It took 18 seasons, but The Bachelorette has finally given the winning couple something that might actually help their relationship last: a down payment on a house.
During the After the Final Rose special, former Bachelorette Michelle Young and her new fiancé Nayte Olukoya were presented with a check for $200,000, courtesy of “The Bachelor family,” to help them buy a new home. And that’s in addition to the Neil Lane diamond on her finger.
Host (and former Bachelorette) Kaitlyn Bristowe called the check a Christmas present to “celebrate your love,” but I have my doubts. No other winning couples have ever gotten a check on top of a custom Neil Lane ring, so why now? Is it the money production saved from eliminating extravagant travel due to the pandemic? Or perhaps it’s Chris Harrison’s usual Christmas bonus that needed repurposing? Either way, it’s a pretty awesome and, again, useful gift, but this is reality television. There’s got to be more to the story.
The Bachelorette has recently suffered three high-profile breakups — with Clare Crawley, Tayshia Adams, and Katie Thurston all breaking things off with their respective fiancés. And The Bachelor already has a horrible track record when it comes to launching successful couples. Giving Michelle and Nayte money won’t ensure their happiness, but it might give them a stronger foundation on which to start building a relationship in the real world. It’s a smart move to try to avoid having another high-profile example of why reality TV dating doesn’t work by actually giving contestants real tools (and cash) to help them along the way.
Michelle and Nayte are already house hunting in her hometown of Minneapolis. As Nayte said on ATFR, “There’s no reason to wait with Michelle. Let’s do this.” Good luck, you crazy kids!
