Ken Fuchs has been working behind-the-scenes of The Bachelor for 14 years. Since the show first premiered in 2002, he has directed an incredible 31 seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Fuchs dishes on the off-camera action you don't get to see on TV. The 20th season of The Bachelor ends on Monday, but if Fuchs has anything to do with it, it sounds like it's not going off the air any time soon. Here are seven of the most interesting things we learned.
1. The women have to cook all their own food — and that's how they bond.
"The basics are all provided, and the girls come up with a list of things they’d like, eggs or whatever beyond you know to make, because they’re in the house together and they have to cook together, like that’s sort of like the storytelling and building relationships among them — is having them cook themselves or make their own drinks. They’re not catered to in any way, but we’ll basically go out and go shopping for them and create a list and they can cook and eat pretty much whatever they’d like. There’s always a few in the house who take on more of the cooking and are comfortable in the kitchen, but it’s fun to see what they do and a lot of that stuff doesn’t end up in the edit, but they have fun with it, and it sort of makes them feel more at home. We’re just trying to make everything feel normal, as normal as possible, so they can just focus on why they’re there."
"The basics are all provided, and the girls come up with a list of things they’d like, eggs or whatever beyond you know to make, because they’re in the house together and they have to cook together, like that’s sort of like the storytelling and building relationships among them — is having them cook themselves or make their own drinks. They’re not catered to in any way, but we’ll basically go out and go shopping for them and create a list and they can cook and eat pretty much whatever they’d like. There’s always a few in the house who take on more of the cooking and are comfortable in the kitchen, but it’s fun to see what they do and a lot of that stuff doesn’t end up in the edit, but they have fun with it, and it sort of makes them feel more at home. We’re just trying to make everything feel normal, as normal as possible, so they can just focus on why they’re there."
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2. The rose ceremonies can go until 5 a.m.
"It’s a long, long night. It's always been quite an accomplishment to get through it, since it’s inevitably sunlight by the time you drive home... I think it usually goes into the early hours... Yeah, I’ve seen 5 a.m."
"It’s a long, long night. It's always been quite an accomplishment to get through it, since it’s inevitably sunlight by the time you drive home... I think it usually goes into the early hours... Yeah, I’ve seen 5 a.m."
3. And they go through a lot of coffee — and booze.
"The girls are sometimes a little harder to keep up in the morning I think than the guys. ‘Cause the guys are a little more like crazy. And they’ll jump in the pool you know or something weird to keep themselves up, but they also probably drink more, so I think it’s just a lot of like early morning coffee and a little fresh air."
"The girls are sometimes a little harder to keep up in the morning I think than the guys. ‘Cause the guys are a little more like crazy. And they’ll jump in the pool you know or something weird to keep themselves up, but they also probably drink more, so I think it’s just a lot of like early morning coffee and a little fresh air."
4. All that sleep deprivation heightens the drama.
"It’s an emotional night. It’s an emotional night any way. And if you’re gonna go home and you’re sent home, I’m sure it’s a little more emotional because of how long or how tired you might be. It’s an exhausting process every day."
"It’s an emotional night. It’s an emotional night any way. And if you’re gonna go home and you’re sent home, I’m sure it’s a little more emotional because of how long or how tired you might be. It’s an exhausting process every day."
5. How much"Fantasy Suite" footage they show is based on whether it "moves the story forward" — and if it's what viewers want.
"If there’s something interesting or pertinent about shooting that, then that’s great, if we think it’s something the viewer wants then we’ll change or incorporate that, so things change season to season. Sometimes we’ll change our style or we’ll change our emphasis based a little bit on audience taste and preferences, too. But other times it’s either not appropriate to show or just not that interesting to show. If it’s riveting television, moving the story forward in that sense, then it’s worth it."
"If there’s something interesting or pertinent about shooting that, then that’s great, if we think it’s something the viewer wants then we’ll change or incorporate that, so things change season to season. Sometimes we’ll change our style or we’ll change our emphasis based a little bit on audience taste and preferences, too. But other times it’s either not appropriate to show or just not that interesting to show. If it’s riveting television, moving the story forward in that sense, then it’s worth it."
6. The show-runners say they're all about diversity, but that it's ultimately up to the Bachelor/Bachelorette.
"I have no issues with diversity. I think it’s a great thing. I think every person of every race and color and background that’s been on — regardless of how far they make it in the season, because that’s not up to us, really, that’s up to the bachelor or the bachelorette, but I think it’s been appropriate and compelling and no reason not to have more of that and more diversity, and certainly we’re all behind that. There are some things out of our control, like who he’s gonna pick for the final two..."
"I have no issues with diversity. I think it’s a great thing. I think every person of every race and color and background that’s been on — regardless of how far they make it in the season, because that’s not up to us, really, that’s up to the bachelor or the bachelorette, but I think it’s been appropriate and compelling and no reason not to have more of that and more diversity, and certainly we’re all behind that. There are some things out of our control, like who he’s gonna pick for the final two..."
7. The crew will set up shop anywhere — like, anywhere.
"[S]ometimes we’re in a jungle, and we’re crammed into a little hut with a folding table and monitors, and then other times we’re in a grand, sixteenth century castle in Europe, and we’re sitting in a gold latent room with expensive artwork on the walls. I wish we could release a book of all the control rooms we’ve had over the years, ‘cause it really runs the gamut from luxurious to absolutely dirty and small."
"[S]ometimes we’re in a jungle, and we’re crammed into a little hut with a folding table and monitors, and then other times we’re in a grand, sixteenth century castle in Europe, and we’re sitting in a gold latent room with expensive artwork on the walls. I wish we could release a book of all the control rooms we’ve had over the years, ‘cause it really runs the gamut from luxurious to absolutely dirty and small."
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