“Guess we have now our reply,” responds the reporter after a strong 10 seconds of silence from three producers of ‘The Bachelor’ when requested concerning the present’s variety points.

Members of the media and everybody in attendance bought to take a seat by means of about 10 strong seconds of awkward silence as three totally different producers from the present not solely declined to remark, they did not say a phrase.

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It began when NPR reporter Eric Deggans requested producers Jason Ehrlich, Claire Freeland, and Bennett Graebner why former franchise leads Rachel Lindsay and Matt James expressed criticism with how the present has talked about race.

Particularly, he cited Chris Harrison’s protection of 1 contestant’s antebellum south photograph that in the end led to his departure from the present throughout James’s season, in addition to Lindsay’s long-standing criticism of the present.

Freeland is latest to the franchise, after becoming a member of the present in January 2023. She mentioned that she may “communicate to the place we are actually,” noting the aim of the present is to “signify the nation, not simply when it comes to variety and ethnicity, but in addition means and physique sorts and representing the place persons are from within the nation as properly,” per Selection.

Deggans, although, wasn’t happy with that response and restated his query with a extra direct concentrate on the present’s struggles with Black contestants, per The Hollywood Reporter. It was at this second that every one three of the producers sat in literal silence for about 10 seconds. It was Deggans himself who broke the silence, saying, “Guess we have now our reply.”

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After the panel, Freeland mentioned extra concerning the matter, telling THR, “It’s inconceivable for me to touch upon the seasons earlier than I joined them right here. I can solely communicate to the seasons I’ve made as a part of the U.S. franchise in addition to our plans as we go ahead. And that’s to get higher at among the areas that haven’t essentially been as sturdy, maybe, earlier than previously on the franchise.”

She touted The Golden Bachelor (and the just-greenlit Golden Bachelorette), in addition to Charity Lawson’s season of The Bachelorette, as indicators of illustration and development throughout the franchise. “I believe you are seeing way more illustration,” she argued, saying that this stays their aim shifting ahead.

A number of reporters have been keen to concede that Freeland was not a part of the present throughout Lindsay and James’s season, however Graebner was. Whereas he sat in silence along with his colleagues on the dais, Graebner did open up later.

“I used to be there for Matt James’ season. I used to be there for Rachel Lindsay’s season. I used to be additionally there for Michelle Younger’s season, Tayshia Adams’ season, Charity Lawson’s season,” mentioned Graebner, mentioning the three most up-to-date Black Bachelorettes.

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He acknowledged that he feels there’s a “large accountability to have conversations on digicam which can be troublesome and difficult — conversations about race, conversations about class, conversations about gender.”

“Now we have executed that,” he argued. “Have we all the time executed it completely? No. We have definitely made some errors alongside the best way. However shifting ahead we will do every thing in our energy to right this.”

There have been extra on-camera conversations about variety and race points on the present in latest season, in addition to extra racially various casts among the many women and men vying for the respective Bachelorette and Bachelor.

In reality, earlier than Lawson took the lead in her personal season of The Bachelorette, the place there have been a number of conversations about race, she and Bachelor Zach Shallcross spoke concerning the distinctive challenges they might face as a mixed-race couple.

The franchise continues with the subsequent season of The Bachelorette slated for this summer season, adopted by The Golden Bachelorette within the fall. In the meantime, new episodes of The Bachelor, starring Joey Graziadei, are airing each Monday at 8pm ET on ABC.