Strict social media rules have been brought in for the ladies on Jimmy Nicholson’s season of The Bachelor.
WATCH A big fight sees one contestant sent home in first look at The Bachelor
And there’s rumours the stringent new terms came as a result of “fame hungry” contestants on Locky Gilbert’s season last year.
“Ten have gone to extreme lengths to gag the girls this season,” the So Dramatic! podcast reports.
Unlike past seasons, the ladies won’t have control over their Instagram pages and other accounts while the show airs.
Instead, their pages are being managed by a “third party”, a decision supposedly meant to prevent any rumours or leaks spreading online.
A Channel Ten production insider claimed that the girls “were asked to sign an amendment to their initial contract” when arriving at the mansion on night one.
“The amendment asked them to sign over all of their social media passwords to Warner Brothers and Channel Ten throughout the entire duration of the show.”
The women have also had their comment sections turned off in recent posts, specifically posts about the new season of The Bachelor.
There’s talk that the contestants will keep their comments disabled for the duration of this season to avoid drama and rumours.
Another insider claimed last year’s batch of contestants are to blame for the “social media freeze”.
“Warner Bros learnt from the fame hungry girls of season eight who were obsessed with getting followers,” the source told Daily Mail.
“To ensure Jimmy’s girls did not go rogue, they’re controlling their social media accounts for the first time, and compensating their silence with $5k.”
The source is likely referring to 2020 runner-up Bella Varelis, who dropped leaks on Instagram while her season was airing.
As a result her cocktail party photos were taken down as punishment by producers at the time, an insider claimed at the time.
According to So Dramatic!, contestants automatically received a verified blue tick on Instagram if they sign Channel Ten’s social media contract.
“BIP [Bachelor In Paradise] is not happening, they needed something to convince the girls to stay silent,” Daily Mail Australia’s The Bachelor source added.
In the past, most contestants have appeared to have control of their social media pages – for better or worse.
Fans have speculated the new social media policy is to prevent a repeat of last year’s Nadine Kodsi scandal.
The former Bachie contestant took to her Instagram Stories and revealed that Irena and Bella would be Locky Gilbert’s final two, spoiling the season for many avid fans.
It was a shocking revelation, but certainly not the first time a Bachelor contestant has let major details slip on social media before they were supposed to.
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