Bachelor in Paradise only films for about three weeks–woah, what?

Did you know that Bachelor in Paradise films for about three weeks?

Bachelor in Paradise doesn’t film for as long as producers would like us to believe. Sure, episodes air in a weekly manner over the course of a few weeks, but that is not how long it takes. I was actually surprised to learn that it’s such a short amount of time–just three weeks?

But you know what is even more shocking? The fact that most of the Bachelor Nation couples have come from Bachelor in Paradise. And I’m talking about the ones that last much longer than what we’ve seen from couples on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette.

So how is it that couples that meet and bond over approximately three weeks fare better in the real world than the others? I think it has a lot to do with the fact that contestants on Bachelor in Paradise spend all their time together. There aren’t 30 people vying for the attention of one person. On the beach, you spend all hours together and get way more time than you do on the other Bachelor Nation shows.

And while it’s only three weeks, the other advantage Bachelor in Paradise contestants have is that they know each other, more or less. They’ve seen the others on previous seasons so they have an idea of what that person is like. At least more than they would know compared to if that person was a complete stranger.

That’s why you always hear commentary about the new people that come down to the beach. It’s almost always a guarantee that one of them will say that they were hoping so and so would be there. So while the time is significantly reduced, the circumstances of Bachelor in Paradise are quite different.

To put this into perspective, Bachelor Nation guru Reality Steve reported that season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise filmed for about 21 days, according to a report by TV Insider. Contestants like Demi Burnett and Hannah Godwin were MIA from their Instagram for about one month exactly while filming, so it makes sense.

One thing is for sure, Bachelor in Paradise has a success rate that speaks for itself–whether we’re talking about Jade Roper and Tanner Tolbert or Astrid Loch and Kevin Wendt.

Filming may only be three weeks, but the effects last a lifetime.

Catch new episodes of Bachelor in Paradise every Monday and Tuesday on ABC at 8 PM EST!