Bachelor: How Elan Gale’s Departure Resulted In The Franchise's Downfall
This season of The Bachelor has been highly criticized by fans. They think the show’s producers care more about creating drama than they do about the contestants or leads. Many feel as though the show has been on a downward spiral for some time now, and some have an unusual theory to explain why. One of the franchise’s most influential producers left the series a few years ago, and hardcore Bachelor Nation fans think his departure was the beginning of the end.
Elan Gale joined the Bachelor franchise in 2009 as a producer on Jillian Harris’ season of The Bachelorette, and he quickly became an extremely influential force behind the scenes. “If you have enjoyed the Bachelor at all over the past 10 years this man played a role,” former Bachelor Nick Viall once said about the producer. Elan made his mark on the franchise (Bachelor in Paradise was reportedly his brainchild), but was still controversial. His last season working on the show was Colton’s season of The Bachelor, and the former lead has not been shy voicing his distrust in the show’s producers.
While his methods may have bothered contestants and leads, many fans see his tenure in the franchise as the golden era of Bachelor Nation. Matt James’ season of The Bachelor has been highly criticized as being one of the worst in franchise history, and many feel the show started going downhill when Elan left (via Reddit). Elan was said to be a master of manipulation, who could inspire drama while still maintaining a season’s love story. Without Elan’s unique skills, the show has become all drama.
The theory holds water when the timing of Elan’s departure is considered. The first season without him involved was Hannah Brown’s, and her season of The Bachelorette marked an uptick in overly-produced drama. After Elan left, there was reportedly more competition between the remaining producers to create as much drama as possible. This would explain the increase in producer gimmicks like planted characters and late-added contestants. There have also been rumors that Reality Steve got his information, at least in part, from Elan, which would explain why the spoiler guru has been making mistakes lately.
Contestants and leads in The Bachelor franchise can, of course, expect to be manipulated and pushed by producers to a certain extent. But when the producers don’t do it right, they create a season rife with drama and bereft of romance. The series has been deviating away from its original premise of telling a love story. Now, it seems that the show prioritizes drama above all else, and whether a lead finds lasting love is secondary. It’s certainly possible Elan was the magic element that made it all work. If that’s the case, the franchise is in trouble.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 pm ET on ABC.