Trading Secrets - The Bachelorette's Boldest Move Yet: Taylor Frankie Paul Takes the Lead

Episode Date: September 12, 2025

Jason Tartick, Kelley Flannigan, and Jason's sidekick David Arduin (aka The Curious Canadian) dive into the biggest shake-up Bachelor Nation has seen in years — the casting of Taylor Frankie Paul as the next Bachelorette. From her controversial background to her massive social media following, we break down why ABC made this bold decision, how fans might react, and what it could mean for the future of ratings across The Bachelor franchise. Is this the risk the show needs to stay alive, or a move that could backfire? Tune in for insider takes, business analysis, and fan perspective on the franchise's most dramatic pivot yet.

Welcome back to another episode of Trading Secrets. This one is very different. It is an impromptu state of the union with the big new Bachelorette announcement. We cover all things on Trading Secrets. A lot of our guests have been from The Bachelor, Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise. I myself was an alumni from Bachelor Nation, as most of you guys know, and we do talk often about what is happening from all aspects and, of course, the business in numbers perspective. This episode is going to be a quicker one. We're going to get some

opinions from the one and only the curious Canadian David Ardoin, but it feels only right to bring on what I would consider one of the top bachelor's contenders out there, an alumni from bachelor nation. She is seeing all aspects of it. She's friends with a lot of the people from the show Kelly Flanagan. So we're getting the curious Canadian. We're getting Kelly Flanagan. We're getting it all and we're talking about the big announcement, which unless you're living under a rock, is that Taylor Frankie Paul from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is now our new bachelorette. So before I kick it over to you, Kelly, I want to kick it over to the one and only David

Ardoin, the Curious Canadian. I know you are passionate about this franchise. You've been a fan for decades. I'm sure you have an opinion or two. What is your initial take on what this announcement was and specifically who it was and what is next for Bachelor Nation?

Listen, Jason, it's 9 o'clock on a Wednesday night. I got things to do, but the Bachelor franchise, they had to do it again. They had to get me on edge of my seat. They had to give me with a mic in my hand. I'm lucky enough to have you and Kelly on here. I want to make it short and sweet. I don't know if I'll be able to, but I'm just going to say this. When I saw that announcement, I said they did it to us again. They did it to

us, OG, diehard fans, the people who made the franchise what it is. All you got to do is give us what we want. We want love. We want love from familiar stories that we find genuine. We want someone like a Rachel Kirkano. It's right there. We had her on the podcast. She's saying that she would have been the lead. We want someone like a Kelly. We want someone like a Mariah.

We want somebody. Give us somebody that is a little more familiar with us because the last time you listened to us, Joey G, he blew up. He made your franchise look like gold. You just got to listen to the people. You don't know if Bachelor Paradise is Love Island or a survivor or what it is.

If you want to get it right, you should have just included the, fans let the fans choose and i guarantee you they're not choosing taylor frankie paul now look i don't want to come at taylor frankie paul for this okay i'm i want i want to keep her out of it if she's gonna get offered the role she should take the role good for her i'm just a little i'm just a little upset and a little annoyed at the franchise you know the term do less just do less you're trying too hard you're doing too much it's right in front of your face and When there's just so adamant about views, that's the only angle that they're going for.

You cannot convince me otherwise. If that's what you want, great, you may get views, but you're missing the plot. You're missing the purpose. And that's why your franchise is in the situation that it is. That's my take. I got a hundred more things, but I'm going to let the experts go. Take it away. All right.

I'm going to transition over to Kelly. In one second, though, before I do that, because I have a million follow-ups to what you said. I'm not going to follow up to everything just now because we'll let the conversation or organically come about. The one thing I got to follow up on. Actually, side note, genius idea of letting the fan base actually pick. That's obviously what Love Island does. I haven't heard anyone say that. That is really smart. The second thing I got for you is you kept in that response, by the way, love the passion. You kept saying views, views, views. What about this decision is making you say that their only focus is the views.

