Bachelor in Paradise's seventh-season premiere has been announced by ABC.
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ABC has announced a new season of Bachelor in Paradise will be back this year and premiere Monday, August 16 at 8PM ET/PT.
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Postponed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bachelor in Paradise will be airing in the summer months for the first time in two years.
Bachelor in Paradise's seventh edition will feature The Bachelor and The Bachelorette alums receiving a second -- or third -- chance to find love on reality television.
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"They may have left their respective seasons brokenhearted, but now they have the opportunity to travel to a romantic paradise in hopes of turning a potential summer fling into the real thing," ABC teased of Bachelor in Paradise in a press release.
It's unclear whether Chris Harrison will return to the franchise to host Bachelor in Paradise's next season due to his recent racism controversy and voluntarily leave of absence.
Former The Bachelorette stars Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe are co-hosting The Bachelorette's Spring 2021 season starring Katie Thurston, which is currently filming and will premiere on June 7 on ABC.
Chris announced in February he'd be "stepping aside" from his hosting duties "for a period of time" to educate himself on a "profound" level after defending The Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's racially-ignorant and insensitive actions in the last several years.
Members of Bachelor Nation are reportedly turning down the opportunity to appear on Bachelor in Paradise next season due to the racism scandals surrounding the franchise.
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According to several sources, "many" The Bachelor and The Bachelorette alums from seasons past are "declining" their invitations to look for love in paradise, E! News reported.
"Casting has begun and some members of Bachelor Nation are apprehensive to sign up," one insider shared. "Some are wondering what direction the season will take and are curious if it will strictly focus on contestants falling in love."
The insider told E! News that past contestants of the franchise are hesitant to join the upcoming Paradise spinoff due to Rachael's social-media controversy -- which includes Rachael posing for photos at an antebellum-plantation themed "Old South" party at Georgia College & State University in 2018 -- and Chris' offensive reaction to it.
A second source expressed a similar sentiment and said, "[Producers] have put out several asks to Bachelor veterans. Many people are declining due to the current state of Bachelor Nation. A lot of people are removing themselves from the franchise."
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After all, reports have circulated for over a month many members of Bachelor Nation are up in arms and want to see Chris fired from his hosting position. (Others, however, such as Matt James and Ben Higgins, said they don't want to see Chris get canceled).
ABC is "hoping to get Blake Horstmann, Tia Booth, and Becca Kufrin" onboard, revealed the second source, although "producers are not considering most of the women from Matt's season."
Both Blake and Tia appeared on previous Bachelor in Paradise editions, and Becca is recently single after breaking up with her Season 14 The Bachelorette winner and fiance Garrett Yrigoyen.
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Fans of Matt's The Bachelor season, however, are probably hoping to see Season 25 bachelorettes Serena Pitt, Bri Springs, Chelsea Vaughn and more.
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Even though many familiar faces from the franchise may opt out of Bachelor in Paradise during these challenging times, a third source told E! News, "This could be the best cast ever."
"There is talk of having two years' worth of cast due to no Bachelor in Paradise last year," the third source explained, referencing how ABC skipped the 2020 edition of Paradise.
"They are in talks with multiple former leads. For the first time in franchise history, there will very likely be former Bachelors and Bachelorettes hitting the beach in Mexico."
Matt recently made it known he has no interest in returning to reality television, but other former The Bachelor stars who are still single from the past five or so years include Peter Weber, Chris Soules and Colton Underwood.
As for single The Bachelorette stars, fans could maybe see Becca Kufrin, Andi Dorfman or Ashley Hartsock, who recently separated from her husband JP Rosenbaum.
Additional Bachelor Nation favorites who recently became single include Kendall Long, Joe Amabile, Evan Bass, Carly Waddell, and Chris Randone.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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