While most potential contestants for The Bachelor or The Bachelorette are just looking for true love, some return from auditions diagnosed and disappointed.
Bachelor insiders admitted that herpes and other STDs are the 'top reason applicants don't make it onto the show,' in excerpts from a book about the reality series.
In tell-all excerpts published on Jezebel Tuesday, one behind-the-scenes veteran of Bachelor Nation said: 'As soon as the medical tests came back, you’d see that herpes was the biggest thing.'
A Bachelor insider revealed that herpes and other STDs are the 'top reason applicants don't make it onto the show' in a newly released excerpt from writer Amy Kaufman's upcoming book about Bachelor Nation (FILE PHOTO: Above suitor Arie Luyendyk Jr is seen sharing a smooch with castmember on a recent episode of show)
Kaufman spoke to teams of people for her forthcoming book Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure.
Since any applicant with an STD is sent home, producers see the bulk of potential suitors get sent home after a run-of-the-mill physical.
'As soon as the medical tests came back, you’d see that herpes was the biggest thing,' stated Ben Hatta, who was previously the assistant of Bachelor creator and executive producer Mike Fleiss.
Hatta explained that breaking that news provided he and fellow crew members with more than enough awkward moments.
'Sometimes you'd be the first person to tell a contestant that they had herpes. You’d be like, "Uh, you should call your doctor." Why? "We’re not going to be able to have you on our show, but you should call your doctor."
Exciting conclusion: The final episode of Arie Luyendyk Jr's season of The Bachelor is promising plenty of drama when it airs Tuesday night, with the star telling People 'I made a mistake'
'Then they’d realize they'd been denied from The Bachelor and now a bunch of people knew they had herpes.'
In addition to passing a physical, potential contestants have to pass a psychological test.
Eligible guys or gals don't have to pass with flying colors, however, as producer Michael Carroll admitted 'there’s a window of the pass, do you know what I mean?'
The behind-the-scenes figure talked about the reality TV sweet spot between clinical mental health issues and must-watch TV.
'You’d know there’d be a possibility of [someone] being kind of unhinged — like, she passed, but just barely. You can see it at the casting events during the interviews, "Oh, this chick is going to go f–king nuts. She’s amazing."'
The final episode of Arie Luyendyk Jr's season of The Bachelor airs Tuesday night and is promising something unprecedented.
'I know people are going to be hard on [me],' Arie teased People readers ahead of the finale. 'I made a mistake. And I’m prepared for the backlash. But all I can say is I had to follow my heart.'
Daily Mail