Will ‘The Bachelor’ Return in 2026? ABC Boss Shares Season 30 Update
Ever since March 2002, The Bachelor has been a staple of the reality TV dating genre. Bachelor Nation has weathered plenty of storms over the years, with the latest revolving around the flagship’s spinoff series, The Bachelorette. Taylor Frankie Paul‘s season of The Bachelorette was pulled in March 2026, and many fans were left wondering about the fate of the entire franchise.
On April 22, Rob Mills, the executive vice president of unscripted for Walt Disney TV, shared major updates about The Bachelor Season 30. He addressed when the show will premiere and the status of choosing a new Bachelor. It’s been over a year since The Bachelor Season 29 ended, so when will we see Season 30? Swooon is breaking down all the latest details about The Bachelor Season 30.
When will The Bachelor return for Season 30?
The Bachelor Season 30 doesn’t have an exact premiere date, but the show will return in 2027. The previous season, which starred Grant Ellis, aired from January to March 2025.
“The Bachelor is almost a perfect format, and it is really powerful. It’s over two decades old, and it’s seen really good days and really bad days. But it’s always had a lot of resilience, especially when the people making it really, really care about it, because that fan base also really cares about it,” he told Deadline. “However, The Bachelor comes back next year, it will be done with a lot of thoughtfulness and care. I do think better days are ahead for the franchise.”
Deadline confirmed in June 2025 that The Bachelor will be returning for Season 30 with a brand new showrunner. Following the exits of Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner in March 2025, Bachelor in Paradise’s newest showrunner, Scott Teti, will also be taking over for The Bachelor.
Who will be the star of The Bachelor Season 30?
Mills made it clear the search for a new lead is ongoing. When asked if the next Bachelor had been chosen already, he told Variety, “No, we don’t need to. We have time. It won’t air until midseason next year. We want to get it right, and we’re looking at all sorts of options and having a lot of conversations about that.”
Since Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette was axed days before its premiere, due to a domestic violence scandal involving her ex, Dakota Mortensen, viewers didn’t get to meet her batch of suitors. Usually, the lead is chosen from the previous Bachelorette season.
ABC could go back into the pool of single Bachelor Nation stars to find their next lead. There are plenty of single guys! Or they could step outside Bachelor Nation and pick someone who hasn’t been involved with the franchise before. The possibilities are endless!
The Bachelor, Season 30, 2027, ABC
