The creator of ABC's The Bachelor franchise, Mike Fleiss, is ready to offer his final rose. As reported by People, he left The Bachelor after the 27th season aired Monday, post Zach Shallcross' proposal to Kaity Biggar.
His duties will be taken over by Claire Freeland (from the Canadian version of the show), Jason Ehrlich (US version), and Bennett Graebner (US version).
Fleiss said in a statement:
"First and foremost, congratulations are in order for Zach and Kaity. I wish them a long and happy life together. I want to thank WBTV and ABC for 21 extraordinary years. They've found the perfect creative team for me to entrust The Bachelor franchise and keep this lightening in a bottle bold and moving forward. Let the journey continue."
The Bachelor began with Mike Fleiss in 2002, and in the following year, he introduced The Bachelorette as well. He also created Bachelor in Paradise, Bachelor Winter Games, Bachelor Pad, The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart, and The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons - Ever!.
The reason behind Mike Fleiss' departure from the show has not yet been revealed.
The Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss is worth more than $100 million
Born in Fullerton, California, on 14 April 1964, Mike Fleiss is best known for his work as a producer and writer in Poseidon (2006), Shark Night 3D (2011), and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006). Having married Laura Kaeppeler in 2014, they have one child together.
He is estimated to have a net worth of $140 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. It is estimated that he earns $25 million from his reality television shows alone every year. He also owns a number of impressive properties, most of which are located in California and Hawaii.
Julia Roberts' home in Kauai, Hawaii, which he bought back in 2016, is one of his most expensive properties. Following this, he bought a one-acre estate in Malibu's Point Dume.
His career began in the 1990s with the production of popular shows like World's Scariest Police Shootouts and Shocking Behavior Caught on Tape. Since then, he has created many great shows that have been cherished by fans for decades.
Mike Fleiss shared his casting methods for The Bachelor with Forbes in 2009 when he spoke about the concept and how he chose the contestants.
"You always look for someone who is good looking. And then someone who's not afraid to speak their mind. That unfiltered quality is really what you're looking for because if someone is trying to produce themselves it's not a reality TV show anymore. It's a bad scripted show being written by the participants and that's not fun."
The Bachelor 27: Zach Shallcross and Kaity Biggar are still together
In the final rose ceremony for The Bachelor 2023 in Krabi, Thailand, Zach Shallcross gave his last rose to Kaity Biggar. The couple confirmed the news of their continued relationship during an interview with People. Additionally, they mentioned that they are not in a hurry to get married.
Zach Shallcross stated:
“Right now, the main emphasis is living together in Austin, getting to know each other more and more, and just see how things go.”
Kaity then went on to say:
“There’s no rush. We have the rest of our lives together, so why does everything need to be a rush? It doesn’t.”
Zach discussed their future plans further and mentioned:
“Married with some little ones running around — maybe one, maybe two.”
Furthermore, Kaity explained how she is looking for a beach house. Their plans for living arrangements aren't permanent since they won't remain in Austin forever.