I just think that they feel that they're so desperate to find, to make, you always see, she's going to save the franchise, she's going to make it relevant, so they feel like they got to make this splash. And what does the splash do for them? It's going to get people like me riled up OG fans because it's controversial. And with drama comes views and that's what they think, but everyone who's a true fan of the show, who's watched it for multiple, multiple seasons, not one. season because they got a splash multiple seasons.

They're hopeless romantics who want to see a love story. And that is why I think they're just chasing the views because I think they think views is the remedy, but views doesn't get longevity when your show is based around love. So the whole right

reasons thing, well, you can throw that at the window because you just chose someone who, whether she is or isn't, there's people within the franchise within the family who you could have convinced us is there for the right reasons. And when Alex Cooper is on a promo saying the views are going to be outrageous as a reaction to who the lead is teasing it.

I mean, it's right in front of our face. It's tough to get behind. It's just tough to get behind. Now, the follow-up question is, will you watch? Yeah, I'm probably going to watch, right? I'm probably going to watch. And I probably am. But I'm not happy about it.

All right. All right. A lot of opinions there are coming in hot from David. We'll transition over to Kelly. but I think what's important to think about is the ratings of the show. We know that the last Bachelorette season, ratings were down. We know that the last bachelor season, ratings were down. We know that Paradise this past summer, ratings were down

and follow our accounts on social media, which of course is the new social currency, we're down. So before I transitioned to Kelly, it's important to go over those numbers. The one and only, Kelly Flanagan, before I even ask your opinion, We both said you should be the Bachelorette. Did they reach out to you? Would you have done it? No, they did not reach out to me.

And no, I wouldn't have done it. I honestly, I can have so many long discussions about this. I try to look from both sides of the perspective and see what would fit. There are parts of me that miss just like this sweet girl like an Emily Maynard that like she has everything. but she also kind of has a tragic story. She was a single mom. And then, you know, all you wanted, she had everything in her life figured out.

And all you wanted to see was for her to fall in love. That's the only piece that she was missing in her life and she was just a cute, sweet girl. Now, I don't know if picking a girl at this point like that would revive the franchise, and it definitely needs that. So I think right now this is a Hail Mary. And I think that they're doing it right,

unfortunately, David, I think that they need someone super polarizing to bring attention back onto the franchise. So, you know, the cute girl that's going to have the amazing love story, I don't think that's enough. I don't think people are going to get excited about it. And I think the polarizing figure like Taylor is going to get eyes on the franchise. And at the end of the day, it is a business. They do need the eyes.

And I think that's what it's going to bring. Listen, Taylor is not perfect, but she does have a massive, massive. fan base. To be honest, one of my great girlfriends is just like Taylor. And she's the complete opposite of me, but me and this girl, her name Sophie, we get along so well. And what I think I'm going to see or we're going to see with Taylor is a lot of growth that I think a lot of people are going to like. Taylor's definitely made a lot of mistakes in her past. But the one thing that I can applaud about Taylor, Frankie Paul, is that she takes accountability. She takes accountability for the things that she screws up,

she recognizes it, she communicates it, and she does try to fix it. She is not perfect in any degree, but she is going to be a polarizing figure that I do think could bring the franchise back. All right, that's a heck of a take from Kelly Flanagan. I'm going to get into some of the numbers. I know David is chomping at the bit to get back.

I think I would be friends with Taylor. I do. She's not perfect. She isn't. She isn't perfect, but I do think that her taking accountability, I really, really respect her in that sense that she does do that. Yeah, I followed her because I found her extremely entertaining.

Like, I was, like, intrigued. I wanted to watch more. I think the big question then becomes, is the Bachelorette the move? Is that the right move? I think something I said earlier today is you can have, you know, everything in one position and absolutely nail it. But can you do it elsewhere? Let's just call it like Wayne Gretzky is the best player of all time.

but was one of the worst coaches, right? It doesn't really make sense. Is it transferable? Now, we know that Taylor, Frankie Paul, immediately, effectively today, is the number one followed Bachelorette ever on social media. The franchise has been around, as everyone knows, 25-some years, and she has 4.2 million followers on TikTok, 430,000 followers on Instagram.

