“There’s no way in hell I’m ever doing it.”
There’s no doubt that “The Bachelor” turns its contestants into celebrities but fans may not know that they’ve come pretty close to having an actual celebrity Bachelor and Bachelorette! Since the series began in 2002, the show’s producers have sought out a famous face to lead the season, particularly before internal casting was a common practice.
Some stars say that they’ve been approached by the show numerous times throughout the years but each time they turned them down, despite the overwhelming success of the series. So while a celebrity Bachelor or Bachelorette hasn’t panned out just yet, it definitely would make for entertaining television.
Read on to find out who turned down the chance to be a part of Bachelor Nation…
1. Kim Zolciak
Before joining “Real Housewives,” Kim Zolciak says she was in the running to be the lead on “The Bachelorette” but ultimately didn’t end up taking the opportunity. While she didn’t make an appearance on the show, she thinks her daughter Brielle would be a great fit.
“I was asked to do ‘The Bachelorette,’ you know that? Like, probably many years ago… I was in talks with them, oh God, probably 14 years ago. It was a long, long time ago because [my daughter] Ariana was probably, like, a year or two old. I don’t even know how that started ’cause I wasn’t filming or doing anything… I guess a couple of people that I knew had kind of tried to align that,” Kim said “Juicy Scoop” podcast.
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2. Chrishell Stause
Early on in the “Bachelor” franchise, “Selling Sunset” star Chrishell Stause was considered for the lead role on “The Bachelorette.” At the time, Chrishell was starring on “All My Children” and the female-fronted version of the reality show hadn’t taken off yet.
“I’ve actually had lunch with Chrishell, this was about 10 or 11 years ago, to talk about being the Bachelorette. There was a time when ‘Bachelorette’ was sort of done just, like, every so often when they decided to do it. There was like four ‘Bachelors’ for every one ‘Bachelorette’… At that point we didn’t know who it was going to be, so we were looking for people and our casting director said, ‘We should meet with this girl Chrishell Stause, she’s amazing.’ I was convinced, I was like, ‘This is the Bachelorette,'” ABC executive Robert Mills said on the “Viall Files” podcast.
While Robert said he didn’t think Chrishell would remember the encounter, she confirmed she did, saying, “Of course I remember! So funny to think about now.”
3. Jonathan Scott
“Property Brothers” star Jonathan Scott has been offered the opportunity to be “The Bachelor” on several occasions but has said no every time. Jonathan, who is now dating Zooey Deschanel, says the show would give him “so much anxiety.”
“I said my third no to being the Bachelor about a month ago. I cannot. That is absolutely not me. I would love something like ‘Amazing Race.’ [It] would be fun… but not ‘The Bachelor,'” Jonathan once told Us Weekly.
His brother Drew jokingly added, “He don’t need that. Anyway, I think right now he’s just focusing on what we’re doing, the shows… Eventually he’ll have time and then I’ll pawn him off for a dating show or something.”
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4. Tana Mongeau
Back in 2017, social media star Tana Mongeau says she was offered a spot on “The Bachelorette” after connecting with a casting director who she met through “The Dr. Phil Show.” At the time, Tana was just 19 and younger than required to join the show, leading some fans to question the truth to her story. Regardless of the validity of her claim, Tana says she turned down the offer because she was in a relationship.
“I ended up deciding because I was currently dating that I would turn down the show. They ended up interviewing a bunch of social media stars but they never picked a social media star… I don’t regret it. I think my life would have gone in a very different path and I don’t necessarily know if that’s the way I would have wanted fame,” Tana said in a video.
5. Ryan Lochte
In 2012, Olympian Ryan Lochte was reportedly in negotiations with ABC to be “The Bachelor” along with Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Sean Lowe. In the end, Ryan wasn’t offered the position and the spot ultimately went to Sean. Many years later, Arie would also get his chance to be “The Bachelor.”
“We honestly briefly considered him. But we are going elsewhere,” a source told E! News about Ryan at the time.
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6. Ivanka Trump
Way before her father was president, Ivanka Trump was offered the position of “The Bachelorette,” which she ended up turning down to pursue her career as a real estate developer.
“I’ve been offered tons of shows, [including] ‘The Bachelorette.’ I’m flattered, but that in no way furthers my objective of being a great real estate developer,” Ivanka told People.
7. Bobby Bones
A few years ago, radio personality Bobby Bones said he was asked if he had any interest in being ‘The Bachelor.’ Bobby, who is now happily engaged, turned down the opportunity for several reasons, including his commitment to his radio show.
“I was asked if I would entertain the option of being ‘The Bachelor’ and I said no. It definitely wasn’t an offer, it was a, ‘Hey is this something you’d want to do?’ I said no because there’s a lot that they have of your rights and they can make you do certain things. You sign a lot of paperwork. And I have this show,” he said on “The Bobby Bones Show.”
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8. Kaley Cuoco
Kaley Cuoco had the support of host Chris Harrison, who said she would make a great ‘Bachelorette.’ While it’s not clear if the show ever made her an official offer, Kaley said she wouldn’t be interested because she wouldn’t want “to be judged.”
“I’d rather just watch and judge everyone else. I don’t want to be judged! I gotta have them on my TV and watch them,” Kaley joked.
9. Charlie Ebersol
Charlie Ebersol, who once dated Britney Spears, says he was offered a spot on “The Bachelor” but turned it down.
“They asked me to do ‘The Bachelor’ a bunch of years ago and it was the most awkward phone call I have ever been a part of in my entire life. There’s no way in hell I’m ever doing it,” Charlie told Us Weekly.
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