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Everything We Know About 'The Bachelor Winter Games' So Far

by Megan Walsh

There's no shortage of spinoffs when it comes to the Bachelor franchise, so if you're a fan, then you have something to watch every season of the year. Bachelor in Paradise fills the quota in the summer months, but now there will be The Bachelor Winter Games to help you cope during the colder days. Buzz for the series is growing and more information is coming out every day, but here's everything you need to know about The Bachelor Winter Games so far.

The recently announced new addition to the Bachelor family deviates somewhat from the usual format. While searching for love is still an integral part of the events, The Bachelor Winter Games brings back past contestants to compete in "winter-themed athletic challenges," inspired by the Winter Olympic Games. Audiences will get to see old rivals and memorable villains duke it out in sporty competition before they presumably retire to their luxury resort for some romantic connections. If this saves viewers from having to sit through awkward dates, then sign me up. Old contestants fumbling through athletic challenges has much more potential for comedy.

There may be a lot that's still uncertain about the series, but luckily there's enough information out there to get excited about it. Such as...

The Premiere Date

Though the exact date of its release is currently unknown, The Bachelor Winter Games will be airing some time in February 2018. That coincides neatly with the Winter Olympics.

Dean Unglert Is Back

He may have lost a little bit of his popularity on Bachelor in Paradise, due to his treatment of Kristina Schulman, but he could potentially find a way to redeem himself during The Bachelor Winter Games. Reality Steve recently tweeted a photo of Dean at the Winter Games, basically confirming he'll be part of the competition. If nothing else, it'll be interesting to see how his next storyline plays out.

An International Affair

Series creator Mike Fleiss announced in a since-deleted tweet that 12 different nations would be represented on the show. ABC reality chief Rob Mills confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that that was the case, explaining, "The other thing we're excited about is having contestants from the international formats of The Bachelor. So you have somebody from Bachelor Japan, Bachelor Australia, Bachelor Canada, and Bachelor U.K. We're really excited to see if we can have some international romances as well as the competition in the U.S. vs. the world."

Location Is Everything

Fleiss also revealed on Twitter that the competition would be taking place in Vermont. Perhaps it's not as exotic a locale as Bachelor in Paradise's beachside resort, but it fits the theme of the series perfectly.

It's All About Love

In the same interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Mills made it clear that the heart of the show wouldn't be missing despite the fact that the show is focused on a different kind of competition. "At the end of the day, it's going to be about finding love again," he said. "It will have some of the Bachelor Pad DNA, in that there is going to be a competition element."

Casting Possibilities

While the cast list is far from confirmed, many former stars have expressed an interest in joining the show. Host Chris Harrison told The Hollywood Reporter that he hoped twins Emily and Haley Ferguson would return, but Jasmine Goode and Diggy Moreland have also remained open to the possibility. An extra spotted countless former contestants on set, including Ashley Iaconetti, Eric Bigger, Luke Pell, and Dean Unglert, who I mentioned earlier. However, Amanda Stanton and Corinne Olympios have made it clear they won't be back.

With a few months to go until The Bachelor Winter Games makes its debut, lots of things could be subject to change. However, fans can rest assured that when the show arrives, it will give them everything they're looking for from a series under the Bachelor umbrella.

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