The Golden Bachelor winner Theresa Nist revealed that the Bachelor in Paradise season 10 producers rejected her from the show, and this could be proof that they're starting to care about the contestants' well-being more than the ratings. During The Golden Bachelor season 1, Theresa got engaged to Gerry Turner, and they were married shortly after in a live television spectacle called the Golden Wedding. However, just three months later in April 2024, they announced that they were getting a divorce.

For the first time ever, Bachelor in Paradise will welcome contestants from the Golden franchise to the show, which will take place on the beaches of Costa Rica, rather than Mexico, for season 10. Bachelor in Paradise season 10 also has a new showrunner, Scott Teti, who took over after the show's year-long hiatus. The Golden Bachelor season 1 runner-up Leslie Fhima and The Golden Bachelorette contestant Gary Levingston have already been announced as contestants, but Theresa has now revealed that she won't be ing them because she wasn't cast on the show, proving that the producers might actually have her best interest at heart.

Why Was Theresa Nist Rejected From Bachelor In Paradise Season 10?

Theresa Wasn't Chosen To Be A Golden Cast Member

Although it seemed that Theresa might be a given to the cast of Bachelor in Paradise season 10 after her divorce from Gerry, the producers ultimately decided not to cast her. On the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast, Theresa revealed that she was originally asked to be a contestant on the show, but, ultimately, she was rejected because she changed her mind too much during the casting process.

Theresa explained, "The chronology of events was I went through all the testing. I was already there, and they asked me to pick the guys, and then I went and said 'I really can’t do it.' But then I actually went back and said, 'OK, maybe I should give it a shot,' and then I didn’t get it." Theresa added that she thought that the producers didn't choose her because she wasn't committed enough to being on the show.

The chronology of events was I went through all the testing. I was already there, and they asked me to pick the guys, and then I went and said 'I really can’t do it.' But then I actually went back and said, 'OK, maybe I should give it a shot,' and then I didn’t get it.

Theresa also shared that she initially was very excited about the show, but then she realized that she was more thrilled about a reunion vacation with her Golden Bachelor co-stars, including Leslie, with whom she's become great friends since the show aired, than a chance to date the Golden Bachelorette contestants. She said, "I kind of thought it just wasn’t really for me, and I really was so enthusiastic about it when it first came out. I was talking about who I’d be interested in, and then I realized that I was really just excited about seeing the women and having a reunion and having a vacation with them."

Theresa continued, "So I thought that wasn’t fair to make it about that, and I really didn’t want to go on and pretend or just make up something or make an alliance. And I thought I’d be much better off just watching it, and enjoying Leslie being on the show. So yeah. It just didn't feel right."

The Bachelor In Paradise Producers Were Right Not To Cast Theresa

Theresa Has Been Trying To Repair Her Image After Her Divorce

Because Theresa was so fickle when making her Bachelor In Paradise season 10 decision, the producers were right not to cast her. They could most likely tell that she wasn't serious about dating any of Joan Vassos' former suitors, and they probably saved her from backlash from people who'd say that she only went on the show for the publicity or for a free vacation with her friends.

Theresa seemed to understand this too, because she revealed that she and her daughter spoke extensively about whether ing Bachelor in Paradise was the right decision for her. She said, "I've learned so much about myself throughout this entire experience, and one of these things is that I have to be true to myself. So that really is true for me. I will tell you that so many of my decisions I make with my daughter. And, at first, we were both so enthusiastic about it."

However, Theresa and her daughter changed their minds after giving it some more thought. She said, "And then we thought, 'Gee, you know what? I've gone through such a journey where maybe the public wasn't so happy about me.' And now I feel like I have such a great community, and I feel that I've got . And I almost felt like I would go on there and maybe do something that wasn't going to work out right, and wasn't going to come across as genuine."

Theresa added that she didn't think that she'd be a good match for any of the Golden Bachelorette men, so she didn't want to waste their time when they could be dating someone else in Paradise. It's good that the Bachelor in Paradise producers made the decision for Theresa not to the show, so that she didn't have to do it. Because her heart wasn't in it, they saved her from making a poor decision and ruining her reputation all over again after her divorce, during which some fans made her out to be the villain.

Bachelor In Paradise Season 10 Producers Needed To Make Changes

Rejecting Theresa Could Be A Step In The Right Direction

The Bachelor in Paradise production team has seemed more interested in exploiting people than helping them make love matches throughout the past two seasons. Season 7 led to four marriages--Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt, Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin, Thomas Jacobs and Becca Kufrin, and Noah Erb and Abigail Heringer--as well as one engagement--Chris Conran and Alana Milne. However, every Bachelor in Paradise season 8 and 9 couple broke up after the show, whether they left engaged or dating.

This was because the producers were out of control during those seasons, adding unnecessary twists that took a toll on the relationships and didn't allow them to fully develop. From season 8's Split House twist, in which the male and female contestants were separated and introduced to new people as temptations, to season 9's Truth Box, Bonfire of Truth, and Comedy Roast, during which uncomfortable truths were revealed, the show did nothing but upset the contestants. The producers cared more about creating shocking moments than if they were hurting people's feelings, which they did multiple times. It was hard to watch.

Bachelor in Paradise season 10 needed major changes, and it seems as though the new showrunner is already taking steps in the right direction. It would've been very easy for the producers to cast Theresa and exploit her already heartbreaking journey since The Golden Bachelor. They could've made her out to be a villain who wasn't there for the right reasons because she wasn't interested in the men, but who instead stayed on the show in order to hang out with her friends.

However, thankfully, both Theresa and the Bachelor in Paradise season 10 producers realized that the show wasn't the right fit for her. The Bachelor in Paradise producers seem as though they were protecting Theresa by not casting her, which is a great sign that they're starting to care more about the contestants. This will definitely help the show make positive changes in the long run, and hopefully lead to the contestants finding lasting love.

Bachelor in Paradise season 10 premieres on Monday, July 7 on ABC.

Sources: Almost Famous Podcast/Instagram, Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast