18 Behind-The-Scenes Rules That Every "Bachelor" Contestant Is Required To Follow

1. You are required to take an STD test before appearing on the show.

After 15 years on air, "The Bachelor" and its spin-off "The Bachelorette" are a tightly run ship. From the rose ceremonies to the "I love yous," producers are systematic in how the show comes together. Thankfully, from tell-all books to interviews after the show, we know some of what goes in to filming these prime time juggernauts — and it's fascinating to see how the reality show meat gets made. From how much the contestants really drink to what goes on in the infamous Fantasy Suites, here are some of the biggest secrets from "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette."
Producers have to make sure that Fantasy Suite is safe, y'all.

According to Dr. Catherine Selden, resident psychologist on The Bachelor, all 50 finalists must complete a lengthy psychological evaluation. She explained, "We want to make sure that people are going to be OK with coping with the stress involved, and make sure that they are going to be offered the help that they need if it's the case." So if you think any of the ladies are crazy, know that a psychiatric-health professional has verified that they are not.

18 Behind-The-Scenes Rules That Every "Bachelor" Contestant Is Required To Follow

This includes getting all your makeup and wardrobe ready, and figuring out how you're gonna leave your job behind for two full months.

Luckily, those secret cameras "shall not be positioned to intentionally capture images of you urinating or defecating in the bathroom." So that's good.

If you accidentally call it a "process," they'll make you re-tape it.

It's a waste of precious filming time and microphones would pick up the chewing sounds. Instead, contestants eat before the date.

This includes "clothing for both cold and warm weather, athletic wear, bathing suits, heels, tennis shoes, sandals, cocktail, long, and casual dresses, and heavy coats," according to Andi Dorfman's book.

You even have to do your own laundry.

"It's kind of shocking because for the first few days you're going through withdrawal of everything in your life. And it definitely feels like a bubble," said former contestant Melissa Rycroft.

You are allowed to bring the Bible or other religious texts, but that's it.

For example, a producer might loan you an iPod before a long flight. But no music inside the house!

“Couple that with 25 girls using their blow dryers and hair tools and the production lighting, and I was a sweaty, greasy mess all of the time," said former contestant Ashley Spivey.

With exceptions for the first and last days of filming, where professionals are brought in to help.

"I had re-mortgaged my house and I spent something like $8,000 on clothing," Jillian Harris revealed.

You might remember when contestant Rozlyn Papa was sent home for hooking up with a producer.

According to former contestant Whitney Bischoff, there are only four showers in the mansion. “When there are that many girls and not a lot of time or space, desperate times call for desperate measures."
According to former contestant Whitney Bischoff, there are only four showers in the mansion.

“When there are that many girls and not a lot of time or space, desperate times call for desperate measures."

Producers might inform you if there's something MAJOR going on in the world, but you're otherwise cut off.

If you break up, ABC takes the ring back.

Season 16 contestant Jamie Otis said, "There are more of these producer/contestant relationships than viewers realize — they're always kept hush-hush." She bases this on the fact that she bumped into another contestant, who she did not name, with one of the producers. This occurred as Otis was on her way to conduct one of her interviews for the show. According to Otis, the other contestant's face "turned bright red — total giveaway that something scandalous had gone down!" Season 16 contestant Jamie Otis said, "There are more of these producer/contestant relationships than viewers realize — they're always kept hush-hush." She bases this on the fact that she bumped into another contestant, who she did not name, with one of the producers.

This occurred as Otis was on her way to conduct one of her interviews for the show. According to Otis, the other contestant's face "turned bright red — total giveaway that something scandalous had gone down!"

Every show needs a hero, a villain, a side-kick, a damsel in distress, and whatever other stock roles are needed in order to make a compelling story. It's been reported that The Bachelor is no exception: "Once on the show, contestants are surrounded by what Bachelor director Ken Fuchs calls his "army" — teams of cameramen, lighting techs, soundmen, and production assistants — staying vigilant for anything approximating drama." It was also revealed that only once the show's editors start combing through months of footage, the season's juiciest storylines become evident. They assess, "who will capture the heart of the star? Who will go home in tears? Who will be this season's villain?" Every show needs a hero, a villain, a side-kick, a damsel in distress, and whatever other stock roles are needed in order to make a compelling story.

