Get ready for the most dramatic survey of YouGov yet: looking at the typical viewer of the reality show, The Bachelor.
The Bachelor recently announced that it will return for its 25th season on January 4, 2021. The show will share the journey of Matt James, the first Black American to star as The Bachelor’s lead. Fans of the show — who are familiar with the franchise’s frequent promises that each season will be the “most dramatic yet” — are affectionately referred to as Bachelor Nation.
YouGov data indicates that Americans adults who have watched episodes of The Bachelor in the past year, either live or via streaming), share certain personality traits and demographics. While The Bachelor franchise has several spin-offs (such as The Bachelorette), YouGov decided to look specifically at the members of Bachelor Nation who watch the original television show.
Demographics
Bachelor Nation skews toward women (77%) over men (23%). Its audience is also heavily white: three-quarters (75%) of those who have tuned into the reality show over the last year are Caucasian. About one in eight are Hispanic (12%) and 7% are Black.
Young women who are 18-to 24-years-old are four times as likely as men their age (15% vs 4%) to have watched the show this year. Though women overall are more likely than men to watch the show, a slight majority of women who watch the show are older than 45. One-quarter of women (26%) who watch the show are older than 65, compared to just half this number (12%) for men over 65.
Most men who have recently watched the match-making show are younger than 45. About a quarter of men who (27%) watch the show are between 25-to 34-years old.
Think with your head or heart?
Three in five Americans (60%) say they tend to think with their head over their heart, while two in five (40%) put their heart first. Much like The Bachelor’s contestants, viewers of the show are more split on this topic. About half (51%) say they think more with their head, while the other half (49%) follow their heart.
Most women who watch The Bachelor (55%) think with their heart over their head, compared to 48% of women overall. There are no major distinctions among men who watch the show: seven in 10 among both groups say they think with their head.
Attitudes toward love
YouGov data indicates that Americans who have watched The Bachelor in the past year are slightly more likely than the average American to consider themselves hopeless romantics (92% vs 87%), perhaps a necessity to tune into a show of young singletons looking for love. Members of Bachelor Nation are more likely to believe they are judgmental (50% vs 40%) — though two-thirds (69%) also say they tend to not pass judgment on others.
This group is also much more likely to believe weddings should be large celebrations with lots of people (69% vs 53%) and do not believe a “typical family structure” is necessary in order to have a loving and supporting family (79% vs 66%). A majority agree with the idea of family over everything (57% vs 45%) and ultimately, this fanbase doesn’t care what other people think of them (83% vs 74%).
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Methodology: There were 1,242 US Adults who watched The Bachelor at all in the last year. The survey was conducted November 2019 – November 2020. The responding sample is weighted to provide a representative sample of the United States.
Image: Getty
