Entertainment

She Would've Been A Perfect 'Bachelorette'

by Alicia Lutes

ABC, purveyors of true love and peddlers of wedded bliss, majorly fucked up. Because, you see, about 10 years ago they passed on the opportunity of a lifetime: making The View cohost, Jenny McCarthy, The Bachelorette following her divorce. Their reasoning? No celebrities allowed. A silly misstep, especially when you consider the folks the series and its other half — The Bachelor – have done after in recent years. This could've been brilliant!

McCarthy's View co-host Barbara Walters spilled the long-secret beans on the Tuesday episode of their talk show. "In the interest of information, one of us, that one," Walters explained, motioning to McCarthy, "tried out to be a Bachelorette and you did not make it!" McCarthy's surprise at the reveal was noticeable as she gasped, "No one knows that!" It wasn't long before she explained, though, stating that "When I got a divorce, I was lonely. I needed to be loved."

"I was single and I loved TV," McCarthy continued. "Put those together and I thought, 'Brilliant!'" Which is funny because that is exactly what we're thinking, too, right now. But unfortunately, even after her agent called ABC, the decision was a resounding 'no.'

"[My agent] said, 'She wants to be the new Bachelorette,'" McCarthy explained. "And they said, 'No, we're not using celebrities at this time. Sorry.' That was 10 years ago." And yet 10 years later — and countless embarrassing and exploitative moments later — we're betting the series regrets that decision. Because, seriously, think about it: McCarthy, the former co-host of the epic old MTV dating show, Singled Out, on another dating show — but serious? That's appointment hate-watching television of the highest order. Straight up, Singled Out: Sad Grown-Up Edition is pretty much what the series is at this point. If only they'd banked on that sooner!