She also has two of her castmates, Jen Affleck and Whitney Levitt, who are going to be on Dancing with the Stars. Instagram following for Jen Affleck, one million, TikTok, 2.1 million. Whitney, 2.3 million. And Instagram, over half a million is my understanding. So they have a lot of followers from this show. And the show that they were on blew up.

The ratings as of March 17th, 2025, we were looking at a rating of 0.27. Adults, 18 to 49, was household rating. was 0.56. And we know that the streaming performance ranked number seven on the Nielsen streaming ratings during week September 2nd through 8th in 2024. It performed well. So their show performed well. They perform well on social media. Will it translate to being the Bachelorette is the question. I think going back to David's point, and David, I'm going to kick it back to you, from a business perspective, you needed a change. You can't deny that. They had to show. They had to shake something up. Here's the question. I could see him on Zoom right now. He's ready to throw his

hat down and throw a fit. Here's the argument, though, from a business perspective. The model of the show, the mission statement, the mission, the business plan, everything, since day one, his bet, bring ordinary people in, show their story, root for them to fall in, love, find entertainment along the way, see someone get heartbroken and someone fall in love, and watch the person who got heartbroken, who is their fan favorite, eventually find their love. And for the right reasons, has always been part of the mission statement, period, end a story. And so I think what we're seeing here is a show that is disregarding and throwing out that

business plan. You cannot argue that. This is the first time that you're having someone as a lead with millions of followers, massive social currency. First time that you're getting someone that's come from another reality show. And you're definitely throwing that playbook completely out. We think, I think, short term, it will work. The question is long term, do you then lose the identity of everything you work 25 years to half, which has kept you around this long? That, I think, is the business question mark. David, you're chomping at the bit. Well, a couple things. We're about to recap

the Bobby Bowens episode after this and he talks about you can't have great attention without negative attention so I get it you can business decision me in the face with this and I'm not going to argue that because Taylor Frankie Paul puts asses in the seats okay that is a fact okay but I am coming at it my job in this

is to come at it from a I feel like a fans perspective the bachelor's been a for all intensive purposes a Fugazi love show anyways because you have more people in relationships that are still together from one season of Love Island than you do from 30 seasons of The Bachelorette. So we've been clinging on to this idea that it's a love show anyway. So if we're just going to rip the Band-Aid off and watch an entertainment show, I'm good

with that. I'm also, to Kelly's point, she supports it. I can get behind it too for entertainment purposes. Like I said, I'm going to watch, right? I'm all for human growth, right? We can say that she's not perfect. We can detail why she's not perfect. I don't think we're here to do that.

We're not here to castones. We're not here to judge. We're here to talk opinions and we're here to talk those things. I'm just, I think for me, it's not like we ran out of options for choices. I've seen them go with really the people's choice and how good it can end up with leads.

When you talk about a Gabby, when you talk about a Joey G, when you talk about people that were part of it that people really got excited about, I thought that we had an opportunity to do this. that. So I just think that they're trying too hard. I think that they're trying too hard with Paradise and miss the plot. I think all the reviews, whether the money prize or the Love Island twists or the, it's just losing the plot a little bit. Everyone knows it needs a shake up, but I don't

think it needs to shake up in reaching where they're going. I think it needs to shake up and going back to what the people want. That's why I go back to let the people vote. People will vote, and that's how things are solved. But we'll see, man. I mean, we'll see. Asses will be put in seats. In my opinion, ratings will go up. social media currency for the Bachelor franchise will be off the charts. Kelly, I want to ask you this question. If you were going on the show as a castmate, we both agree we would be friends with Taylor Frankie Paul.

