Ben Higgins is heading back to reality television! And don’t worry, he’s not looking for love again. He’s returning with the winner of Season 20 and his bride-to-be, Lauren Bushnell, and together they’re starring in their very own spin-off series, Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After.
As reported by Us Weekly, the reality television series will follow the couple’s life together in Denver (hopefully post-marriage at that point) and continue the love story that we saw begin. However, as exciting as this might be for fans of Ben and Lauren, I have to say that this entire idea puts me just a little bit on edge, despite how sure of themselves they may be.
“After you walk away from The Bachelor, it’s not like your life becomes private. People still find out what you’re doing, so it’s not changing our life to be public,” Higgins shared with Us Weekly. And Bushnell was sure to back up his point: “We’re already used to sharing our lives with everyone else so we thought, ‘Why not?’ It’s a fun way to share life after The Bachelor.” And those seem like perfectly valid points, right? But, personally, continuing their life together that way concerns me more than I would like it to admit.
More:The Bachelor‘s Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell reveal wedding plans
For one, relationships take work. While they did create a solid romance that led into an immediate proposal, balancing a marriage on a reality television show is a whole other feat. I mean, just look at what happened to Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey following their newlywed show. Plus, when you add in the many complicated relationships of the Kardashians and beyond, the odds just don’t seem to be in their favor. And all I want is for the odds to be in their favor — even if the duo has done nothing but reassure fans of the strength of their relationship.
But it’s the rumor mill churning that doesn’t help. Between their surprisingly lengthy engagement bringing up some questions, Ben’s past romance with JoJo Fletcher possibly bringing second thoughts, and their transition into living together, any possible instability of their relationship is of course going to be questioned. Their whole private life is going to be laid out in front of us. Any arguments? Wedding delays? Issues they have with one another? Nothing’s off limits. And while it might be easier to deal with that lack of privacy while you’re just dating, a marriage is much more personal. This time around, all eyes are on them.
But, then again, some good can come out of this, as the show is also bound to include their wedding. “Our life has been a whirlwind. That [the wedding] is really something we want to focus on over the next few months,” Bushnell revealed to Us Weekly. And, as Higgins said himself, it’s not going to be easy. “Starting a life together is never going to be this super smooth transition. It’s going to have rocky edges at times, but I love coming home to her at the end of the day.”
More:11 hints that Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell’s wedding is right around the corner
OK, now I know what you’re thinking. They sound perfect together and rumors are just rumors — so what could possibly go wrong? Well, I think it’s the history of The Bachelor that is keeping me even more on edge. According to Just Jared, as of 2015, only six couples are still together from over 30 seasons of both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. And those aren’t exactly great odds. However, as a reality spin-off series first, perhaps a whole new era is in the works. Here’s to hoping they can survive because I could just be watching way too much Unreal.
More:14 things Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell have done since getting engaged on The Bachelor
Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After is set to premiere this fall on Freeform.
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