Mexico, here we come! Or (more likely), Hawaiian resort, here we come! On Wednesday, Jan. 13, ABC exec Robert Mills revealed he's confident that Bachelor in Paradise will return for a new season in 2021, even if it means skipping the trip to the show's Mexico set. "Unless something horrendous happens, I feel very confident that Paradise is coming back on this summer," Mills told Variety. "How and where it's going to be, it's still too early to tell."
OK, so there don't appear to be any set plans yet for how to film Paradise in the COVID era. Will they create their own Mexico bubble? Will they follow the new resort-only Bachelorette and Bachelor model? "As wonderful as it is being in Mexico with that type of setting, it really is about the people we have come to love — or love to hate — finding a second chance at love," Mills teased. The exec added in the interview that, because Bachelor Nation missed out on a 2020 season, producers are going to have a tough time narrowing down the perfect BiP cast. "The biggest problem we're going to have is that we have probably 150 potential people we can have in the cast," he said.
Well, fear not, Mr. Mills, for I am here to ease this burden. You just worry about how to film a season of the drunken summer love fest. I'll take on the task of crafting the dream Bachelor in Paradise 2021 cast. It's the least I can do.
Bennett Jordan
It would be a crime to leave Bennett out of any possible version of Bachelor in Paradise this year. He went from hated, to loved, to hated again in a span of weeks so dramatic, I'm still trying to recover. I also would love to see him jogging down a beach shirtless... with his skinny white scarf waving in the wind.
Queen Victoria Larson
I guess she could theoretically be engaged to Bachelor Matt James right now, but, let's be real: Queen Victoria is a BiP plant from the start. Her destiny is to get drunk with Wells Adams and crash someone's romantic midnight swim in Paradise.
Joe Park
Joe went straight from The Bachelorette to working on the front lines of the COVID-19 epidemic. Give him an all expenses paid vacation to Paradise, STAT!
Noah Erb
Noah is equal parts drama queen and romantic, which makes him the perfect BiP cast member (especially with Bennett around). I'm also very curious to see how he'd react to being around a group of women looking for love. How much of a player are you, Noah?
Victoria F (Peter)
It's honestly tragic that we were deprived of Victoria F ruling over a 2020 Bachelor in Paradise season. The drama! The tears! The hair flips! I need her back on my TV, and I need it now.
Demar Jackson
I'll say it: Demar was one of the sweetest contestants on this season of The Bachelorette, and he did not get enough love. He was polite, good-natured, and very, very well-dressed. He didn't involve himself in a lot of drama, which makes me suspect he could be a breakout star in Paradise.
Kelsea Weier
Kelsea will go down in Bachelor history as a key player in the hilarious #ChampagneGate. And that was before her season even really got started. Imagine what shenanigans she could get up to with a whole summer in Mexico. Plus, she's BFFs with Victoria F, and the thought of the two of them together in Paradise is just... delicious.
Blake Moynes
We love a scruffy animal lover. While wooing Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams last season on The Bachelorette, Blake proved himself to be consistently goofy and sweet. He's also not afraid of confronting other guys and stirring up some drama. He would thrive in Paradise, I'm sure of it.
Magi Tareke
Like Victoria, it's possible that Magi gets Matt's final rose, but barring any current romantic entanglements, I think she'd be great on Paradise.
John Paul Jones
Tayshia's Paradise fling, John Paul Jones, is completely ridiculous. He's just the kind of pure absurdity we deserve in 2021. (Third times a charm?)
Abigail Heringer
Abigail is currently a frontrunner on Matt's Bachelor season, so she's guaranteed a spot in Paradise if she fails to get that final rose. Fans love her already, and it could be a great Bachelorette trial run for her.
Mykenna Dorn
Mykenna and her wild facial expressions deserve a spot in Paradise. It's what Bachelor Nation demands.
Diggy Moreland
Diggy's already taken one trip down to Paradise, so he knows the lay of the land. He was one of my personal favorites from Rachel Lindsay's Bachelorette season, and I think he might really hit it off with this more recent batch of women.
Natasha Parker
Natasha was one of the most down to earth contestants The Bachelor has ever seen, and she definitely deserves another shot at love.
Chasen Nick
Chasen is the kind of potentially problematic hottie Bachelor in Paradise thrives on. He's good looking, and seems equal parts genuine and fake AF. Excellent, book him on a plane right now.
Nicole Lopez-Alvar
Nicole came close to getting engaged on the last season of Bachelor in Paradise, but failed to get that final commitment. Every season of BiP needs at least a few people who are serious about finding a real committed relationship. Nicole brings that to the table and she's not afraid to cause a little drama. A+.
Blake Killpack
Bachelor fans have been waiting for Blake K. to get to Paradise ever since he was eliminated by Rachel Lindsay on Night 1 of her season. It's time to make this happen.
Rudi Gutierrez
Should the Bachelor producers consider bringing on anyone from Bachelor Presents: Listen To Your Heart, let it be Rudi. Not only was she the best singer in the competition, but she was also the most relatable and entertaining. She always did the unexpected, like slapping the guy she had a major crush on and then making out with him two seconds later.
Bachelor in Paradise 2021: I would like to see it.
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Image: ABC/John Fleenor