She's entertaining. She's exciting. She could just like watch her. She's her own TV show. My question, though, is a bit of a tough one. If you know some of the history of Taylor Frankie Paul, right? I think there's some out there you've talked about or taking accountability. The question I have for you, if we.

had the same type of bachelor, would you go on the show as a cast, given that history of what's your take on that? That is the hardest question that you probably ever just asked me. You thrive have hard questions. Our entire friendship is built on having hard conversations. I mean, listen, I'm going to answer it, but it's tough when you frame it that way. I'll be honest with you from my perspective, no, it's not ideal. It's not ideal. If you told me that this guy has been arrested for domestic violence and he has three kids

and two different baby mamas, like I don't think that sounds ideal. And I think, I think, you know, Taylor's track record isn't great. But at the end of the day, I think a lot of people are willing to forgive her because they're getting to know her personality at a core. She is very vulnerable. She is very honest. She shares her mistakes. And I think even though everyone sees the really, really bad, you know, she opens up. You see how I watch Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

And there's definitely scenes where I feel bad for Taylor, the way I've seen. seeing like her, I think it's her mom and her stepdad, the way that they like would come at her at things. Like the girls definitely got a lot of trauma. I think she knows that. And I think she, she's trying her best efforts to become a better person. And I think a lot of people are forgiving because they see that she recognizes her biggest, biggest flaws. I love that answer. Here's why I asked a question. I'll kick it to you after David. We've already established that you and I are fans of Taylor, Kelly. We are fans of her.

We're supporting her. I also think it's terrible to pigeonhole someone into one version of themselves and not allowing to factor in that growth can happen. It absolutely can happen. The reason I ask your question is actually more connected to the business side of things. I think because of your answer, you were, it was hard for producers to work with you because of your logic, because of who you are as a person, you see it all, you know it all, and you're a deep thinker. And you, I mean, just made, like literally said, like you probably

wouldn't go on. And so I'm thinking about the cast this season. The cast is going to put asses and seats. And the cast is going to be unbelievable to watch, as my prediction, TV like you can't even imagine, but I do think that again, it's going to be a whole different shakeout. If we think we've seen good cast in the past, it won't even touch what this cast will be. Do you agree with that, Kelly? Then I'll kick it to you, David. You know what? I hear what you're saying, but I'm a little bit confused as what you're saying.

If anything, when you asked me about the cast, because I think I saw something, I don't know if it's real or not, but on TikTok, It was something like a producer texted one of the guys and says, hey, now that you know who The Bachelorette is, like, are you still interested? Unfortunately, listen, I want the best for Taylor and I want her to find her love story. Again, she's got mess behind her. But at the end of the day, like, I genuinely believe Taylor is trying to grow and I want that love story with her. Now, where my concerns for her are a lot of guys aren't going to see her track record and not

necessarily be a fan of that and they're going to be pushed away so who are you going to end up with jason you're going to end up with the guys who only want fame who want to go on exactly exactly and they don't care about taylor and they're probably thinking the back of their head like oh this is just going to be fun for me you know i'm not going to become like a stepdad of three and care for the kids like i i worry for her i genuinely do because i think that a lot of guys are unfortunately going to be pushed away because Secret Lives of Mormon YH, I would say the majority of the viewership is female. So I don't think many guys like know Taylor out of court. I don't know Taylor at her core. But I genuinely think I think she's authentic and is trying to overcome a lot of

really bad screw-ups that she's had. Exactly what I was thinking is that if we've questioned for 20-plus season, David, I'm coming to, I know you're ready to break something. But here's what I'm saying. If we have questioned for 20-some seasons why people go on the show for the right reasons, you're only here for fame, you know, and Bachelor in Paradise, couples talking before the show and then going on the show and saying you guys strategized. As a fan base, we have been so critical of that. People that leave their jobs and then go to influencing. Couples that break up and get immediately get chastised, saying there was no validity to their actual

love. It was just for career sake. I can go on for another hour. I'll stop. But that is the disposition of the fan base. And now we have the most followed Bachelor, whose clout is off the charts, whose success right now in the entertainment space is viral. And you're going to have people go on this show and you think they're going to be there

for any form of the right reason. Good luck. And then when you mix in a lot of the moving factors here, I don't know that we, maybe we've had like one, two, or three. I don't know how many leads there are, where we know a lot about their religion coming into a lead. Like, we know that she's a Mormon. I think that definitely limits the dating pool, right? She's been divorced.

