Michael Stagliano: Blind-Sided by ‘Bachelor Pad’ Producers For Ratings


Admit it…you know you felt so bad for Michael Stagliano when he got the news on last night’s Bachelor Pad finale that his old flame Holly Durst was engaged to Blake Julian. (Watch the heartbreaking clip above!)

Someone else felt extremely bad for Michael as well: Holly.

According to an interview the couple did with People right after the Reunion taping last week.

Holly said that she never meant for Michael to find out the big news the way that he did.

“I was really upset. Last night, I called to tell him, but they’d already taken his phone. I was thinking, ‘Well, at least I will be able to tell him before the show so he isn’t blindsided.’ But I wasn’t allowed to speak to him prior to walking out on stage,” said Holly. “As soon as I sat down, I whispered that I needed to talk badly and then the bomb was dropped almost immediately. He was blindsided. That was the lowest thing they could have done for ratings.”

Understandably, Michael was also angry and upset that he was subjected to such public heartbreak all in the name of ratings.

“I was caught off guard, humiliated. I know neither Holly nor Blake wanted it to go down like that,” he told People. “I’m now even more thankful for the talk we had two weeks ago, which provided closure I didn’t have before. If we hadn’t had that that, it would have been so much worse tonight. I might have just walked off stage.”

Michael said he is actually happy for Holly and Blake. (Suuuuure….)

“We were engaged and therefore I will always care about and love her so it makes me happy when she is happy,” he said. “I wish we could have been happy together but we’re always going to care about and love each other. I have no reason to be mad at Holly or Blake. You can’t help who you fall for.”

Still, he admits that the news of the engagement hit him hard.

He told Life & Style, “”I wasn’t ready for that. One of the last things I said to her on the show was, ‘I love you.'”

Awww….please someone marry this boy! He’s breaking my heart!

To see photos of Holly and Michael before ‘Bachelor Pad’ and Blake destroyed all chances of them getting back together, click here.

3 Responses


  1. Yeah that was so jacked. Did you see the Bachelor Jeweler’s name on the ring box? The producers obviously prodded him into proposing by hooking him up with a ring so they could sandbag Mike.
    Last night’s episode might have been the last straw. I’m not watching or writing about The Bachelor anymore.

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