Why Is Bachelor Nation So Chatty On Twitter This Year?

Almost by definition, Bachelor Nation has always been a nation of secrets. The shows involved — The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Bachelor In Paradise, and the upcoming Bachelor Winter Games — are very guarded about what happens on set because, ostensibly, interest in the franchise hinges on a Very Dramatic Never Seen Before Surprise Ending. So, contestants tend to be social media-mute, especially during filming and, for the most part, as the shows air. But this year seems to be different: Bachelor Nation can't stop chatting on Twitter, and they're not all that discreet.

Take Bachelor In Paradise. Following the June scandal during which the entire cast packed their bags and flew to Houston, contestants let loose on social media. The Twitter/Snapchat/Instagram gag order that's in place during production had been lifted, it seemed, and we got a pretty good peek at who flew to Paradise. Among the obvious: Jasmine Goode, Alexis Waters, Raven Gates, Iggy Rodriguez, Diggy Moreland, Jack Stone, Robby Hayes, Danielle Maltby, and Astrid Loch. When the scandal died down, production resumed. With that, we'd expect the embargo is sit right back down. But no — Bachelor Nation was, seemingly, even more active on social media, and if you're willing to go down the rabbit hole (hello, hi, it's me), they have spoilers a-plenty.

According to Alexis Waters' Twitter, she left Paradise July 5 after 12 days off Twitter, tweeting, "It's been real #BIP," with a photo of herself, Goode, and Maltby. So, we know that filming took place over roughly two weeks, and that, presumably, these three contestants left the show together, or made it to the final episode in some capacity.

These contestants also regularly Tweet at and/or about Dean Unglert, who is currently on The Bachelorette wooing Rachel Lindsay. Last night, Jasmine Goode suggested that Dean was a good kisser — she, like many other members of Bachelor Nation, was live-tweeting the episode.

"Unsolved mystery?" fellow contestant Danielle Lombard asked.

"No... It's a solved mystery," Raven Gates piped in.

So, Unglert will most likely be in Paradise, which means he won't win The Bachelorette. (No surprise there, but still.) He also presumably locked lips with Goode. This is not just a spoiler but also textbook kissing-and-telling.

Then, when Goode continued to tweet about her affection for contestant Peter, Gates responded:

Either Raven Gates is messing with us, or she just gave away one of BIP's Very Big Surprise Endings.

When Matt Munson left the show last night, future Paradise contestant Kristina Schulmann tweeted that his love journey "wasn't over yet." Yet another cast member spoiler.

And then there's Dean Unglert himself, making light suggestions.

Yet another: Fellow contestant Eric Bigger — who is headed to hometowns with Rachel Lindsay — attended a watch party with Bachelor Nation governor (truly, she's more than just a citizen) Ashley Iaconetti. This was well-documented on social media. It doesn't necessarily mean that Bigger isn't the winner of this season, but it does seem suspect, given that the other two remaining contestants (Peter Krause and Bryan Abasolo) are conspicuously absent from social media.

This isn't to say that it's abnormal for Bachelor contestants to have rich social media lives. On the contrary, Bachelor Nation almost exists purely on the internet, somewhere between Instagrams at music festivals and tweets about their undying love for wine. It's just that this activity is nearing dangerous levels of info-spillage. Where's the NDA? Where's the info police, making sure Dean Unglert doesn't giveaway his future relationship status?

Of course, the past month has been weird for the Bachelor franchise, given the scandal that occurred on the first day of filming between contestants Demario Jackson and Corinne Olympios. After the subsequent investigation closed doors, production reportedly rearranged rules surrounding the show. There's been more intense scrutiny of the conduct on the show — CNN obtained the contract for BIP, which poses severe limits on the rights of contestants. So, maybe things are shifting in Bachelor Nation, lending all the chatty Kathys the chance to speak on Twitter.

Perhaps it's not even a bad thing; social media is the land over which Bachelor Nation rules, and anyone who wants to find spoilers certainly can. So, why not let the contestants Tweet the secrets away? If we're being honest, we don't always watch for who wins anyway. We watch for gimmicks like Adam Jr., the creepy French doll who appeared on this season of The Bachelorette. Or for inane banter about "corks" and "quarks." Who wins is just a side dish.

Representation for ABC declined to comment on the media activity of Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants.