ABC might be excited about its new twist in which two women, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson, will both star on The Bachelorette next season, but former stars of the franchise are outraged.
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One day after Chris Harrison made the announcement on After the Final Rose that there will be two Bachelorettes for Season 11 on Monday night, seventeenth-season The Bachelor star Sean Lowe expressed his deep disapproval on his personal blog.
"No one likes the idea," Lowe wrote, adding that his wife Catherine Giudici, "thinks it's disgusting."
Lowe met his wife on The Bachelor and they've been happily married since January 2014.
"As we were sitting on the couch watching this trainwreck of an announcement, [Catherine] made a good point. One of these poor girls is going to suffer the same rejection she suffered the first go around. And ... get this ... on the first episode. The producers will give the guys the chance to choose which woman they'd like to have as the Bachelorette. The other woman will be sent home on the first night," Lowe explained.
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"The first night only allows for very brief conversations, and it's really hard to get to know anyone in that amount of time. Basically, the guys will be left to choose based on looks for the most part."
Lowe has been dubbed "America's favorite Bachelor" since his stint on the reality dating series, so his opinion may carry some sway with fans.
"I know this show is already awkward and degrading... especially if it's not handled well by the main star," Lowe continued. "I also realize this is 'just another reality TV show.' But, in a way, it's not. The Bachelor and The Bachelorette still have a certain amount of credibility. Why? People watch it because they hope to see people find true love. I'm proof. It happens."
Lowe then listed three main reasons why he doesn't like the show's new twist.
"It's downright degrading for the women -- for the two chosen and the women watching at home. This move transfers the power back to the men on the show specifically designed for the women. As one Tweet said, 'Once again, you'll have women competing for the attention of men,'" Lowe, 31, wrote in the blog.
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"Bringing on two Bachelorettes is just a rating ploy designed to bring The Bachelorette out of a two season ratings slump... [Also], when I was The Bachelor, the producers selected girls for my season whom they thought were well suited for me... There's no way they can stack the decks with good possibilities for such two different women."
The Bachelorette's ninth-season star Desiree Hartsock and sixth-season star Ali Fedotowsky both took to Twitter to bash the idea as well.
"Not going to lie. I'm a bit confused by 2 bachelorettes. Put girls against each other!? Don't we already get enough of that," Hartsock tweeted March 9, adding that she's "Team Kaitlyn."
"The more I think about it, I can't help but be upset about ABC choosing 2 #Bachelorettes," Fedotowsky posted on her account Monday night. "It's going to be so hurtful to both the girls."
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski