The hometown dates on The Bachelor are usually pretty telling.
They reveal more details about the people who are left on the show and The Bachelor star gets drilled with tough questions from hardcore parents and siblings.
Other than Victoria F’s drama over Peter’s ex-girlfriend showing up to warn him about Victoria’s past issues with men, it was Kelsey’s hometown date that stole the show.
But not because of Kelsey or its content.
No, it was Kelsey’s parents’ supposed home that stole all the attention. Why? Because it was stunning.
Kelsey’s hometown house was stunning
As it turns out, people were asking about the interior decorator and wondering whether he or she could be hired.
It’s not they’re house. Look up Reality Steve on Insta
— K_S ?? (@wheeze1969) February 18, 2020
But as it turns out, the house was rented. It was a staged house for the sake of this hometown date, as Kelsey’s parents didn’t have their own house on the show.
Reality Steve explained this back in November when the hometown date had been filmed, revealing that it was a home that production had rented for the night.
He also added that it is something that happens often during hometown dates.
(PHOTO): Peter & Kelsey after dinner last night.
(UPDATE): That was not her mom & step dads house last night. It was a house production rented for the night. Happens often on hometowns. pic.twitter.com/NaBvx411vG
— RealitySteve (@RealitySteve) November 2, 2019
Of course, viewers started to pick up on other things that surfaced, including similar designs.
Kelsey’s hometown date raises housing questions
As one person pointed out on Twitter, Madison and Kelsey’s porches are almost identical. The person guessed that the homes were showhomes, despite being filmed in two different cities and states.
While Madison’s date took place in Alabama, Kelsey’s date took place in Iowa.
Okay, Madi's porch is exactly the same at Kelsey's porch. Are these show homes? #TheBachelor
— Kim Snowden (@KimSnowden73) February 18, 2020
I read that they rented one of the houses to shoot in – my guess is it’s Kelsey’s. It’s totally staged like a model home. #TheBachelor
— Terry Ann (@TABDesign55) February 18, 2020
Can anyone settle this…are the hometown family dinners always at the family’s real home? Or are they totally staged? Kelsey’s home looks like a staged model #TheBachelor
— Lauren – The Ginger Bread Girl (@LaurenTGBGBlog) February 18, 2020
The question about Kelsey’s home was something that Reality Steve discussed on his website prior to the show airing tonight as he already knew she was a hometown contestant.
As fans saw, it was Kelsey’s stepfather who was present during the date.
“Kelsey and her sisters have a very contentious relationship with their father, and I was told production was trying to get the father to show up for the hometown date,” he writes on his website.
“I’m not sure if the family caught wind of it and shut it down, or production couldn’t get a hold of him, but from everything I’ve heard, it would’ve been a disaster if he showed up. Hence the reason production was trying to get him. If you look hard enough, you can find on the internet exactly what went down years ago that caused this.”
During her one-on-one date with Peter earlier this season, she told Peter that her father left the whole family behind. He had written a note and left his wedding ring on the table, something she discovered before her mom.
She explained that he moved to Mexico and started his own family. She didn’t see him for the following 12 years.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.