ABC and Peter Weber have both claimed there is no way anyone can spoil the ending of this season of The Bachelor, possibly because for the first time in the show’s history, the lead ends up with his producer. Rumours circulated earlier this week that the the 28 year old airline pilot sends all of his contestants home in the end to pursue a relationship with his producer Julie LaPlaca, and ABC isn’t denying them.
Anyone who has been watching the circus of this season unfold knows Weber is in over his head with his four remaining contestants. It’s hard to believe he ends up with any of them, much less that the relationship lasts to the live after show. The four contestants remaining are 26-year-old Victoria Fuller, 23-year-old Hannah Ann Sluss, 25-year-old Kelsey Weier, and 23-year-old Madison Prewett. Each of the four women have their own red flags that Weber continues to ignore, and fans are increasingly anxious over the fact that none of their relationships even seem genuine at this point in the season. Many have speculated perhaps former Bachelorette Hannah Brown returns for Weber in the last hour, and honestly, many would prefer it.
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This week, however, new rumors spread that Weber ends up with his show producer Julie LaPlaca, and when ET Online sat down with ABC executive Rob Mills, he didn’t deny them. “Well, I hate to get in the way of a good rumor, so I’m not going to confirm or deny about whether he ends up with a producer!” said Mills. Juliette Litman of the popular Bachelor podcast Bachelor Party addressed the rumors on her Monday night episode, stating the relationship would be so bad for the show that it couldn’t possibly be true. But in the past fans have seen things that should be bad for the show actually skyrocket the franchise’s popularity to new heights.
Despite the implications a Weber-LaPlaca relationship could have for the show, it wouldn’t be the first time someone from the show’s crew has cozied up with a member of the show’s cast. Rozlynn Papa, a contestant on Jake Pavelka’s season of The Bachelor, was removed from the show after engaging in an intimate relationship with one of the producers. Papa at first denied the allegations but the producer had confessed, and multiple other contestants had spotted the pair canoodling. As well, in 2014, one of the show’s cameramen was intimate with Bachelor in Paradise contestant Michelle Kujuwa. As production approached to confront the cameramen he attempted to jump off a balcony to escape and ended up breaking both of his legs. One would think both these incidents might have had a negative effect on the show’s authenticity and reputation, but the reality franchise is as popular as ever.
In both previous incidents the involved crew and cast members were dismissed from the seasons. At the time of the incident with Papa, ABC released a statement that the show was about finding love for the lead, not for anyone else. It will be interesting to see if the show is so committed to finding love for Weber that they support a romantic relationship with LaPlaca (if the rumors are true). The situation would undoubtedly stir up conversations about gender roles and the double standard, but in the end, the show should be about love.
Source: ET Online
