The Bachelor
Talk about “Fifteen” minutes of fame! It turns out one of the contestants on the new season of ABC’s The Bachelor has a surprising connection to Taylor Swift.
Eagle-eyed viewers realized during the season 27 premiere that Christina Mandrell once starred in the superstar’s music video for 2008 Fearless single “Fifteen,” exactly 15 years before she was vying for Bachelor Zach Shallcross’ heart. In the clip, Swift recounts her freshman year of high school with longtime best friend Abigail Anderson, and at the very end, she stands outside in the rain as a young Mandrell glances over at her while chatting with her own bestie.
For her part, Mandrell poked fun at both her music-video past and dating-show present on social media, writing, “Apparently I look at Zach the same way I look at Taylor Swift. New Conspiracy theory, first I stared at Taylor, then stared at Zach, which inevitably leads to me crying on the STAIRs.”
Of course, in the decade-plus since Swift tapped the Bachelor contestant for her “Fifteen” video, she’s released Fearless (Taylor’s Version) as the very first album in her grand plan to re-record her back catalog. The 2021 version of “Fifteen” became an instant fan favorite, with many Swifties remarking that the bittersweet nostalgia of the track has only grown stronger since Swift first recorded it at 18.
Time will tell how far Christina Mandrell — niece of Hot Country Songs chart-topper Barbara Mandrell — gets on The Bachelor.
Swift’s recent clash with Ticketmaster over ticketing for The Eras Tour has already launched a hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee over the debacle, complete with baked-in lyrical references to “All Too Well” and “Anti-Hero” from Senators Amy Klobuchar and Richard Blumenthal during questioning.
Relive Mandrell staring down Taylor in “Fifteen” below.
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The roses are stacked and the limousines are ready! A new season of The Bachelor premieres on ABC Monday (Jan. 23) with dozens of women vying for a chance to win the heart of Zach Shallcross, a 26-year-old tech executive from Anaheim Hills, Calif.
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Shallcross is a former contestant from season 26 of The Bachelorette with Rachel Recchia. The pair split after the fantasy suite date last season, but Recchia has nothing but well wishes, telling Entertainment Tonight last year, “I’m really excited for him. I think Zach’s a great guy.”
Read on for details on when and how to watch The Bachelor for free.
How to Watch The Bachelor Online for Free
Season 27 of The Bachelor debuts on Monday at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on ABC. The season premiere will stream on Hulu beginning on Tuesday. New episodes of The Bachelor will air on Mondays on ABC and stream on-demand via Hulu the next day.
Not subscribed? Hulu starts at $6.99 a month for ad-supported streaming and access to countless episodes of must-watch shows and movies, plus lots of exclusive content. Hulu + Live TV adds more than 75 live, local and cable channels to your subscription for $74.99 per month.
Hulu
$from $6.99/month
To watch ABC without cable, satellite or a digital antenna like this one at Amazon, subscribe to a platform such as Sling, Fubo, or Direct TV to stream The Bachelor live and on demand (Vidgo has local channels in select areas and ExpressVPN lets users stream from outside of the states). You’ll get a free trial with most of the platforms mentioned above, which means you can watch The Bachelor premiere for free.
Previous seasons of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise are available on Hulu, Prime Video, Vudu and iTunes.
‘The Bachelor’ on Prime Video
$2.99/episode
Season 27 will likely be available for purchase on the on Prime Video, Vudu, etc., sometime after the night’s premiere.
The Bachelor Season 27: Who Are the Contestants?
A total of 30 women are competing in the newest season of The Bachelor. The contestants range in age from 24 to 30 years old and work across different fields, including nursing, marketing, hospitality, family therapy and more.
Meet the women of The Bachelor 2023 below.
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