When will the ‘Bachelor’ return? ABC gives an update on the franchise’s future
'The Bachelor' is finally back on ABC. Nearly two years after its last season, the down-but-not-out franchise will be returning to the network. On November 6, the network announced its midseason schedule. 'The Bachelor' was slated to begin its momentous 30th season on March 21, 2027, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The 29th season featuring Grant Ellis concluded on March 24, 2025. The franchise did not plan to take such a long break. A 'Bachelorette' season featuring 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' star Taylor Frankie Paul was on the cards for 2026.
Paul's season was pulled off days before its March 22 premiere after a video of Paul throwing chairs at her ex went public. "In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of 'The Bachelorette' at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family," the network told Entertainment Weekly in a statement at the time. This was a huge blow for the franchise, which hoped to revitalize itself after steadily declining ratings. According to the Los Angeles Times, Season 29 averaged a million viewers less than Season 28.
Some alums thought that it was the end of the road for the franchise. "I was trying to think of a scenario where it could be different, because this isn't just, 'Oh, we put it all on a person. This person did this.' This is the system that allowed this to happen," former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay said on the Bachelor Party podcast. "The name Bachelorette, Bachelor is tainted at this point. How do you move forward past that? You can't."
Despite the disappointment of Paul's season, ABC was still confident. "'The Bachelor' is almost a perfect format and it is really powerful. It's over two decades old, and it's seen really good days and really bad days," Disney’s reality chief Rob Mills told Deadline in April 2026. 'But it's always had a lot of resilience, especially when the people making it really, really care about it, because that fan base also really cares about it." Mills agreed that the franchise is going through "growing pains," but believes "better days" are ahead. The network did not share other details about the upcoming season, not even its lead. According to Page Six, popular social media personality Dr. Mike Varshavski was being considered. But nothing has been confirmed yet. All episodes of 'The Bachelor' are currently streaming on Hulu.
