The Bachelor's big secret
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The Bachelor star Sam Wood has been living with a huge secret he has been unable to share, even with his own family, for nearly three months.
"It is a huge challenge for us, and that is the need to preserve the secret," the show's executive producer, Stephen Tate, who is head of entertainment and factual programming at Network Ten, admitted to PS this week.
Wood handed out the last rose way back in June, and between filming being wrapped and the final episode going to air, the show's producers have had to engage in a military-like operation of cloak and dagger antics to make sure the identity of Wood's "chosen woman" remains secret until the final airing.
A lot is riding on keeping the big secret, with The Bachelor enjoying its strongest season yet with audiences up nearly 30 per cent on last year's series, which featured the controversial Blake Garvey who famously proposed and then dumped his chosen woman, Sam Frost, only to take up with another contestant, Louise Pillidge.
"Keeping it secret over that period is a challenge we have faced before, but yes as the show becomes more popular the pressures increase ... everyone who signs on for the show signs a strict confidentiality agreement, they are legally obliged to keep the secret ... they all know what they are signing up for from the beginning," Tate said.
"We have been able to co-ordinate a few clandestine meetings between Sam and his mystery woman since the show wrapped, meetings which have remained secret ... it's all very cloak and dagger."
PS understands Wood's own family has been intentionally kept in the dark, while paparazzi have been conducting stake-outs in an attempt to find out which girl he has selected. In recent weeks PS also knows of several "jilted" ladies already been booted off the show, who were also issued with terse legal letters, enthusiastically reminding them of their legal obligation to keep shtum about the show, on which they were each paid about $90 a day. Several of the girls had been booked for a paid "appearance" at Gold Coast nightclub Love on Friday night, but had to pull out after producers advised them not to go ahead.
Exactly what Wood can expect in the long term once the show comes off air remains unclear. His predecessor Garvey has landed a gig on rival Channel Nine's Celebrity Apprentice, however for some months his career was in limbo and he was unable to find a manager.
PS understands that Wood, along with Garvey, have not enjoyed the riches Channel Ten has received thanks to the millions of dollars in advertising revenue The Bachelor now commands.
It is rumoured Wood was paid a paltry $9500 for his services on The Bachelor, though his increased profile and new-found celebrity status will almost certainly pay dividends in months to come. Oh, and of course he will have found the love of his life, right?
