Theresa Nist did not join her Bachelor Nation friends for Bachelor in Paradise. Some fans assumed the jilted winner of The Golden Bachelor turned down the chance to appear on the series. That wasn’t the case. The season 1 winner was in talks to appear in the series, but producers ultimately passed on her. Nist recently discussed the process and explained why she thinks the producers were right to pass her up for the opportunity.

Why isn’t Theresa Nist on ‘Bachelor in Paradise’?

Bachelor in Paradise is returning from a long hiatus with a big change. The series will now incorporate golden contestants, too. While several golden contestants will appear in the series, Theresa Nist won’t be one of them. She didn’t turn down the opportunity, though. She did admit to playing a part in getting left out, though.

Nist recently appeared on The Almost Famous Podcast and opened up about the casting process for Bachelor in Paradise. Nist revealed that she went through testing and was working with producers before they ultimately decided to pass her up for the show. She’s not exactly salty about it, though.

Nist said that the producers ultimately made the right call. She said she was too wishy-washy about dating again for the team’s liking. Upon further reflection, she revealed she was only excited about the show for the chance to hang out with the ladies she met during her time on The Golden Bachelor season 1.

Which golden contestants will appear?

ABC is dropping the names of contestants for the show ahead of its premiere, but so far, we are only aware of two golden contestants. Jesse Palmer announced the casting of Leslie Fhima and Gary Livingston weeks ago, but further news on additional golden contestants has been slow to come. We are aware of several familiar faces who won’t be appearing.

Several of the contestants from The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette have found love in more organic ways. Susan Noles, Guy Gansert, Gerry Turner, and Mark Anderson have all found new partners. Noles met her love while using a dating app while on vacation. Anderson has been spotted with a famed actor for months, while Gansert and Turner have both debuted new romances recently.

While it’s unclear if Noles, Gansert, or Anderson were ever interested in appearing on Bachelor in Paradise, we know Turner was not. Before meeting his girlfriend, Turner revealed that he had been approached about the show but turned it down because the women involved were ones he had already dated.’

Bachelor in Paradise season 10 will premiere on ABC on Monday, July 7.