“Bachelor in Paradise” will look and feel much different when Season 10 kicks off on July 7. Not only are members of “The Golden Bachelor” and “The Golden Bachelorette” joining the cast — and former Bachelorette Hannah Brown is coming on as the show’s “Paradise Relations” — there’s a new showrunner in the mix.
Scott Teti spent the last five years at Kinetic Content, working on “Claim to Fame,” “Sweethearts,” “Love Without Borders,” “Married at First Sight” spinoffs and many more unscripted hits. But when the opportunity came up for him to move over to Disney and “Bachelor in Paradise,” it felt like “a perfect fit,” he tells Variety.
“When I started to look at ‘Paradise,’ I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I would love to do this… and here’s what I would love to do to it,’” Teti recalls telling executives Rob Mills and Jamie Silverman. “It resonated with them.”
Below, Teti teases what to expect ahead of Season 10 of “Bachelor in Paradise” and how the vibes changed when bringing in the Goldens.
OK, so tell me what your idea for “Paradise” was. There’ve been conversations for a while about bringing in the Goldens…
I looked at what was there and saw what was great about the existing format. Then I immediately thought of things that I would love to do to make it more compelling and interesting. Some of those were format beats that are different and ways to mix up the story that keep things moving in the right direction. The other was stylistic; I really wanted to upgrade things and take an approach of, how do we make this feel 2025, even more so than what other shows are doing? How do we make this feel cinematic, sexy, stylized, and at the same time, implement that in a way where you’re using longer lenses? You use a cinematic shooting approach where you’re backing off cast and when you’re not up in their [face], they forget that you’re over top of them. They start to open up and feel more relaxed. It was really about just wanting to elevate everything about the show.
“Paradise” always adds an element of comedy and silliness that the other Bachelor Nation shows don’t. Will that remain?
Most of my career has been spent doing loud, comedic shows. So I think with this approach, because we were upgrading the style and sexiness, making it more cinematic, we had to take — hopefully, a more elevated approach with the comedy. It’s all throughout, and we’re getting it in a variety of different ways, just maybe not hitting viewers over the head with it. Hopefully, it resonates, but it’s always tricky. Comedy is a tough thing. You have to continue to evolve, because it’s easy to go for the easy jokes. It’s difficult to really think about how to get creative with it, how to do it in a way that people don’t see it coming. We tried to be irreverent and comedic throughout the series.
Hakeem, Brian, Spencer, Dale, Justin, Jonathon, Jeremy, Kyle, Ricky, Sam, Bailey, Alexe, Kat, Zoe, Jess and Lexi
Disney
Because there are the Goldens mixed in, do the relationships feel a bit more serious? Or are the Goldens leaning into more of the casual/fun vibe?
The Goldens came in more ready to party and with more youthful energy than the younger cast. When they do come in, it almost feels like the injection of youth that they bring. There are always elements of drama and serious romance and things like that, and that carries through with the Goldens too, but I think they brought a lot of the levity.
Can you talk about the format with the two age groups? Are they immersed together, are they encouraged to mingle?
They are all immersed in the same living area, but because of the way they were integrated, and when we brought the Goldens in, they stayed in their respective lanes. A lot of thought went into that. And that’s not to say that it couldn’t happen or it didn’t happen, but largely speaking, they gravitated towards their own peers. There’s a lot of camaraderie and partying and hijinks that goes on between all of them.
I’m so excited to see the interactions between the two age groups.
I think the unique thing about bringing the Goldens in is the POV they bring. The Goldens come in with a lot fewer inhibitions. They’ve lived a lot more life. I think they’re much freer, and their way of thinking is a bit more uninhibited. So when there’s this crossover of the two generations, it’s a really fun mix — the younger is giving the Golden cast dating advice, telling them how to swipe left or write, and the vice versa, [advice like], “Lower your standards, honey, if you want to find a man.” So it was very comedic and endearing.
Can you talk about the casting process, especially for which Goldens you were choosing to come out?
I think it was a lot easier for them [to say yes] because they’re so excited about going on an adventure and having a second go at things. They were very much amped up about everything and open to it all. Casting is always tricky. Who’s going to be a good fit for the show? Who’s at the right stage of their life? Who’s really looking for love? Who would potentially match with who? A lot goes into “Paradise” in general. I won’t say the casting process is easy, because it’s always difficult, but it’s a fun process.
Let’s discuss the move from Mexico to Costa Rica? I assume this change is, in part, due to the lack of air conditioning, the stairs, etc. at the old resort. Those conditions are not suitable for the Goldens!
A lot of that was before my time. The location was actually chosen before I came on board. But I was excited, and I think a lot of that went into what you just mentioned. All of those things went into the thought behind going to Costa Rica and finding somewhere different. It was a great experience. I think the hotel and the vibe of everything feels a little chicer and more elevated. There’s air conditioning! So if the cast is happier, you’re going to get a better response. And I think the response was extremely positive with their experience.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
