Did the New ‘Bachelor’ Preview Accidentally Reveal Who Gets Eliminated Next?

Published Feb 18, 2020

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3:30pm

*Warning: Spoilers ahead*

Things are heating up as Peter Weber’s season of The Bachelor comes to a close. Although the 28-year-old pilot hoped to strengthen bonds and find reassurance during the hometown dates, he instead found even more drama with Victoria F. And while it’s not exactly anything new, we can’t help but wonder if the 25-year-old Virginia Beach native is this prone to drama or if it has a little something to do with the Bachelor producers?

As PureWow executive editor Phil Mutz pointed out during a lively post-Bachelor conversation (yep, our jobs are fun), Victoria F. has kind of been set up by producers to look like the villain twice. The first instance was the Chase Rice date and now Peter’s ex who just so happens to have been friends with Victoria comes out of the woodwork to bad mouth her? It’s a bit too convenient.

The season 24, episode nine promo definitely ups Victoria’s unlikability factor to Disney villain heights, inadvertently giving away the (likely) ending to the upcoming episode.

In one clip, she says, “She gave him an ultimatum, and I’m sorry, that’s disgusting. Putting him in that position is so unfair. Are you kidding me?” Did we mention she’s also slowly sipping red wine like Game of Thrones’s Cersei Lannister and glaring at Hannah Ann while doing so? In a producer interview, she doesn’t mince words when she says how “awkward” it will be to live with the other women while in Australia. Throw all that together with the multiple times she’s blown up at Peter and we officially have this season’s villain (sorry Tammy and Alayah, you had your moment).

Our theory: The producers are using the preview to paint her as a villain so we won’t be heartbroken when she’s sent home next week. (Most likely, they’re also drumming up some interest for her to return to the Bachelor Nation fold and appear on Bachelor in Paradise.)

To be honest, we all knew Madison and Hannah Ann would make it to the end. They’ve been frontrunners since the first rose ceremony. But the question remains: Which of them will end up with the final rose? We have our theories… *cough* Madison.

So, did the Bachelor producers and editors build Victoria up as the villain to spare our feelings or is she genuinely problematic? Either way, the preview makes it clear that her days are numbered. All will (hopefully) be revealed when The Bachelor returns next Monday, February 24, at 8 p.m. PT/ET.

Lex Goodman

Cat mom, yogi, brunch enthusiast

Lex is an LA native who's deeply obsessed with picnics, Slim Aarons, rosé, Hollywood history and Joan Didion. She joined PureWow in early 2017.

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