'The Bachelorette' is set to begin filming in July
Cameras will start rolling shortly after July 4 in California, sources say.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}ABC’s “The Bachelorette” — surely one of the world’s most unsanitary competition shows — is set to start filming again in California shortly after July 4, in spite of the raging pandemic.
Sources tell Page Six that the male contestants — who this season will vie for the affections of Clare Crawley — have to show up a couple of days before filming begins to get tested for the coronavirus.
And then, presumably, the traditional monthlong makeout-palooza will begin.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}'BACHELORETTE' CLARE CRAWLEY OPENS UP ABOUT PAST ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
The bacterial bonanza — beginning as the deadly coronavirus outbreak is having an explosive resurgence in California — will lend an ominous new ring to the show’s trademark “final rose.”
When we asked for comment, Warner Bros. rep Greg Khach said, without asking if he could speak on background, “On background and not for attribution, there’s no comment from Warner Bros.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}'BACHELORETTE' STAR BECCA KUFRIN 'TRYING TO WORK THROUGH' DIFFERENCES WITH FIANCÉ GARRETT YRIGOYEN
Perhaps fortunately, relatively few people are likely to see the sickly spectacle. The show — which once attracted some 17 million viewers for its premieres — has been on a downward trend in the ratings for years, and hit a record low last season, attracting just 4.7 million viewers, according to ratings-data analysts at TV by the Numbers.
'The Bachelorette' is set to return for its sizzling 16th season, Clare Crawley will head back to the Bachelor mansion as she embarks on a new journey to find true love. (ABC)
Shortly after we reached out for comment, Variety published a story announcing “The Bachelorette” would indeed be the first major TV show to return to production in the US. “The entire season will be shot in a quarantined location with all cast and crew members living on-site,” the trade magazine reported.
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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday that people traveling to the state from coronavirus hot spots, including Florida and Texas, would have to quarantine upon arrival.