That changes dating preferences, having kids changes it, having some of the things that have happened. And so I will question with the deepest analytical thought process, everyone's intention. that's going on this season of The Bachelorette. David, you're ready to rip go. Well, my take comes from the show, okay? My perspective of the show. What you guys are saying about the person is accurate. She's going to make great TV. She's going to take this seriously.

She's going to show and try and grow and find, you know, be the person that she wants to be to potentially find love. The show, I'm sorry, doesn't care about that. the show isn't casting her to find love the show is casting her for good tv there is no other reason why she's being casted and so the cast that she's going to get is not going to be made up of all the most genuine human beings who who could look past all of her past they're going to cast people who make good tv i genuinely feel bad for taylor frankie paul in this situation because she's going to be set up for mental health failure because she has all of these things that that she's coming into with.

She's very open about them. She's going to have a castmate who's there, who is there for their own reasons. And the producers, at the end of the day that we've heard time and time again for the leads, they are there to make good TV. They're there for storylines. They're there for, quote, unquote,

the franchise has made its living on the most dramatic season ever. And that's all that they care about. And so she's going to get put with all the spotlight and attention and buzz and social media presence and people talking about it. And they're going to want good TV because they've clearly moved so far. far away from the narrative of true genuine love story that they need to just change the name of

the show. So that's really my take at all. Of course she's not going to get it. What would you change the name of the show to? Oh my God. Love in a blender. Let's just put love in a blender and just blend it all up because we don't even know what it is anymore. Love in a blender. All right, let me ask you this and then Kelly, I'm coming back to you because I know you're ready to go. David, you are the executive producer. You have a lot of opinions on this choice. I'm going to give you two buckets of decisions you can make. I'm going to give one person you could pick from the Bachelor alumni, excluding Kelly, that you think should have been in this role. And if they made the decision to go outside

of the franchise and they went with someone other than Taylor, Frankie Paul, who would you pick? Fire away. That's a great question. I mean, I would pick Rachel Kirkconnell all day. I think she fits. I think she, you know, her season was one of the biggest seasons. when she won with Matt James, I think the story of how her relationship ended was the number one trending topic in the world. So don't tell me that she doesn't buzz headlines. She would have been perfect. She's right there.

It would have been a home run. I will be stunned. I will be stunned if Rachel Kirkland is not on reality TV in the next year or two from a competitive network. Gabby Wendy is one of the biggest Bachelor alumni stars that they have. And she was a lead on the show because that's what the people wanted. When the people want, they support, they support, they support, and look at her now. If you had to bring someone from outside of the show, oh my gosh.

There's options, right? There's Julianne Huff, there's Kristen Cavalry, there's Brooks Nader, all in the franchise. Brooks Nader, now dating Carlos Alcatraz, hot off the press. Oh, wow, okay. Yeah, the tennis player. I don't have a good one off the cuff right now. Tate McCray, boom, massive. Okay, Tate McCray, a lot of options there from David.

Kelly, you heard David's take on love in the blender. You heard my take on just the cast and everything like that. What's your response to all that? What are you thinking? You know what? So, David, I think one, again, I feel for Taylor, but another reason why I think someone outside of the franchise might work a little bit better too is if Rachel goes on the show,

I think Rachel would be a great pick to be Bachelorette. But when you are a contestant on that show, you see what goes on behind the scenes and you know how like you're treated. And I think you go in there with your guard up a little bit. So Rachel would go in and Rachel does have a backbone when she needs it. She's a sweet girl. She's so nice. I love her to death. But she knows how producers could sometimes get.

And I think she would put her foot down. Now, when it comes to Taylor going on, she has experience in reality TV and she knows how production works. But with this whole process, I've heard from other people on reality TV that it is a little bit different. And I think going outside of the franchise, their old tricks will be able to be played on Taylor, and they'll eventually get to the conclusion that they want as producers for the ratings versus a Rachel. 100%. David agrees with you. I will say we have gone out of the franchise.

