, she could see Peter as the father of her children.
At the dinner portion, Peter addressed Madison’s comments about intimacy in the hangar, and Madison explained that she’s saving herself for marriage. Madison said that she didn’t want Peter to feel like she was giving him an ultimatum – but later said that if he had been intimate with other women, that she wouldn’t be able to accept a proposal. Peter admitted what had happened earlier in the week, and Madison excused herself from the table.
Peter went after Madison and implored her not to give up on their relationship, but she eventually walked out of the date. The preview footage showed that Madison may not show up to the next Rose Ceremony, which could be the big revelation Chris Harrison had to deliver to Peter.
Neither person is in the wrong here and is simply acting in accordance with their beliefs, but this situation was handled about as poorly as possible. Madison waited until hometown week to reveal to Peter how important her faith was to her, and then waited until after he had been in two fantasy suites to reveal that she’s saving herself for marriage. If pre-marital sex is a dealbreaker, though, why is Madison interested in Peter “Windmill” Weber in the first place? He clearly has a different set of values, and the reality of the show is that he’s going to have time to be intimate with other women.
Madison told Peter that she doesn’t want to “feel like a bad person” for the standards that she has, and she’s completely right to feel that way. But is Peter supposed to feel bad for the standards he has? Madison said that she “can’t change who I am,” but should Peter change who he is?
If Madison does return to the show, I’d expect Peter to offer her a rose before he gives one to Victoria F. – but it may be best for both sides if Madison moves on.
3. Victoria F.
Last week’s rank: 4
Peter entered Victoria F.’s fantasy suite date knowing that they’ve never had a day together that didn’t end with an incident, but according to Peter, he’s “attracted” to that kind of chaos. For whatever reason, Peter has opted to celebrate all the red flags in his relationship with Victoria, and use them as evidence that they can overcome any odds. Victoria’s comment during their date summed up the entire relationship:
“We haven’t even fought…. yet!”
At the dinner date, Victoria and Peter struggled through a conversation about their communication issues that could have very easily gone sideways, but it ended with Peter offering her a spot in the fantasy suite so they could continue to have serious conversations. She accepted – but it doesn’t seem likely that they spent the night working on their communication issues.
Look, it’s great that Peter is willing to fight for a relationship that he believes in, but there have been so many issues between these two that he has to realize it could never last. When every serious conversation feels like it could end with one person storming out for good, it’s time to move on.