It's been reported that The Bachelor is no exception: "Once on the show, contestants are surrounded by what Bachelor director Ken Fuchs calls his "army" — teams of cameramen, lighting techs, soundmen, and production assistants — staying vigilant for anything approximating drama." It was also revealed that only once the show's editors start combing through months of footage, the season's juiciest storylines become evident. They assess, "who will capture the heart of the star? Who will go home in tears? Who will be this season's villain?"

Many of us know that alcohol makes people more talkative and emotional. That must be why the producers of The Bachelor make sure that the girls on the hit show have plenty to drink. Season 17 contestant Leslie Hughes revealed to The Daily Beast, "When I came in for the producers' weekend, I remember it was like 12 noon, and they were like, 'You want some champagne, wine?' And I was like, 'It's 12 p.m., noon!' And they're like, 'Welcome to the Bachelor family.'" We hope they, at least, give the girls good stuff to drink.

Don't panic — we're only talking about the roses at the front of the mansion. But don't worry, Courtney Robertson from season 16 confirmed to Women's Health that "the ones they hand out at the rose ceremonies are real." Phew!

The producers don't stop at just deciding who does and does not appear on The Bachelor. In addition to that, they have a say in how the rose ceremony is presented. Former Bachelor Sean Lowe's new book For the Right Reasons details just how much Bachelor producers meddle. While it's not as much as you might think, Lowe revealed that the show "likes to put the most obvious choices first so that drama builds towards the end of the ceremony with the rest of the women who are unsure of their status." While the bachelor seems to be the one to ultimately decide who stays and who goes, the producers step in if a girl needs to be sent home for serious infractions — like when season 14's Rozlyn Papa got sent home for her relationship with a staff member.

If it ever seems like some contestants leave while there's still light out and others leave after the sun has gone down during the same episode, that's not your eyes or your mind playing tricks on you. Sometimes, filming those ceremonies takes forever, or at least it seems like it. In one instance, season 17 bachelor Sean Lowe revealed in his book that one of his rose ceremonies didn't end until six o'clock in the morning. Being awake and having to wait that long, it's no wonder the girls cry when they don't get a rose. It's not all bad though. Lowe revealed that Chris Harrison went into the kitchen to make breakfast burritos for everyone. Bachelor director Ken Fuchs revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that all rose ceremonies (especially those first few) go into the wee hours of the morning. "There's a lot of women that the bachelor needs to meet," he explains. "Forget about doing a TV show, if you were in some situation where you were going to meet 25 women and at the end of the night select a handful to go home, you want to sort of get a sense of who's who and what's what, so that takes time." He goes on to say, "It's a long, long night. It's always been quite an accomplishment to get through it, since it's inevitably sunlight by the time you drive home." If it ever seems like some contestants leave while there's still light out and others leave after the sun has gone down during the same episode, that's not your eyes or your mind playing tricks on you.

Sometimes, filming those ceremonies takes forever, or at least it seems like it. In one instance, season 17 bachelor Sean Lowe revealed in his book that one of his rose ceremonies didn't end until six o'clock in the morning. Being awake and having to wait that long, it's no wonder the girls cry when they don't get a rose. It's not all bad though. Lowe revealed that Chris Harrison went into the kitchen to make breakfast burritos for everyone. Bachelor director Ken Fuchs revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that all rose ceremonies (especially those first few) go into the wee hours of the morning. "There's a lot of women that the bachelor needs to meet," he explains. "Forget about doing a TV show, if you were in some situation where you were going to meet 25 women and at the end of the night select a handful to go home, you want to sort of get a sense of who's who and what's what, so that takes time." He goes on to say, "It's a long, long night. It's always been quite an accomplishment to get through it, since it's inevitably sunlight by the time you drive home."

Tears equal drama, and drama equals good television. So it's not that surprising to learn that producers want to make sure tears flow. Former Bachelor producer Sarah Gertrude Shapiro revealed in The New Yorker that her job was to get the contestants to open up to her, and then give them terrible advice, as well as to deprive them of sleep. She said that she sees it now as a "complicated manipulation through friendship." Before the final rose ceremony, Shapiro described how she would raise the hopes of the ultimate loser. "The night they were going to get dumped, I would go to the hotel room where they were staying and say, 'I'm going to lose my job for telling you this, but he's going to pick you — he's going to propose.'" Shapiro did whatever it took to get a contestant to cry in the limo after being eliminated. "I'd have arranged with the driver to have the song play just until I got a shot of her crying — then cut the music so I could start the interview," Shapiro explained. "They'd often tell us to drive up and down the 405 until the girls cried — and not to come home if we didn't get tears, because we'd be fired." Tears equal drama, and drama equals good television.

