'Bachelor' Nation Rejoice! The Premiere Date for Season 8 of 'BiP' Has Finally Been Revealed

With Season 26 of The Bachelor officially a thing of the past, fanatics of the franchise can rejoice at the prospect of never seeing Clayton Echard on their screens ever again. Now, we can all look forward to a new installment of the superior series: The Bachelorette.

On March 15, 2022, ABC and Jesse Palmer revealed that for the first time in franchise history, two women — Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia — would be the Bachelorette at the same time for the entirety of Season 19.

Though The Bachelorette generally premieres in late May or early June, producers officially offered viewers a well-needed break following the dumpster fire known as Clayton's selfish journey to finding love.

So, to ensure the leads make thorough judgments and really immerse themselves in the experience, ABC decided to push back the Bachelorette premiere to July 11, 2022. So, what does this mean for Bachelor in Paradise?

While Bachelor Nation is thrilled to see Gabby and Rachel helm the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, many couldn't help but fear for the future of Bachelor in Paradise.

"If Bachelorette isn’t premiering until July 11, does someone want to tell me when the F--K Paradise is supposed to happen?" @TheBachBabes tweeted. Another fan added, "Am I glad that the next season isn’t immediately after this one? YES. Do I want The Bachelorette to replace Bachelor in Paradise this summer? ABSOLUTELY NOT."

The spinoff series is clearly a fan favorite, with many declaring it's not summer without BIP. (We wholeheartedly agree.) The series always provides viewers with huge amounts of drama and the most unlikely pairings; however, are we sure BIP is even coming back in 2022?

Well, fret no longer, Bachelor Nation. Bachelor in Paradise is confirmed to return this year! Just not exactly when we expected.

On June 16, ABC released the fall premiere dates for the 2022-2023 season and confirmed the release date for the new season of Bachelor in Paradise. The premiere airs on Tuesday, Sept. 27, with Episode 2 picking up on Monday, Oct. 3. Season 8 will have two-hour episodes that air on both Monday and Tuesday nights.

ABC also revealed that BiP will air before The Good Doctor on Mondays, replacing Dancing With The Stars, which is moving exclusively to Disney Plus.

Despite the initial excitement over the return of Bachelor in Paradise, fans are questioning why in the world Wells Adams wasn't granted hosted duties, which instead have gone to Jesse Palmer. The actual relationships on the BiP beach might be hot one day and cold the next, but Wells's calming presence has always been a welcome aspect of consistency on the show. Thankfully, ABC did reveal that Wells will be back once again as the bartender.

Here's to hoping that the newest batch of Bachelor in Paradise contestants will make up for Wells not hosting. There was a heaping helping of drama on Season 7, but several of the couples that formed connections are still going strong.

We're excited to see who's ready for love or to simply heat things up when Bachelor in Paradise returns this fall.