On dating reality shows, how much say do the bachelors/bachelorettes have in deciding which contestants are voted off?

Asked by girlofscience (7572

) August 1st, 2009

I would prefer answers from people with direct knowledge of this rather than simple speculation.

If the answer is different for trashy vs. less-trashy reality dating shows, feel free to specify which you are talking about.

Does the bachelor/bachelorette who is supposedly choosing his/her partner actually get to choose? Does he/she mostly choose with some say from the producers? Do the producers mostly choose with some say from the bachelor/bachelorette? Or do the producers completely choose, and the bachelor/bachelorette is just a complete actor?

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1 Answer

I currently worked in reality TV and have produced for 4 different dating shows specifically in the past.

The short answer is it all depends on the show. With the Bachelor and Bachelorette, the producers spend most of their time casting the potential partners but they do not choose who the bachelor/bachelorette winds up with. The producers might “encourage” them to lean one way or another but ultimately the decision is left up to the individual.

With your lesser dating shows, producers might be more hands on with the decision making of the dater. All in all, none of these people on dating shows are actors. They might be actors in real life but they are not acting on the show. Make sense?

ProfessorSchnizz (31

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