The Bachelors star responds to wild behind-the-scenes theory: 'Actors'

It’s long been believed that the most controversial or ‘villainous’ contestants on reality TV have been hired by the show’s producers as paid actors with the sole purpose of creating drama.

This is precisely what some fans think happened on the tenth season of The Bachelors with the casting of Jessica Navin, who is in a polyamorous relationship outside of the show, and Tash Candyce, who abruptly left the mansion only to make her shock return days later.

Former Bachelor contestant Laura O’Loughlin, who was a fan favourite on Jimmy Nicholson’s season of the dating show in 2021, took to social media this week to echo this theory and explain the surprising reason she believes it to be true.

“I'm very confident that Jessica Navin and Tash Candyce are paid actors, plants, whatever you want to call them,” she said on her Instagram Story.

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“It’s just, there are no other alternatives to me for why their full names are being used when referring to them. Like, when the girls and the guys refer to them, they say their full names. There's no other Jess and Tash.

“And both their storylines are so chaotic, so it's just interesting. It feels like their full name being used was part of their ‘actor contract’ to gain notoriety or whatever. Same as Damien John Kelly, who is Jessica’s ‘fake prop boyfriend’ or whatever.

“It just feels like this is all staged for drama because their show is so boring otherwise.”

'Publicity stunt'

Speaking with Yahoo Lifestyle, Jessica and Tash’s co-star Krystal Thomas denies there were any paid actors on the show but reveals why she thinks their full names were used.

“This is actually really interesting,” she says. “So, within the first week of filming, we were saying their normal names like Jessica and Tash, but then I think Jessica just one day said, ‘Oh you guys should start calling me Jessica Navin’.

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“And then upon reflection, we realised that she's just plugging her name so she can get publicity! It’s a publicity stunt from both of them! Also, you say their names and Jessica Navin just rolls off the tongue, and Tash Candyce rolls off the tongue.

She continues: “They’re both not my favourite people if I’m completely honest, but I think it’s purely to get people to know their names. Which is fine, go for it girls! It’s a brand!”

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