Disney TV Boss Talks Future of ‘Bachelor’ Franchise, Says New Leads Must ‘Meet the Bar of Excellence’

As “The Bachelor” franchise gears up to launch new seasons of “Bachelor in Paradise” and “The Golden Bachelor” this summer and fall, respectively, Disney TV boss Craig Erwich said the network is honing its casting arm to find new leads that “meet the bar of excellence.”

“The ‘Bachelor’ universe continues to be really important to us,” Erwich told TheWrap. “The ‘Bachelor’ installments are no different than any other show — you have to have the right cast and the right people in front of the camera who have an amazing story to tell, but also who are willing to share their story and to and are willing to reveal themselves.”

“We’re only going to roll these out as they come together and meet the bar of excellence that the tradition of the show has set,” Erwich continued.

That might explain why ABC has not yet handed out a renewal to flagship series “The Bachelor,” which was last led by Grant Ellis in spring 2025, and why “The Bachelorette” skipped its production cycle this summer. Instead, ABC will launch “Bachelor in Paradise” Season 10 this summer, after taking a break from airing during the 2024-25 broadcast season, while “The Golden Bachelor” airs this fall.

“We have two cycles coming up that we’re getting ready to launch,” Erwich said. “We’re really focused on giving those the right launches that they deserve.”

The network is setting up a new cadence for the franchise, with “Golden” iterations airing each fall as the franchise rotates between a male and female lead.

With “The Bachelorette” pushed from its typical summer airing, it’s unclear where both flagship shows will fit into the rollout. ABC has yet to announce which “Bachelor” iteration will air in spring 2026.

What’s clear, however, is that Erwich appears quite confident in the new season of “Bachelor in Paradise” — which he said will “give a breath of energy to that franchise” as the beach welcomes back fan-favorites from both the “Golden” seasons as well as “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” making for some “hilarious” interactions — as well as new “Golden Bachelor” lead Mel Owens.

Owens, a former NFL played turned lawyer, is “committed to the show and to the journey and finding love,” according to Erwich, who predicted “America is going to really fall in love with him.”

“I think one of the things about being older is you … start to really know yourself, your ability to become vulnerable to the women, but also honestly, to the other men who are in his life, who will advise him as well, to the audience, really increases, which I think is why ‘The Golden Bachelor’ is such a unique franchise,” Erwich said.

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