The Bachelor (Australian TV series)

The Bachelor Australia is a reality television adaptation of the U.S. series of the same name. The series, hosted by Osher Günsberg, first premiered on Network 10 on 8 September 2013. Its success resulted in spin-offs The Bachelorette Australia and Bachelor in Paradise Australia.

It was announced in November 2015 that unlike seasons 1–3 which were produced by Shine Australia, seasons 4–present would be produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production.

In May 2023, it was announced that season 11 would commence filming in Melbourne in July 2023 and in November 2023, it was announced that it would premiere on 3 December 2023. In May 2024, Ten announced the series was cancelled.

Premise
The series focuses on a single bachelor and a pool of romantic interests. The conflicts in the series, both internal and external, stem from the elimination-style format of the show. Early in the season, the bachelor goes on large group dates with the women, with the majority of women eliminated during rose ceremonies. As the season progresses, women are also eliminated on single dates, elimination two-on-one dates and in cocktail parties. The process culminates with hometown visits to the families of the final four women, overnight dates, should they choose to accept, at exotic locations with the final three women, and interaction with the bachelor's family with the final two women. In some cases, the bachelor proposes to his final selection.

All seasons of the show have been heterosexual-centric (a male seeking a female partner), however, a bisexual edition of sister series, The Bachelorette has set a precedent that The Bachelor may include editions of the show that focus on different sexual orientations.

Single Date
The bachelor and one woman go on a date. The bachelor is given a chance to get to know the woman on a more personal level, and the dates are usually very intimate. If the date goes well and the bachelor wishes to spend more time with the woman or get to know them further, he may present them with a rose at the date. This means that during the rose ceremony at the end of each episode, she will be safe and there will be no chance of her going home.

Group Date
The bachelor and a group of women participate in an activity. Sometimes the activity takes the form of a competition, with the winner or winners spending more time with the bachelor. The bachelor typically presents a rose to the woman who makes the best impression during the group date.

Rose Ceremony
The women who have not been eliminated stand in rows at one end of the room, and the bachelor faces them. The bachelor has a tray with roses. The bachelor takes a rose and calls a woman by name. The woman steps forward, and the bachelor asks, "Will you accept this rose?" The woman accepts, takes the rose, and makes her way to the other side of the room (where all the women who have been given a rose are required to stand.) When there is one rose remaining, host Osher Günsberg tells the bachelor, "When you're ready." After all roses are distributed, the host tells the women who did not receive a rose to "please take some time to say goodbye."

Hometown Visits
The bachelor visits the home towns and families of each of the four remaining women. At the rose ceremony, one woman is eliminated, leaving three. Another episode airs before the final rose ceremony, leaving two women.

The Finale
The two remaining women separately meet with the bachelor's family. At the end of the episode, the bachelor will reveal their true love to the woman of his choice and will often propose to her. That woman is said to be the winner of The Bachelor.

Criticism
The show has been subjected to allegations of sexism, in relation to its hyper-sexualised and stereotypical portrayal of women. This feminist reading of the show has prompted an ironic following, which has also manifested online through humorous columns and episode reviews.

Spin-offs
On 14 November 2014, it was announced that Network Ten had commissioned the spin-off series The Bachelorette Australia. It was revealed that Network Ten were exploring launching local adaptations of some of the Bachelor spin-off programs including After the Rose, Bachelor Pad. In October 2017, Network Ten officially confirmed that a local adaptation of Bachelor in Paradise Australia will go into production and the first season premiered in 2018.

Broadcast
In New Zealand, The Bachelor airs on Bravo TV under the title The Bachelor Australia.