The Bachelors: Channel 10's big mistake revealed amid ratings disaster

After season 10 of The Bachelor aired at the beginning of this year to disappointing ratings, fans were surprised that Channel 10 had decided to launch the show’s eleventh season before the end of 2023.

However, a source tells Yahoo Lifestyle that it was “obvious” to the producers when the cameras started rolling in June that the reality show was “hitting its mark” and needed to air in December.

“Everyone working on the series knew it was leaps and bounds ahead of the first attempt of The Bachelors, which had already screened in January,” a production insider shares.

“It certainly was the most revved up Network Ten had been for the franchise since Sophie Monk had signed up to the once-celebrated staple on Australian TV.”

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The new season has returned to its roots by focusing more on romance rather than drama, with viewers and contestants alike comparing the glamorous mansion and overall vibe to Bridgerton.

“You could tell that someone had done their homework and the essence of this program had not only been captured with a compelling story but executed in a way that brought the franchise back to the centre of what makes this show event TV,” a TV executive tells us.

“The show needs to be aspirational. You need to wish you were on the dates and have running commentary in your head on how you would do it differently.”

Channel 10's big mistake

While the European styling and Melbourne location have definitely amped up the romance on the series, with fans saying it makes the previous season set in the Gold Coast look “tacky” and “cheap”, one insider tells us that Channel 10 has made one huge mistake in rushing the format to air in 2023.

The TV executive argues that as the weather heats up, audiences do not want to watch a show that was filmed in the harsh Melbourne winter.

“Romantic winter dates under umbrellas with scarves and jumpers look ridiculous when prime time TV is competing with beaches, bars and summer sports activities,” they share.

“I don't think the producers felt like they were making this program for a summer time slot. The last thing anyone wants to see at the moment is winter.”

Previous seasons of The Bachelor aired in the middle of the year around July when fans would get together to have ‘Bachie parties’ and drink wine as they yell at the TV.

Despite the odd time slot and the disappointing ratings, with the show premiering to just 224,000 viewers on Sunday night, our source tells us that the current season is “fantastic”.

“It is actually the best reality TV show we have seen in a while and probably the best season of The Bachelor yet,” they add. “It’s just disappointing that it has been thrown away in summer.”

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