Most of Bachelor Nation has weighed in on the cancellation of Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette.” Former contestant Joe Amabile, aka “Grocery Store Joe,” shared his thoughts in a new podcast episode.
Amabile didn’t discuss Paul’s personal life. Rather, he weighed in on the future of the franchise that began with “The Bachelor.”
How ‘Grocery Store Joe’ Feels About ‘The Bachelor’ Franchise
GettyOn the Sunday, March 22 episode of the “Not Married to This” podcast with his wife, Serena Pitt, Amabile felt confident about the “The Bachelor” franchise. He noticed there’s renewed interest in the show after news broke that Taylor Frankie Paul’s Season 22 will not air.
Amabile doesn’t think this spells the end for the franchise. He “would bet a lot of money” on “The Bachelor” returning after ABC cancelled “The Bachelorette.”
“I, personally, if you’re still a fan of the franchise and you want to watch, I would bet a lot of money that they come back,” he explained. “I don’t think it’s over.”
Amabile called the original series ABC’s “bread and butter.” He also noted that the Bachelor mansion was renovated on the HGTV series “Bachelor Mansion Takeover.” He then mentioned that “more people are talking about the ‘Bachelor’ franchise now than maybe ever.”
Amabile felt that same uncertainty when he appeared on “The Bachelorette” in 2018. At the time, he recalled critics saying it was the end of the show. “People say that all the time,” he added.
His journey to love began on season 14 of “The Bachelorette.” Amabile was popular in the Bachelor Nation franchise, where he gained sudden fame after being eliminated on the first night.
In 2021, Amabile returned on season 7 of “Bachelor in Paradise,” where he fell in love and got engaged to Serena Pitt in the show’s season finale.
Why ABC Cancelled Taylor Frankie Paul’s Season of ‘The Bachelorette’
Amabile’s response occurred around the headlines reporting on the franchise. ABC and its parent company Disney announced they were cancelling the new season.
The decision happened after a 2023 video showing an assault between Paul and her ex, Dakota Mortensen, surfaced online.
The network moved its Sunday programming, with a rerun of “American Idol” and a new episode of “Love Overboard” with host Gabby Windey to round out the primetime slot.
ABC hasn’t addressed the future of “The Bachelor” franchise.
