A young couple hug each other somewhere in Aroostook County
Although Valentine’s Day has gone past, Cupid is on the move in Aroostook County.
This season’s finale of the reality TV show, “The Bachelor,” may have just wrapped its previous season, but the producers are on the lookout for a new cast for next season. More specifically, a new bachelor or bachelorette.
The producers have turned to northern Maine on their hunt for a new star of the show. “It seemed like the ideal location,” James McLeod, a producer on the show, said. “We’re looking for people who come from the country because they have a different outlook on life. It’ll add a nice new twist to the show.”
McLeod was shocked to hear how much snowfall northern Maine had received this winter, but he thought it might make for a more interesting bachelor or bachelorette. “If someone has to deal with that for five to six months of the year, my hat is off to them because I was born in Florida. It looks like the ice age up there.” McLeod laughed. “Imagine the hometown part of the season.”
“The Bachelor” has different sections of the season that progress as he or she narrows down who to pop the big question to. In Hometown, the last four men or women take the bachelor or bachelorette back to their hometowns to meet their families.
David Scott, 23, a generational potato farmer, found himself filling out an application to become the next bachelor for the show. He’s been a potato farmer alongside his father and grandfather his entire life. “It’s a different way of life up here and sometimes it’s hard to meet people. I think I might have a shot at this.”
“We’re looking for a non-traditional kind of person,” McLeod said. “Someone who’s tough and hard-working. That kind of thing. I think the girls would swoon over a country boy or vice versa if it’s a bachelorette.”
Scott heard the news that the show was looking for its cast in Aroostook County from his sister, who devotedly watched “The Bachelor.” “At first, I was skeptical of the idea but then I was like, ‘What do I have to lose?’” Scott said.
If you know people who might be great bachelors or bachelorettes for the show, you can nominate them. If you’re interested in becoming the next one yourself, you can apply on the official website for “The Bachelor” at casting.bachelor.warnerbros.com.