The show's gone out of the franchise. I believe the last lead that went out of the franchise. franchise was Matt James, right? Yeah. Okay. Inside the franchise, but outside the franchise. But inside the franchise. I will also say that we just talked about this on the episode last week with Rachel

Reckia. Other networks and other reality shows, I talk to the executive producers, I talk to the people that run unscripted. One of the challenges they have with the alumni from The Bachelor is that we have a polished show. Our fan base is hyper, hyper, hyper. hyper critical of us. As a result of it, we come off too polished, too media trained. And I know this, the fans are going to hear that's like, you're kidding me. Do you want me to send you 100

examples of people from the bachelor franchise that are not media trained or polished? But that's what the producer say. And we are harder to make good TV with because we've seen so much and our guard is so high. So I do agree with you, Kelly, that bringing someone fresh in eliminates those walls that are up because the other thing people don't know is the alumni in so many circles we talk so fluently about what was your experience who was your producer how did they produce you what happened here what did you hear from them so like we have so much information the alumni base that it is hard to go into the lead and actually put on a good show David and and also if I reach out here guys and also too something that I did notice is people who have a strong stance that they know who they

are and they know what they want that's not necessarily favorable for for the producers you know they want you to be to be able to bend they want you to be like do this and even if that person doesn't necessarily agree with that decision listen I came up one of the most dramatic seasons ever because it was like this way that way this way that way and everyone loved it it was polarizing but I think if you had someone who was extremely strong willed and like it's just i think it's a producer's nightmare i hear that i back to jay to touch on jason's comment quick about bachelor nation alums being you know what seems like polished or walls up it's because people don't genuinely go on people who i think the people who end up going far and becoming you know quote unquote celebrities influencers

well-known people from the show don't go don't go on for the with the mission to get super famous, whereas a lot of the people who go on Netflix shows are too hot to handle a Love Island, etc., could be. So I think that that comes with it a little bit where they're not yearning for the spotlight incredibly bad when they get off the show. But, look, listen,

they made the right choice business-wise for what they wanted, which is clear, which is ratings because we've never done an emergency podcast before based on the announcement of The Bachelor's. So here we are talking about it. Nick Viall is happy because he said he predicted the three months ago. They got Collar Daddy involved,

which is one of the biggest podcasts out there. They're doing their job. So, ha, ha, jokes on me. But I still, I'm coming at it from an OG core of like, what has this show become? It's like sad. It's like when you, it's like when you go drive to your hometown,

you see your child at home you grow up in and they did, like it looks completely different and it's just sucks. It just sucks to see that they modernize it so bad that you don't even recognize all the good feelings that you had from it. I will say this. I think majority of the fan base, the true fans, are not overly thrilled about it. I just looked at my, I put up an Instagram post like, I don't know, a story 20 minutes ago asking if people are excited about it. You know, obviously not all my following from Bachelor Nation. Over 10,000 people responded in 20 minutes and the count of 62% said they're not.

But I don't think that this decision is made for the existing watchers. I think it's to get new watchers. And I think if that is their goal, which it has to be their goal, because they need more social currency, they need more relevancy. Otherwise, the show's gone for business purposes. It's a good choice. The question is, how long does that choice last? And is it good for the long run of the identity? David, I'll kick it to you. And then Kelly, we'll get some last minute thoughts from you. Yeah, my only question to you too, and I think I know the answer to it, but I'm going to ask it anyways, do you think that the show has a better chance of being successful long term by maximizing their original audience,

their diehard fans who made them what they are, or ignoring those fans and going this new direction and try and make big splashes in a new audience and capitalize with the social media currency. Long term, what do they have the better chance to be successful? Kelly? I mean, I see both sides on that. I don't really know the answer to that one,

but I, you know, I don't think, I think the numbers of the true diehard fans are low right now. So I don't know if they just start pertaining to those diehards. You know, I don't know if they would just come back with the regular season. So this is a massive switchup. It's a risk. But I don't really have the answer to that one, David. I think something massive need to be done.

