If you are a fan of ABC‘s The Bachelor franchise, you probably have a long list of former leads that you love — and maybe an even longer list of those you love to hate. But whether it’s a fan favorite (like the newest star, lovable tennis pro and Charity Lawson runner-up Joey Graziadei) or a divisive lead (like Bachelor star Arie Luyendyk Jr., who reversed his decision to give eventual Bachelorette star Becca Kufrin the final rose, opting for runner-up Lauren Burnham), all Bachelors and Bachelorettes put themselves out there for our entertainment. So are they getting paid to do so?
According to Reality Steve, a blogger infamous for spoiling The Bachelor franchise, the answer is yes! Recent stars of the show have reportedly made a minimum of $100,000 to star in their seasons. Jason Tartick, a contestant on The Bachelorette Season 14, confirmed this number on his Trading Secrets podcast, claiming that he, along with contestants Colton Underwood and Blake Horstmann, were all offered $100,000 to star on The Bachelor Season 23.
But $100,000 salary doesn’t necessarily have to stop there. Kaitlyn Bristowe, The Bachelorette Season 11 star, shared details of her contract with now-ex-fiancée Jason on a different episode of Trading Secrets. Recalling a conversation she had with an executive producer of The Bachelorette regarding money negotiations, Kaitlyn said, “I’ll only do it if you paid me as much as you paid [former Bachelor star] Chris Soules.”
Chris Soules (Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images)
When The Bachelorette first started airing in 2003, the salary for the star of the show wasn’t much money — at least, not when compared to how much they are making now. Journalist Amy Kaufman reported in her book, Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure, that Meredith Phillips, the lead for Season 2 of The Bachelorette, was only paid $10,000 for her time on the show, which is roughly a tenth of what the stars are allegedly making today. In her book, Amy wrote that nowadays it would be “incredibly rare for someone to make less than six figures.”
After being sent home by Brad Womack on Season 15 of The Bachelor, runner-up Ashley Hebert was asked to be the lead on Season 7 of The Bachelorette. But unlike many of the Bachelorettes that have starred on the show, Ashley didn’t walk away with a six-digit salary. Us Weekly reported that Ashley was only paid $30,000 from the network, making her one of the lowest-paid Bachelorettes alongside Meredith.
One of the highest-paid Bachelorettes is Emily Maynard, who was the lead on the eighth season of the reality series. Although she had previously asserted on social media that she did not want to be the next Bachelorette star, Emily went on to sign a sizable contract with the show to return for the show’s next season. It was rumored that, after intense negotiations, Emily signed a $250,000 contract to be the next Bachelorette.
Emily Maynard (ABC/Craig Sjodin)
Even though the stars of the show receive a generous salary, the contestants do not — they don’t get paid anything at all. While The Bachelor and Bachelorette stars are provided their very own stylist with a major wardrobe budget, the contestants pay out of pocket for their rose ceremony suits and dresses — and they’re often not cheap! Jillian Harris, the Season 13 contestant of The Bachelor turned Season 5 star of The Bachelorette, knows firsthand how costly this experience can be. In response to a contestant admitting to spending $40,000 on clothes for the show, Jillian wrote on her blog, “I had re-mortgaged my house and I spent something like $8,000 on clothing (which is still a lot) … but now that designer labels are even more important, I can see how someone can spend that … easily!!!!!”
Could Bachelors and Bachelorettes being paid to do the show mean they’re not entirely there for the right reasons? Maybe, but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop watching!
The Bachelor, Season 28 Premiere, Monday, January 22, 8/7c, ABC