Ashley Iaconetti can spend “hours” talking about all the drama surrounding “The Bachelorette.”
The reality TV star, who has appeared on “The Bachelor,” “Bachelor in Paradise” and “Bachelor Winter Games,” spoke exclusively with Page Six on Thursday night at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards and gave her thoughts on Taylor Frankie Paul’s exit from the hit series’ season.
Iaconetti, 38, said on the red carpet at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles: “I wish the best for the series and I hope Taylor gets the support and help she needs to be in a good place.”
“But, yeah, I agree with (ABC’s) decision not to move forward with the season at that point. I didn’t think it was the right move.”
ABC canceled Paul’s season of The Bachelorette last week after it released a disturbing 2023 video showing Paul throwing a chair at ex Dakota Mortensen during a domestic violence incident. The decision was made just three days before season 22 aired on the network.
Iaconetti told Page Six that while she hasn’t been in contact with Paul himself, former Bachelorettes who met Paul while filming “Before the First Rose” have sent their love.
“I’m not part of the lead group text on ‘The Bachelorette,’ but Trista[Sutter]said she sent a message of support in that group and Taylor responded,” she said, referring to Trista, the Season 1 Bachelorette star and self-proclaimed “Fairy Godmother of Bach Nation.”
Iaconetti also addressed fan ideas and rumors circulating about what ABC could do to fill the Sunday slot. Some are bringing up an all-star season of Dancing with the Stars, while others are suggesting an all-new season of The Bachelorette starring Traitors alum Maura Higgins.
“I say, let’s take Maura Higgins! Let’s do it live. I want it to be a docu-style series, like, ‘We’re going to record Maura live on a date!'” she suggested.
“And at the end, she has to choose between three guys or something like that. I don’t know, make it totally unconventional. I just want the series to be on TV. That’s all I want.”
Does she think there’s a chance Paul’s season will see the light of day?
“If we put it on Hulu, a lot of people will watch it. If we put it in binge format, it’ll be interesting just to see how the fans binge it,” Iaconetti explained.
“The advertiser’s feeling is that it’ll work. It’ll be a little bit better than airing it on ABC. But it’s difficult. It’s disgusting, but… I feel like they knew what they were doing. I have a lot of ideas, and of course the video is terrible, but I’m honestly open to any ideas. And moving away[just the season]is a perfectly good option.”
While Iaconetti continues to have a love for Bachelor Nation, he’s excited to step into a new reality TV series. The host of the “I Don’t Get It” podcast appears on “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island,” which premieres on Bravo on April 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
“Being a part of this season, or at least filming it, was so much more dramatic than any season of ‘The Bachelor’ I’ve ever filmed,” she teased. “I think it’s me who looks boring because they’re such great reality TV personalities. I said in this little (teaser) video that we did that I was going to bring sanity, and I know that made a lot of people go, ‘Oh, okay, Ashley.'” But no, really. ”
The all-new series also stars Alicia Carmody, Rosie DiMare, Liz McGraw, Lula Neeme Pontarelli, Kelsey Swanson, Jo-Ellen Tiberi, and “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Dolores Catania in a “friend” role.