This is a massive change. And you know what? I just hope I'm literally, I just hope the producers truly have Taylor's back and they're not setting her up from failure. I watched Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and that girl has gone through so much trauma publicly already. I'm just praying, whether it's pulling in old cast or old friends to help her navigate, whatever it is. But I genuinely just hope the best for her. And I genuinely hope that they have her best interests. And I know a lot of this decision is for ratings, but just, you know, protect her.

She's a human at the end of the day. A hundred percent agree. a hundred percent agree perfectly said by kelly i think that's a that's a good way to kind of end this is they're making change david i don't think if they stayed on the same trajectory that they were with the same model the show would be around too much longer but that being said i will say it feels like a lot of the decisions they've made staying on the same path maybe haven't been the best so it's like did you give it the fair go we'll see and then the question becomes if it works what do you do what's next is the next bachelor

you know from the season is it harry jowsy well you can't do that because he's no because he's at a right don't forget secret lives of mormon wives is under the abc network so you can't go to harry he's got a show at netflix so what do you do is a question i don't know i'll i'll tell you this i'm excited to watch I, too, agree with Kelly, have her back. Let's give, like, I really hope for a good ending here on all areas. We want the Bachelorette to crush. I'll say this, though. I'm going to be straight up with this one.

I'm not really excited at all for Golden Bachelor. No. No. They lost me. That guy lost me at his press conference talking about women in ages and looks. You lost me right there. No. Like, this one I get, I get white people.

This is controversial. It's polarizing. talking about it but it's going to put asses and seats his crush i think like golden bat shirt i'm good yeah no emergency press carpets for that because enough was already said so okay all right anyone have any last minute thoughts i'll start with you kelly wrap this puppy up i'm i'm excited to watch it's jason it's it's new it's different it's you know change which not many people like change i don't really like change but i'm weirdly excited for this one i you know you know my and Sophie, and she reminds me so much of Taylor.

And Sophie would make the best TV of all time ever. She would make the best, or literally opposites, but we love each other so much. But yeah, I'm rooting for Taylor, and I hope she has a great season. I will be tuned in, and I think it's bringing a whole new fan base. I think hopefully it does revive the franchise.

I think that it needs to be done. So it's either that or it's a bust, and I would hate to see that happen. David? Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, we want to see the franchise do well. So if I have to put a sock in my mouth and say I told you so, then good for me, okay?

I live in... Kelly's got a question for you, David. Yeah, I love to hear. And in your opinion, what do you think the best thing to do to revive this franchise? You think just going with like a pick that's already been in the franchise

is still going to work? I do. Like I said at the start, I think if they really wanted to get an understanding, they would find a way to find out. They would have people be able to vote or submit or have some kind of knowledge. But the bachelor is going to bachelor, and they're going to do their things. And I think what they're doing right now is smart for the ratings and the views. And my whole energy of this whole thing has came from an OJ who watched this for,

you know, God forbid I say the right reasons and I know that there's people lined up that a lot of people would love see in that seat but I'm not going to sit here and say what they're doing is dumb from a ratings point of view I just don't see it fitting in the way that we, the bachelor that we know and love I don't see the ending ending in that way

and that's okay because it's going to be great TV and asses are going to be put in the seats and we're all going to be talking about it but if it ends the way we all think it's going to end which is not in a relationship because of things that you guys talked about with what this person's going to have to sign up for lifestyle-wise and what they're going to have to get through to get there, where do we go next? Do we take another polarizing male and put them in

the seat and see how it reacts and put females in the same situation where they're going to have to sign up to date someone with such a past and get over that and want to sign out for that part of life? How long can that go for? So I guess we'll find out. And at the end of the day, there's a lot of great alums that are still be there. And if this doesn't work out, if they need to go one step forward to take two steps back to figure it out. So, yeah. David, I have another question for you. Do you agree that the fan-based choosing is not always going to be the greatest lead for producers?

