For fans of reality dating shows, there are so many options, and the 2026 TV schedule won't be an exception. From raunchier series like Love Island to gimmicky hits like Love Is Blind , there's never a shortage of people willing to go on TV in hopes of finding love. The Bachelor franchise, for instance, has been around for over two decades, and as a longtime fan, let me assure you that 2025 was a pretty eventful year.
Across The Bachelor and all of its spinoffs, the past 12 months have brought us engagements, breakups, weddings, scandals and headlines that have the potential to change the trajectory of ABC's dating franchise. Here are 6 things that happened within Bachelor Nation in 2025 that I'm still not over.
Shortly after Grant Ellis' season of The Bachelor wrapped earlier this year, the shocking announcement was made that The Bachelorette would not air in 2025. Allegations of a toxic workplace culture followed soon after, and co-EPs Michael Margolis and Keely Booth resigned. Ultimately, executive producers Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner also parted ways with the franchise.
It wasn't just the ones at the top, though, who were replaced. No Bachelorette season meant no jobs for the rest of the producers, and when Bachelor in Paradise returned for Season 10 this summer, it featured new showrunner Scott Teti and an entirely new production crew.
With all fresh faces behind the scenes, it's no surprise that Bachelor in Paradise Season 10 looked different than what Bachelor Nation fans were used to. The biggest change, however, came midway through the season, when host Jesse Palmer announced that no new arrivals would be entering the game. The couples were locked in and would spend the rest of the season competing for up to $500,000 .
This was a huge issue for longtime fans, who continue to value contestants going on the show “for the right reasons,” i.e. for love, rather than money or clout. Some of the cast members took issue as well, especially those who weren't romantically involved with their partner but were forced to compete as couples anyway. The big swings didn't pay off, in my opinion, and it didn't help that the “love or money” ultimatum at the end made absolutely no sense.
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