Bachelor in Paradise's Jesse Palmer Encouraged the Cast to 'Stay in Their Generational Lanes'

ABC is switching things up for Season 10 of Bachelor in Paradise. Like in past years, the reality dating series features contestants from recent seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette getting another chance to find love. But they won't be the only singles on the beach. This summer, the 20- and 30-somethings will be joined by older members in their 60s and 70s from the casts of The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette in Bachelor in Paradise's new location, Costa Rica. Those golden additions raise the question — are the contestants from the two age groups allowed to date each other? 

The answer is yes, though the singles are discouraged from doing so. "I told everybody, as a group, we've got two generations sharing the beach — I can't tell anybody who to love and who they're not allowed to love," host Jesse Palmer told TV Guide. "I encouraged them to stay in their generational lanes. And above everything, do not make it weird."

The first episode of Bachelor in Paradise Season 10, which premiered on July 7, only introduced the younger contestants. But ABC has announced the Goldens who will arrive on the beach, and the season preview teases they'll be involved in plenty of dramatic moments. Palmer also addressed the hypothetical scenario of a person taking someone outside their generation on a date, since contestants on the show are regularly given the opportunity to choose someone for a romantic getaway. "If it does happen, as long as it's consensual, that's obviously a possibility," he said. "There are a lot of examples in the real world of different age ranges dating — we've seen successful examples of that. Again, as long as it's not weird, that's the most important thing."

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The concept of Goldens being a part of Bachelor in Paradise is something Palmer has long advocated for, after hosting The Golden Bachelor in 2023 and The Golden Bachelorette in 2024. "I initially was pitching the standalone, I was like, 'We can go to Atlantic City or Naples, Florida and just do an entire Golden Paradise season,'" he recalled. "I think that in itself would be tremendous. But I thought this [format] was really unique and works really well."

Palmer was making the suggestion because, in his eyes, the Goldens make The Bachelor franchise so much better. "Having been around the Golden cast, they bring experience, they bring so much value to each other, to our viewers," he said. "When I found out that the Goldens were coming, I was telling the young cast on- and off-camera, you've got to pick their brains, you've got to talk to them about life, about love, about relationships, and about family, because they have so much to offer."

For similar reasons, Bachelor in Paradise bartender Wells Adams had also pitched for the Goldens to be included in the spin-off series. "Two years ago, I was like, 'We gotta get them in there,'" Adams said. "I had visions of, 'We gotta do it in Florida, like Del Boca Vista, they gotta ride up in golf carts, dinner at four o'clock." 

Though Adams only works on Bachelor in Paradise — he's been the in-house bartender since 2017 — the former The Bachelorette contestant said he fell in love with The Golden Bachelor. "Storytelling is just really good, stakes for them are much higher because they've lived so much more life," he said. Adams explained how the addition of the Goldens changed the dynamics on the beach. "It's hard to explain heartbreak to someone who's a 10 with abs up and down their body who is like a personal trainer, because they've never been dumped, they've never lost love," he said. "But the Goldens have been divorced, they've been widows or widowers. Their perception of love is different. I think that's been really cool for people to experience. The best advice that was given wasn't from Hannah [Brown], wasn't from Jesse or from myself, it was from the Goldens, for sure."

Bachelor in Paradise Season 10 also introduces former Bachelorette Hannah Brown in a new role: Head of Paradise Relations. She is set to be a listening ear for the contestants navigating their journeys to find love. Of course, she had to approach counseling the Goldens a little differently. "It was sometimes hard to give them advice," Brown shared. "I'm engaged, about to get married, so they were giving me all their wisdom they had about marriage, that was so helpful." She primarily imparted knowledge about dating on reality shows to the older singles. "This is such a unique way to date, and you can have all the wisdom in the world and still be nervous and intimidated knowing that millions of people are going to watch," Brown explained. "So [I was] just giving them the confidence that this is exactly where they're supposed to be." 

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And the Goldens certainly began their Paradise experience with the mindset of belonging on the beach. While their wisdom was expected, Palmer said it was their energy that surprised him the most. "They got there at like 10:15 a.m., and they started doing body shots off each other at 10:18 a.m. in front of everybody," the host described. "It went to a whole other level. I think it even surprised our young cast, honestly."

Brown did not witness the fun, but the sounds from this grand entrance were inescapable. "I remember hearing everyone screaming. I'm like, 'Is everyone OK?'" She recalled. "Then I run in to realize they were getting wild. Trust me, if you were in Costa Rica, you knew when the body shots were being had." 

Bachelor in Paradise Season 10 Episode 1 is available to stream on Hulu.