Of course The Bachelor cast list has apparently leaked just days before the season is set to start, but I am secretly glad because I am an impatient little heathen.
Cult gossip podcast So Dramatic! has leaked the faces and first names of 20 women that they reckon are from this season of The Bachelor. Yes, the women are absolutely stunning. And yes, most of them are *still* white. If this is truly the confirmed cast list, then I’m a little disappointed.
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Don’t get me wrong – these girls are gorgeous. And I’m not saying they shouldn’t be on the show or that they don’t deserve to be there. I do wonder though, how long is it going to take to make diversity the norm on Aussie TV? I thought we were making progress!!!
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I think my expectations were a little higher this year since The Bachelor casted Jimmy Nicholson as their lead despite him not being your Average White Man. Pair that with this year’s Bachelorette being bisexual First Nations woman Brooke Blurton, it really did feel like we were in the middle of a huge shift in on-screen beauty standards.
Also, Jimmy *did* say he wanted diversity in The Bachelor cast. Sigh.
I imagine a lot of people took that to be a sign that we would see a lot more diversity among the contestants, too. And I’ve noticed we definitely have a couple of diverse women in this cast leak! But also… not more than usual it seems.
The good thing is, I’m pretty sure this cast list isn’t complete. While The Bachelor seasons typically start off with 20 women, we’re bound to get intruders too – so maybe there’s hope yet! I hope so, anyway.
The Bachelor premiers on Wednesday, 21 July on Channel 10 and 10Play.
