YouTube The Bachelor Mansion
The Bachelor is back home.
For the 26th season of the ABC dating show set to star franchise newcomer Clayton Echard, filming will kick off at the famous “Bachelor” mansion, which is located in the hills of Malibu, California, for the first time since late 2019.
In a Twitter post, series creator Mike Fleiss shared a photo of the mansion with a hand truck and a trashcan in the driveway.
“We’re back, baby!!!” he captioned the pic. “Feels good.”
We’re back, baby!!! Feels good… #TheBachelor
In a related post, spoiler king Reality Steve Carbone tweeted, “(BACHELOR FILMING UPDATE): Clayton’s season begins filming on Tuesday night at the mansion.”
The mansion has been a major “star” of “the ABC reality TV franchise for more than 40 combined seasons of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” but it has been missing from the show since the COVID-9 pandemic put a wrench in filming.
Because travel had to be put on hold during the height of the pandemic, Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams’ joint “Bachelorette” season was filmed at La Quinta resort in Palm Springs, California, while Matt James’ season took place at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania. And Katie Thurston’s season was filmed at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.
Fans Reacted to the Return of ‘The Bachelor’ Mansion’
On social media, fans reacted to Fleiss’ Twitter post with comments about the return of the mansion. Some fans said they preferred “those little resorts” the cast members were going to during the COVID-19 pandemic when the show was filmed in a bubble.
“Time to upgrade the mansion. I know it’s suppose to be timeless, but kind of looks a bit dated,” one viewer tweeted.
“Why not find a new mansion? Something more modern?” another asked.
“The mansion used for Listen to Your Heart was so much nicer!” another fan chimed in, referencing the music-themed spinoff that was filmed at a ranch located outside of Los Angeles, according to Parade.
Former “Bachelor” host Chris Harrison was vocal about ditching the regular Bachelor mansion during the pandemic. In early 2020, he teased to Entertainment Weekly that the show would maybe have to “get out of California” so they could get filming.
“The politics of California are not helping anybody at this point,” Harrison said at the time. “Maybe you have to go to a state where things are opening up quicker.”
With the new season back in California – and without Harrison – there will also be a return to overseas travel for dream dates.
In a post on his RealitySteve.com blog, Carbone teased that “there will be international travel” on Echard’s season of the rose-filled reality show. So the mansion won’t be the setting for the entire season.
The Mansion Has Been Listed as an Airbnb
Even when ‘The Bachelor” isn’t filming, the OG mansion has visitors.
According to People, the estate, which is named Villa de la Vina, has been listed on Airbnb for $6,000 a night.
The outlet noted that the 10,000 square foot Tuscan-inspired home is owned by a family of six. When “The Bachelor” starts production, the clan moves out of the mansion for about 42 days and all of their belongings are put in storage.
READ NEXT: PHOTOS: Meet Clayton Echard’s ‘Bachelor’ Season 26 Ladies
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Fans React As ‘The Bachelor’ Mansion Returns For Season 26