Skip to main content

Contestants on The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise have a lot of secrets to keep before, during, and after filming the series. Even if they end up getting the final rose, they can’t tell anyone about their dating life until the last episode of their season has aired. The show even attempts to keep the list of contestants a secret until right before the new season airs. This makes traveling to film the series a challenge.

Michelle Young meets her contestants on 'The Bachelorette' night 1. She sits on the couch at the cocktail party with her contestants around her.
Michelle meets her contestants on night 1 of ‘The Bachelorette.’ | Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images

‘The Bachelor’ and ‘The Bachelorette’ contestants must agree to confidentiality

Bachelor Nation goes to all kinds of lengths to avoid spoiling the show for fans. And the rules of the show bind the contestants to keep their relationships a secret.

David Ravitz, a contestant on The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, discussed these rules with Refinery29. “You sign all kinds of paperwork, confidentiality, and whatnot,” he said. “You know it all has to be secretive and you’re not supposed to talk about behind the scenes, you’re not supposed to talk about relationships that form.”

Of course, ABC knows that contestants will likely tell their families about their personal relationships from the show. However, families are sworn to secrecy as well. “They had to sign a confidentiality agreement, basically that you’re not going to run off and say all this stuff,” Bibiana Julian told Refinery29 about her family appearing in one of her intro packages.

Bibiana has been a contestant on The Bachelor, Bachelor Winter Games, and Bachelor in Paradise. “I think if I would have made it to Hometowns [on The Bachelor] it would have been the same protocol,” she said.

Spoilers are also a factor when the contestants travel

Reality Steve recently alleged what contestants have to do to maintain secrecy while traveling. “The men/women aren’t allowed to say who they are if asked in an airport. They have to lie and say they’re on a team or something,” he tweeted.

Steve continued: “On Saturday on their flight from Houston to Toronto, Clayton’s women said they were a Bachelorette party for ‘Jessica’ and singing ‘The Boy Is Mine.’ Bad acting, ladies. In the past I’ve heard them tell people they were a ‘soccer team,’ ‘lacrosse team,’ etc.”

Contestants must ‘unplug’ while filming for ‘The Bachelor’ franchise

Bachelor Nation is also well aware that contestants must be completely cut off from the outside world. “You’re completely disconnected from the world: no phone, no computers, no internet, no TV,” David shared.

Related

‘The Bachelorette’: Serena Pitt’s Insightful Advice for Michelle Young

Bibiana remembered someone took her phone away immediately. “You’re completely and fully immersed and focused on connecting and your relationship,” she explained. “I landed in the airport and then they take away the phone. … At first, it gives you a little bit of anxiety, not having your phone, like the first couple hours, then as time goes by you get used to it and it’s refreshing.”

Contestants probably have quite a few missed calls and messages to attend to once filming is finished.

Best in Entertainment