Bachelor fans accuse producers of ‘manufacturing drama’ with ‘mean girl’ contestant

Early fan-favourite, Lea, has quickly found herself not only at the centre of the drama but the creator of it

The Bachelor is already halfway through season 28, and fans have been shocked by one contestant’s swift transition from early favourite to “mean girl”.

Throughout the first half of the season – which has seen Bachelorette alum Joey Graziadei narrow down a pool of 32 women to find his could-be wife – 23-year-old Hawaii native Lea has found herself at the centre of the drama.

In the fourth episode, Lea was annoyed when Joey chose to eliminate her friend Sydney rather than Maria – the two had been involved in a dramatic feud after Sydney found Maria’s comments about Madina’s age to be offensive.

Lea had sided with Sydney and was upset that Madina and the other women seemed to embrace Maria after Sydney was sent home.

Lea even took Joey aside to tell him she was “shocked” that he had picked Maria over Sydney.

“Just because of like the words that were said and how Maria’s treated some of us,” Lea told Joey, in what seemed like a bid to have him turn on Maria.

“I absolutely trust your intuition and your decision-making process,” she said. “It is what it is.”

In the most recent episode – released on 13 February – Joey seemed to ignore Lea’s input and go with his own judgment on the matter. He gave Maria a rose after she opened up to him about her strained relationship with her mother.

Angered by Joey’s choice, Lea told the cameras: “My heart is in my ass. I don’t know who Maria is when she steps into the room with Joey, but she putting on a damn good performance. And for him to validate her and love on her, I thought she was the last person this rose could’ve gone to.

“Another week to go with Ms Maria. I think the drama – it has only just begun. Watch your back, girl.”

Despite her attempts to get Joey and the others to turn on Maria, Lea has managed to find herself among the remaining contestants going into episode six, leading fans to accuse producers of “manufacturing drama”.

“OF COURSE Lea stays. I wish the producers would quit playing these people,” one viewer tweeted. “A season without manufactured drama would be great.”

“Lea has turned into the newest evil witch of the show. I feel bad for Maria,” a second said.

“I couldn’t have been any more wrong about Lea like I seriously didn’t expect her to be this mean person, I’m shocked!” another added, while one quipped that “Lea turning out to be a mean girl was not on my #TheBachelor bingo card”.

Some have even gone so far as to speculate that Lea is a “producer plant”. “My husband thinks Lea is a producer plant and I can’t help but agree with how quickly she changed after the Sydney thing. She started off so sweet, but now she can kick rocks…” one fan wrote on Reddit.

The Independent has contacted ABC for comment.

The Bachelor airs Mondays on ABC at 8pm PT/ET.