Its 29-season run on TV is proof that many people love watching The Bachelor. But San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner knows what actually goes on behind the scenes of that reality show because his wife, Sydney Warner, was a contestant in it in 2020.
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She was Sydney Hightower back then and featured on Season 24 of the show. That was when Peter Weber was The Bachelor. She was eliminated in Week 6. Warner and Sydney met much later, through social media, and have two kids now.
Recently, when appearing on Amon-Ra St. Brown’s podcast, Warner opened up about some behind-the-scenes tea his wife had shared with him. And fans might want to brace themselves, because the revelation could seriously shatter perceptions about the show.
“Oh, bro, it’s completely fake,” Warner revealed on the St. Brown Podcast. “They’re feeding things into people’s ears. Like, ‘Hey, y’all need to go and say this and stir the pot.’ It’s all for entertainment value. It’s not just [that] these girls are going out of their way to act crazy.”
Many fans of The Bachelor have probably wondered why there’s so much drama in every episode. Why do the women constantly clash with each other over the man they’re competing for? It’s because that’s what makes for some of the most viral and unforgettable moments.
Is The Bachelor real or fake?
Fred Warner, whose wife was on the show, says that not everything on the show is completely real pic.twitter.com/rlZGD9jXnL
— St. Brown Podcast (@StBrownPodcast) February 17, 2026
According to Warner, though, all of this drama is calculated. After all, it’s an entertainment show.
Few fans watch The Bachelor for its realistic depiction of a relationship. Of course, it’s not realistic for one man to have 25 to 30 women begging for a proposal. And as Warner says, if every woman were always keeping to herself, the show wouldn’t be as popular.
That’s why it’s not too surprising to hear that some dialogue is pushed throughout filming. On top of this, The Bachelor is also a heavily produced and edited show set in a controlled environment. Producers look to prompt specific reactions from contestants by coaching them. In the end, it creates a narrative that feels more produced than organic.
Warner’s revelation might break the hearts of fans who still believe in the show’s authenticity. But it’s been well known for years that The Bachelor isn’t entirely real and should be taken with a grain of salt. It’s still interesting to hear the specific ways the show shapes its contestants’ behavior.
