‘Bachelor In Paradise’ Scandal: Host Chris Harrison Claims ‘Drunk And Stupid Does Not Make Good TV’
From investigations into sexual misconduct to delays in production, Bachelor in Paradise got off to a rocky start this summer. While the show is back on schedule and set to premiere in August, host Chris Harrison recently sat down with the Hollywood Reporter and talked about the scandal that threatened to derail Season 4.
The incident in question happened between contestants Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson. Early on in production, Olympios and Jackson got a little too drunk one night and participated in a questionable sexual encounter. Two producers from the show filed complaints about what happened, which prompted the network to halt filming and hire an investigator.
Production eventually resumed, though the scandal put the show back a full week. Harrison revealed that they learned a lot from their mistakes and are better prepared to handle similar situations down the road.
“I think publicly everyone is going to want us to come out and say, ‘We’ve changed everything!’ and that it will be earth-shattering,” Harrison shared. “We’ve really learned from our mistakes, but there really weren’t any major mistakes made.”
The footage of the incident between Olympios and Jackson will not make it onto Bachelor in Paradise Season 4. Producers will, however, explain what happened and give fans some sense of closure. As far as the changes are concerned, Warner Bros. Television had their entire staff go through safety training. Once filming resumed, contestants were allowed only two drinks per hour and had to get permission before sleeping with other cast members.
“Yes, we’ve made some changes but if you talk to the cast, they’ve always been the most important thing to us — taking care of them and their safety,” Harrison added. “And as far as alcohol goes, that’s never been a big thing for us. That’s a big misconception of the show — that we push it, and that we need it and we want it. But that really doesn’t help us. Someone being sloppy drunk and being out of it does not give us good television.”
Most of the changes will not be noticeable on television. Given the lengthy delay in production, the contestants were only given 11 days to finish the season. To make the deadline, there were rose ceremonies every other day, though it sounds like fans will not notice the quick pace.
Olympios and Jackson were invited back to the set, but they both decided to stay home. They are planning on attending the reunion and discussing what happened with Harrison.
In the meantime, ET Online reports that producers are waiting to select the next Bachelor star until Bachelor in Paradise plays out. Although Harrison admitted that they have several candidates in mind, they are waiting to see if anyone emerges this summer, much like Nick Viall did last year. This, unfortunately, means that we will not know who will lead The Bachelor until BIP gets further along.
Season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise airs Aug. 14 on ABC.
[Featured Image by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images]
