‘The Bachelor’ Producers Confirm They’re Open To Casting A Gay Lead: “We Would Hope To Be Able To Do That And More”

Coming off a banner year for The Bachelor franchise, producers Bennett Graebner, Jason Ehrlich, and Claire Freeland say they’re open to introducing more long-requested spin-offs down the line. They even told Decider they hope to cast a gay lead, which members of Bachelor Nation have been arguing in favor of for years.

Following Saturday’s Unscripted Storytellers panel at the 2024 Television Critics Association’s winter press tour, he three producers sat down with Decider to discuss everything from The Golden Bachelorette and the franchise’s past handling of racial issues to whether they’d seriously consider casting a gay lead and more.

After giving a somewhat vague answer to TCA members when asked about a gay Bachelor or Bachelorette a during the panel, Ehrlich told Decider, “We’re really invested in interested in telling different stories. I think we would hope to be able to do that and more.”

Ehrlich went on to say that “love is universal,” leading Graebner to reflect on former Bachelor lead Colton Underwood’s public coming out in 2021. “I remember the night before Colton came out. He called me and said, ‘I just want to let you know that tomorrow I’m gonna come out as gay.’ And it was — it was a beautiful moment.”

In addition to Underwood, other former Bachelor alum have come out since their time on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, including Demi Burnett, a contestant on Underwood’s season, who later came out as bisexual on Bachelor in Paradise. Becca Tilley from Chris Soules’ and Ben Higgins’ seasons of The Bachelor opened up about her sexuality and came out as queer on Instagram. Elizabeth Corrigan, a contestant on Clayton Echard’s season, told Instagram followers she’s bisexual in a 2022 Pride Month post. Most recently, former Bachelor contestant and Bachelorette lead Gabby Windey came out on The View, and is currently dating writer and comedian Robby Hoffman.

In an interview with Variety, Graebner suggested that conversations about a gay Bachelor may be currently ongoing. “During my tenure on the show, the two spinoffs that have been pitched to be the most frequently are a Bachelor for older people and a gay Bachelor,” he said. “We checked one of those boxes. We’re talking about checking out the other box.”

On-screen representation and inclusivity is crucial and comes in many forms, so here’s hoping the success of The Golden Bachelor opened the franchise floodgates for more diverse casting, spinoffs, and stories in the future.

Stay tuned for more of Decider’s exclusive interview with producers.