EXCLUSIVE: The Bachelor has a habit of bringing back talent across its franchise – a process that is now also happening on the production side.
Jason Ehrlich, who spent over 20 years on the hit reality franchise before leaving last year, is returning as a consulting producer.
Deadline understands Ehrlich is working on the upcoming season of The Golden Bachelor, which is set to return to ABC on September 24.
It marks a full circle for Ehrlich, who left the Warner Bros. Television-produced franchise after exec producing the first season of The Golden Bachelor, which culminated in Theresa Nist marrying Gerry Turner in January 2024 (albeit getting divorced three months later).
But Ehrlich’s departure was part of a much bigger story in Bachelor Nation.
Ehrlich, who started working on the show in 2004, was promoted to run the franchise, alongside Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner in March 2023. However, this troika didn’t last long with Ehrlich leaving less than a year later.
Deadline revealed earlier this year that a dozen current and former crew members claimed that Freeland and Graebner ran a “toxic” and “hostile” environment.
Ehrlich was not accused of any of this behavior. Since he left The Bachelor franchise, he has been exec producing Alex Cooper’s Hulu dating series Love Overboard.
Three weeks after Deadline’s reporting, we revealed that Freeland and Graebner exited the franchise.
Subsequently, in May, Deadline revealed that Jessica Castro was named showrunner of season two of The Golden Bachelor, which stars NFL veteran-turned-lawyer Mel Owens (who has already caused some controversy before the show airs).
It’s been a busy period for those in charge of the show. Earlier this summer, Scott Teti, who was initially brought in as showrunner and executive producer of Bachelor in Paradise, was also named showrunner of flagship show The Bachelor after it was renewed for Season 30 by ABC.