So it's not that surprising to learn that producers want to make sure tears flow. Former Bachelor producer Sarah Gertrude Shapiro revealed in The New Yorker that her job was to get the contestants to open up to her, and then give them terrible advice, as well as to deprive them of sleep. She said that she sees it now as a "complicated manipulation through friendship." Before the final rose ceremony, Shapiro described how she would raise the hopes of the ultimate loser. "The night they were going to get dumped, I would go to the hotel room where they were staying and say, 'I'm going to lose my job for telling you this, but he's going to pick you — he's going to propose.'" Shapiro did whatever it took to get a contestant to cry in the limo after being eliminated. "I'd have arranged with the driver to have the song play just until I got a shot of her crying — then cut the music so I could start the interview," Shapiro explained. "They'd often tell us to drive up and down the 405 until the girls cried — and not to come home if we didn't get tears, because we'd be fired."

If you ever wonder where one of the girls on The Bachelor gets a certain outfit she has, the best person to ask is her directly, because the girls have to come prepared. Apparently, the ladies are told to bring fancy clothes, athletic wear, and clothes for any other possible occasion, for both warm and cold climates. In the third episode of the 20th season opened with one contestant whispering to another on the patio of the Bachelor Mansion: "Olivia said she spent, like, $40,000 on clothes. It's insane." Fashion and television blogger Dana Weiss told Mic that all contestants must provide their own outfits. The only women who get any clothing perks are the two finalists, who each get a dress provided by the network for the finale episode. It's also worth noting that even though a contestant can be sent home after the first night, she must have packed enough clothes to last the entire length of the show. This means investing in a variety of outfits to prepare for various travel destinations and climates — from icy winter gear to tropical beachwear.

No one can really fault the ladies on The Bachelor for wanting to look as good as they can all the time. Not only are they vying for the love and affection of the "man of their dreams," they have to do so with millions of people watching them every week. So it stands to reason that they'd want to stay fit. This is a little difficult to do though, since, as Andi Dorfman from season 18 revealed to Women's Health, "There isn't a workout room or any kind of equipment in the mansion." Luckily, the girls can be pretty good at improvising. They run throughout the grounds of the mansion and use anything with a little heft as makeshift free weights.

When contestants sit down over elegant dinners for some one-on-one time, they're not allowed to touch that food. Sean Lowe, the Bachelor from season 17 revealed in his book that "this was just for show. No one looks good eating, and microphones pick up all kinds of chomping." Who looks good with a mouthful of food in his or her face? Don't worry though. Contestants do get to eat. Lowe said, "Before we went on the date, the producers sent food to our hotel rooms. We ate in our rooms and then went out for dinner." When contestants sit down over elegant dinners for some one-on-one time, they're not allowed to touch that food.

Sean Lowe, the Bachelor from season 17 revealed in his book that "this was just for show. No one looks good eating, and microphones pick up all kinds of chomping." Who looks good with a mouthful of food in his or her face? Don't worry though. Contestants do get to eat. Lowe said, "Before we went on the date, the producers sent food to our hotel rooms. We ate in our rooms and then went out for dinner."

According to season 17 contestant Leslie Hughes's, she was the first ethnic female to be cast on the show, or at least one of the first. Someone who had watched the show before being on it, Hughes has said, "From watching it from day one, there wasn't a lot of diversity, contestants were always Caucasian, blonde, blue eyes … It was always the same." And she's not the only person to notice this. In 2012, two black men named Nathaniel Claybrooks and Christopher Johnson filed a lawsuit against the show, alleging that its creator "knowingly, intentionally, and as a matter of corporate policy refused to cast people of color in the role of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette." According to season 17 contestant Leslie Hughes's, she was the first ethnic female to be cast on the show, or at least one of the first.

Someone who had watched the show before being on it, Hughes has said, "From watching it from day one, there wasn't a lot of diversity, contestants were always Caucasian, blonde, blue eyes … It was always the same." And she's not the only person to notice this. In 2012, two black men named Nathaniel Claybrooks and Christopher Johnson filed a lawsuit against the show, alleging that its creator "knowingly, intentionally, and as a matter of corporate policy refused to cast people of color in the role of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette."