Former 'Bachelorette' stars say show producers ‘pushed drama’ during filming

Josh Murray appears on the 'Bachelor in Paradise.' (ABC)

LOS ANGELES – At a star-studded "Bachelor" season finale viewing party, former contestants Robby Hayes and Josh Murray took time to reflect back on their time on "The Bachelorette."

Hayes told Fox News that the show "100 percent" changed his life and that "even knowing how it ended with me getting my heartbroken on national television in front of millions of people I would do it all over again."

During Monday's episode, Nick Viall seemed to have found love on "The Bachelor," as he proposed to Vanessa Grimaldi.

"The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" shows have been big successes for ABC and Hayes said a lot of that has to do with the growing fanbase.

"Not only has it been successful but you get more and more viewers every year... it's nuts," Hayes said. "I think they do a great job pleasing their fans. Once they get fans in they know how to bring them back. One perfect example is when they reused JoJo  [Fletcher] from the season with Ben [Higgins] to be the Bachelorette. She's already developed half a million followers... and I think that method is how they keep building what they've already built."

Murray added that producers "push" the show a certain away.

"There is a lot of pushed drama for sure," he said. "There [are] a lot of people that are like puppets so they do whatever people want them to do and that creates the drama. You gotta do it."

Hayes said the stars of the show don't have to listen to producers' wishes.

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"I mean they (producers) will push for something but you don't have to give it to them," he said. "If they want you to say something you can say exactly how they want it in your own words or you don't have to say it at all."

And this season has made headlines for being a bit racier than others and Hayes attributes that to one particular contestant, Corrine.

"I think it started out racy, it's gotten a lot better since," he said "Corrine made a good point...like things like that, her being a little edgy get noticed. Like obviously look at her, she's doing great. Nick appreciated the fact that she would get out of her comfort zone..."