Zach Shallcross’ season of The Bachelor had a happy ending, as he found his best friend and got engaged to Kaity Biggar. Season 27 wasn’t without its controversies, though, and while it sometimes seemed like Shallcross might be the perfect Bachelor, some fans started to see some red flags in the way he handled conflict. Reality TV watchers should know by now, though, that what they see in the broadcast is never the full story of what actually happened, and the Bachelor recently spoke to CinemaBlend about how certain events can be “taken out of context” for the sake of good TV.
The process of watching back The Bachelor Season 27, as Zach Shallcross dated 30 women, cried over breakups and struggled over who to propose to up until the final dates, couldn’t have been easy, particularly for Kaity Biggar. This is especially true, knowing that Shallcross’ journey was being edited for maximum dramatic effect. The Bachelor said communication was definitely key, and he told CinemaBlend’s Nick Venable that he and his fiancée both understood the TV aspect of it all. Shallcross said:
We're not naive to the show editing. You know, it's by design that we don't meet the editors and we don't have any say, you know, which is kind of the reality TV world. But yeah, I mean, it was something we always discussed. And, you know, really, what's important is the truth that we all, you know, lived in and communicate. Because you never know, like contexts, you know, things can be taken out of context on the TV show, for the TV show.
The Bachelor’s Fantasy Suite dates often produce the most “ridiculously awkward” moments of any season. Everyone remembers Colton Underwood’s fence-jump moment and Clayton Echard’s “Rose Ceremony From Hell,” right? Well Zach Shallcross was no exception, and he’s taken quite a bit of flak for declaring — and promptly breaking — a no-sex mandate. That, on top of Shallcross’ indecision about his final two women, drew criticism from fans who thought the Bachelor had led on Gabi Elnicki.
Zach Shallcross said he knew on his Last Chance Date with Kaity Biggar that he wanted her to be his wife; however, when his date with Gabi Elnicki aired later in the episode, the Bachelor said he was still conflicted. Shallcross has revealed since the “After the Final Rose” special that those dates were aired out of order, and that he hadn’t known during his date with Elnicki what he was going to do, but made his decision when he saw Biggar later on their date.
As Zach Shallcross said, there’s a reason the cast members don’t have access to the show’s editors. No doubt if he did, he also would have taken out some of the other moments that made him cringe.
That wasn’t the only editing choice this season to get attention from Bachelor Nation. Kaitlyn Bristowe revealed that the scenes of Zach Shallcross sipping tea (supposedly) in his London hotel room when he was sidelined with COVID were actually shot in a Los Angeles hotel.
At least it sounds like the happy couple are accepting of the creative licenses taken for the sake of making a TV show. Now that Zach Shallcross and Kaity Biggar are able to take their engagement public, Bachelor Nation turns its attention to Charity Lawson, who has begun filming The Bachelorette Season 20. Her journey will premiere on ABC at 9 p.m. ET Monday, June 26, and in the meantime, take a look at our 2023 TV schedule to see what premieres are coming soon.
