The Bachelor Winter Games

For close to two decades, The Bachelor, a pop culture phenomenon, has spawned international versions of the series. For the first time since its inception, 26 of the most eligible singles from around the world gather at the luxurious Vermont winter resort of The Hermitage Club. In the series premiere, the participants meet in the streets of Vermont for a grand celebration. Bachelor royalty Trista and Ryan Sutter serve as grand marshals kicking off the festivities. With the backdrop of snowy winter white mountains, ESPN SportsCenter anchor and sports journalist Hannah Storm, and KABC-TV sports anchor and correspondent Ashley Brewer join host Chris Harrison for the action. Following a featured performance by up-and-coming country music sensation Ruthie Collins, the singles move into their Bachelor villa and the games of love begin. Throughout the run of The Bachelor Winter Games, fans can expect twists and turns on and off the ski mountain, as well as romance, heartbreak, love and, of course, roses. The bachelors and bachelorettes will participate in challenges from winter biathlon to ice dancing, with date cards being given to the winners of each challenge.  Romantic dates will test the bachelors’ and bachelorettes’ perseverance in pursuing relationships with one another while faced with language barriers and cultural differences, including some amusing issues with intimacy. With guest appearances by world champion and five-time U.S. figure skating pairs champions Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, as well as figure skating legend Nancy Kerrigan, The Bachelor Winter Games promises no shortage of excitement. Viewers will watch Bachelor Nation expand into Bachelor World as love expands over oceans and across continents. Will the first truly international Bachelor couple unite in February?

Romantic connections are well underway as the participants arrive at an ice rink for their second winter games challenge – speed skating. Chris Harrison and Hannah Storm are at the anchor desk with Ashley Brewer on the sidelines to recap the qualifying rounds where some stumble, some speed and some trudge to the finish line. After a surprising twist, two unexpected skaters win a coveted date card. One winner and his lady of choice go on an adventurous tubing date where concerns are brought up that lead to a relationship-defining conversation. Another couple takes a picturesque horse-drawn carriage ride and establishes a deep bond in a wood burning hot tub. One bachelor ends a short-lived courtship for another lady; but everyone knows that in Bachelor world when one door closes, another is always ready to be opened, especially when Jordan from New Zealand finally shows up to the villa. At the rose ceremony, the remaining participants have no idea what to expect until Chris Harrison makes an important announcement that sends some people scrambling to avoid being sent home.

There ain’t no mountain high enough to keep the remaining bachelors and bachelorettes from getting the next date card when host Chris Harrison introduces the most challenging event yet – downhill skiing – on the third installment of the four-episode series, The Bachelor Winter Games. As connections continue to heat up in Vermont, nerves are at an all-time high for almost half of the group that has never skied down a mountain before. Eager to pursue and build upon new relationships, the men and women fight tooth and nail for the chance to go on a romantic date with the snow bunny of their choosing. Chris Harrison hosts with ESPN SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm and KABC-TV sports anchor Ashley Brewer, who cover all of the action. After the race, one winning pair enjoys much-needed alone time out of the villa, while another lucky couple gets their hands dirty at a pottery studio. At this point, both couples have some uncomfortable issues to address that will determine if they truly want to take their relationships to the next level.  Back at the Bachelor villa, Ben is feeling out of sorts, prompting a visit from Chris Harrison that leads to the most emotional conversation the two have ever had with one another. Will this broken bachelor have the breakthrough he’s been waiting for to move forward with a relationship or will he decide that he’s not ready to take the next step in his love life just yet? Later at the rose ceremony, as a blizzard rages outside The Hermitage Clubhouse, chaos erupts inside as the couples are put to the test in the kissing department. Three surprise judges who happen to be experts in the field – JoJo Fletcher, Rachel Lindsay and Arie Luyendyk Jr. – arrive to critique their performances. Drama quickly ensues leading one woman to tears and another making a run for the nearest restroom. Ultimately, the esteemed panel of guest judges must determine which two couples show the least chemistry and will have to say their goodbyes.

Five couples remain in the winter games, but only one dynamic duo will come out on top, and the stakes are higher than ever as the daunting task of ice dancing lies ahead. During rehearsal, a pair of international lovebirds struggle to find their groove, leading to a serious discussion about their future. When the time comes to practice their moves on the ice, everyone is in awe when host Chris Harrison introduces figure skating legends Nancy Kerrigan, Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner as their judges. Despite quite a few slips and falls along the way, these ice rink icons help each couple with their routine to prepare them for the big event. To help ease the ice dancing stress, Chris Harrison has one more surprise that adds a different kind of tension for everyone – Fantasy Suite Dates – where each couple is given the chance to spend the night alone to decide if their relationship is strong enough to last beyond Vermont. One bachelor tells his significant other that he is falling in love, while another bachelorette must make a major personal decision to determine if she’s ready to take the next step with her man. Will our couples wake up the next morning feeling refreshed and ready to take on the final leg of this adventure together or will the pressure of the game we call love get the best of them?

Immediately following the finale, after the skis and skates have been put away and all of the roses have been handed out, several of your favorite global bachelors and bachelorettes reunite with one another for “The Bachelor Winter Games: World Tells All.” Joining host Chris Harrison for this epic tell-all includes: Ally, Ashley I., Ben, Benoit, Bibiana, Christian, Clare, Courtney, Dean, Eric, Jordan, Josiah, Kevin, Lesley, Lily, Rebecca and last, but certainly not least, Winter Games fan favorite, Yuki. Amidst laughter and tears, the group relives their experiences in romance, wipeouts and everything in between. Catch up on where their relationships now stand and all that they’ve been up to since they left Vermont – from one couple’s cross-country RV trip to a man’s confession of love for his lady and a very dramatic miscommunication, proving that the language of love is not always universal. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, one bachelor professes his love to the woman of his dreams in a shocking twist and gets down on one knee to propose for all the world to see. This must-see reunion will leave audiences reeling and is sure to be one for the Bachelor history books.