Jesse Palmer Unconcerned with ‘The Bachelor’ Rivals ‘Love is Blind’ and ‘Too Hot to Handle’: ABC Series Was ‘First’
The Bachelor‘s Jesse Palmer appears unconcerned with the popularity of streaming hits Love is Blind and Too Hot to Handle. The star of the fifth season of The Bachelor turned host admits he isn’t worried about the competition these unorthodox dating shows bring to the table, saying the ABC series was “first.”
‘The Bachelor’ host Jesse Palmer says this season goes back to the show’s roots
Jesse admits that this season of The Bachelor is more in line with earlier seasons of the series. However, he never wants the show to veer too far away from its roots.
“I think it’s OK for a show to be cyclical sometimes and to try different things,” Jesse explained in an interview with E! News. However, Jesse believes that there are some aspects of the show that fans expect to see each season.
But, “Instead of trying to completely redefine and recreate itself,” Jesse said. “It’s just getting back to what it’s supposed to be.”
“For Bachelor fans who have been watching for a long time,” Jesse said. But, “my hope is that watching this season is going to feel nostalgic to them.”
However, is he afraid The Bachelor can’t compete against newer dating shows on streaming sites that further push the envelope between competitors?
Jesse Palmer appears unconcerned with ‘Bachelor’ rivals ‘Too Hot to Handle’ and ‘Love is Blind’
Pool parties aren't always sunshine and good times for everyone. See what happens as tensions rise tonight at 8/7c on ABC and Stream on Hulu. #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/93b0s6y1WK
— The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) February 6, 2023
Jesse appears unconcerned with The Bachelor‘s main rivals in the dating competition series: Too Hot to Handle and Love is Blind. Both shows take a different approach to dating.
Too Hot to Handle is a show where the grand prize is $100,000. However, to win the big cash payout, contestants have to give up consummating their physical attraction to those they’re competing against.
As for Love is Blind, singles meet and talk to each other through a wall, making romantic connections without ever seeing each other in person. Jesse says while both these shows provide romantic entertainment, The Bachelor stands head and shoulders as the OG of the dating series world.
“The Bachelor was first,” Jesse told E! News. Furthermore, “I think a big part of The Bachelor is about authenticity.”
He says equally important is “trying to get back to what the core of the show has always been about and what it’s supposed to be about. It’s finding love; it’s the romance, the journey,” he continued. “It’s the love story and finding out how that develops.”
‘The Bachelor’s’ fan base are viewers who expect authentic relationships between the show’s stars
In an interview with Us Weekly, Jesse believes The Bachelor‘s lasting fan base comes from viewers who expect something different from its competitors. He says that the level of authentic relationships has gone a long way in keeping fans invested in the series.
“I think everybody is unique and different in terms of their personalities and the things they’re looking for,” Jesse claims. “For Zach [Shallcross, season 27’s lead], the biggest advice drawing on what I’ve seen from them — and my personal experiences, too — is just being true to yourself. And I know it sounds super cliche.”
He added, “It’s hard not to come into that role and wonder, you know, ‘How can I be the perfect Bachelor? What can I say that will make these women fall in love with me, and what can I say that will make millions of people in Bachelor Nation at home watching fall in love with me too?”
However, Jesse adds that once that happens, leads head into territory where they can lose fans. He claims that these manipulations can allow The Bachelor stars to come off as “inauthentic.” Jesse adds, “And it comes across that way to the women in the house and people at home.”
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