Oh, yeah, 100%. At the end of the day, like I said, the bachelor's going to bachelor. I think, too, what I've heard and correct me if I'm wrong, the executive producer and the people behind the scenes is so drastically different in the last few years than it was from the show that you guys. reving on so it's it's the producer that i was with they struggled with me so they put me with one of the execs and now she's running the game she's amazing i too love her she's great yeah so so you can handle kelly flanagan you can handle anyone yeah so i think that they're doing what they feel that they have to do and at the end of the day it is tv so i can get out of my small little head and realize the bigger picture that it is tv and it's going to be entertaining tv but like i i air on the

side with you, I just feel for her getting put in the situation that she's going to be forced to make good TV with a cast who maybe not be genuine. And I see it for what it is. And I get it. I just don't like it. I just personally think that a person who comes off the show and is absolutely adored, the majority of the times in a producer's eyes would be a terrible lead. And I've seen it time and time again. You see a person that you really, really want, the fan-based loves, and then producers are like, absolutely not. There's just certain qualities that a lead needs to have, and some of them are not maybe the, I don't know, strongest personality, maybe, like, not 100% knowing who they are yet,

still try to figure out life, still in a mix of trying to figure things out. But when you have someone who totally has their shit together, that's like almost a red flag of producers. I agree, and I hear that. I think in TV, you need someone that the world. is cheering for or you need someone that the world wants to talk about good or bad or someone that they just don't like because you need noise right like you just need noise to provide enough win to make a show or to make a brand sale and if you have no noise that won't do it we can all

agree this decision has created massive massive noise in the franchise the other thing I think it'll do which we haven't talked about yet, is it will get public figures, celebrities, creators, influencers back talking about the show. Back in the day, the biggest celebrities, Jennifer Aniston, all these celebrities used to tweet and talk about this. Now it's not existent. You know those people will be there.

What we also do know from everything we've seen is the majority of the current fan base isn't thrilled about it. So I don't know. We'll see. Does anyone have any last minute thoughts before we're at? my last thought i would rather see kelly i'd rather see you as the bachelor out over rachel kirkconnell and taylor frankie paul any day so there you go that's my final thought david is david is team bachelor alumni kelly a final thought i appreciate it that's very sweet of you but again i think

i'm maybe a little too scarred with it a little too scarred a little too protected a lot of action here i'm glad we got to talk the business side of it it'll be fascinating to see what the number look like if we get enough response from this podcast you guys are interested in us three covering it maybe we'll do just that but thank you for tuning into a actually you know what guys it's trading secrets give me your trading secret of the week david kelly who wants to go first you got to give me your trading secret of the week what are you working on what's what's hot what's what's something you can give the audience who wants to go first perfect i literally just ordered a lift instead of an Uber because it was half the price. So sometimes I make sure to look at both to see which

one's cheaper. And guess what? Lyft was 50% less. Oh, I like that. That's a good financial trading secret. David? The only thing I can think about when it comes to big picture stuff or trading secrets always has to do with my current state of life compared to my past state of life and what my future state of life is going to be. And with a toddler and a baby on the way, I always think about how the good old days are always going to be the present days in your future time. And so just try as hard as it is sometimes when your life is crazy to enjoy where you're currently at because whether your pass has been greater or worse than your current, you have the opportunity to really enjoy those moments because your future you're in control of. So that's...

I love that. That is perfectly, perfectly said. I'm going to get a little trink seat for me. I feel like the last two years have been up. The last seven years of life has been a roller coaster highs, lows, and I think for me to live in a peace, a state of common peace, I've really had to figure a lot out. Some of what I've had to figure out, I've actually talked to in therapy today about actually, it's just like tolerance with inappropriate behavior and understanding like when people are crossing boundaries, when things are inappropriate, and not building a tolerance for that because that tolerance will continue to get higher and higher and higher and it will bleed toxicity in your life in all different ways. So take care of yourself out there.

know what, stay present because time is flying. Thank you for tuning into another episode of Trading Secrets One. Hopefully you couldn't afford to miss.