Monday’s Bachelor: Women Tell All special had plenty of dramatic moments. When the former contestants of Nick Viall’s The Bachelor reunited for the annual televised special, rivals Corinne and Taylor sparred over their “emotional intelligence” and early castoff Liz preached that women should be “building each other up, not tearing each other down.” (Head here for a full recap.)
But there were also many memorable moments that didn’t make it to air. The Hollywood Reporter was on-set during the taping of ABC’s televised two-hour cast reunion outside of Los Angeles. Read on to find out what the cameras missed — and what got left on the cutting room floor.
The taping lasted five hours
Though only two hours aired on TV, those who attended the taping were in for a nearly five-hour event. Even host Chris Harrison couldn’t help but find comic relief in the waning moments. “What day is it? We should make the show longer,” he joked. When filming finally wrapped after 9 p.m., he said, “It was a great rehearsal, just nine more hours to go.”
Alcohol — and Corinne-themed shirts — were passed around
After Corinne stepped off the set to get some champagne during her heated moment with Taylor, the 24-year-old shared her flute with a dozen of the contestants behind her. In between takes, the women took sips from red Solo cups, exclaiming they “[needed] wine or champagne” to get through the taping. Also being handed out to the studio audience? “Make America Corinne Again” signs and “platinum vagine” shirts.
Nick and Rachel had a private pep talk
There is truly no love lost between the brand-new exes. Nick and Rachel, who was eliminated on Monday’s episode, reunited backstage before their televised moment in Chris’ hotseat. Nick hugged Rachel offstage, telling her about her being cast as the next Bachelorette, “I’m so happy for you. I’m proud of you. Talk to you later — we’ll do something!” Rachel, excited to catch up more off-camera, asked him, “Do I see you after or no?” Nick assured her they would, before telling her she looked “great.” She replied, “So do you.”
And expressed how they missed each other
Once onstage, Nick told his ex, “I miss our friendship. It’s hard to live that. That’s the bittersweet part of being the Bachelor. I think you’ll find out about being the Bachelorette, so good luck.” Rachel responded, “I have to respect the decision you made. I hope you’re happy. At the end of the day, I miss what we had. I know you miss me, too.” Nick also offered Rachel’s contestants more advice: “Get ready. She is a fighter. I hope the guys have a bit of wit about them because if they don’t, they’re in trouble.” And he checked in with the lawyer when the cameras weren’t rolling to make sure she was comfortable. “Is this awkward for you?” he asked. She let him know, “I’m good.”
Related Stories
Rachel pre-gamed with Fireball Cinnamon Whisky
“I’ve been drinking Fireball,” Rachel, who was kept separately backstage until her debut, told Nick when the cameras weren’t rolling.
Chris Harrison mixed up a few of the contestants
The host accidentally mixed up Dominique and Jasmine, creating a very awkward moment on-set. He also mixed up the Danielles, asking Danielle L. about her early one-on-one date, though Danielle M. had that alone time with Nick.
Chris helped Corinne with her cheese-pasta bit
Chris had to whisper into Corinne’s ear, “Cheese pasta,” to remind her to bring the snack on-set. When she passed the treat, a nanny Raquel special, the contestants munched on the macaroni, starving after being on-set for multiple hours. Later, Chris also encouraged Corinne to hug Taylor, and Rachel to hug her fellow Bachelor contestants, providing for a shared moment of embrace.
Danielle L. was accused of being too cheery
There was a whole conversation that didn’t air about people judging Danielle L. for being super happy.
Abbreviations, explained
The women used the acronym “ITMs” to describe their interviews on the show. It apparently stands for “In the Moments.”
Chris and Nick are buds
The pair geeked out over Elijah Wood’s recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon during a commercial break. To Fallon, the actor revealed he was a big fan of the show and is friends with Nick in real life. Chris: “How good was the Fallon bit?” Nick: “So good.”
The real reason the women were screaming at each other
They’re all auditioning for Bachelor in Paradise! They joked. The cast for the summer spinoff is still up in the air.
What did you think of the special? Sound off below and check back in next week for THR‘s coverage of the finale here.
