Bachelor Nation slams 'Paradise' contestants for openly using the show to build clout

Kylie Mar

Bachelor in Paradise contestants Brendan Morais and Pieper James officially became the most hated people of the season when they revealed their master plan to go on the show just to be on TV and to build their Instagram followings.

Rumors circulated earlier in the season about Brendan being in a relationship with Pieper back at home, and it turns out they were all true. Since day one, Brendan had been stringing Natasha Parker along to secure his spot on the beach only until Pieper arrived, which happened Monday night.

During Pieper and Brendan's one-on-one date, Brendan told Pieper, "It has to be you and me, first and foremost, before anyone else, before anyone else on the beach. And that's the only way we're going to get through this, like, being in the position we want to be in, utilizing this time here, and taking advantage of, you know, what Paradise would promote together." Meanwhile, Pieper shared, "I'm here for Brendan. He is my boyfriend, we're dating, and I'm here to, like, continue our relationship. We're very much aligned on what it means to be here together and the next steps for us and kind of our expectations here in Paradise. We are going to have a good time together and really make that time count, so let's hope it all goes according to plan."

The following day on the beach, it was clear to everyone that Brendan and Pieper had a long history before coming onto the show. However, it was during a private chat between the two, while still wearing their microphones, that viewers learned just how far back they go.

The two were overheard talking about an Us Weekly article, which helped both of them gain more Instagram followers. Pieper bragged to Brendan about the fact that just before she headed to Paradise, she had hit 78,000. "The best part is, like, the amount of times your name is going to be brought up before you're on the show," Brendan told Pieper, who replied, "That's what Serena was saying. She was like, 'You're literally going to get more screen time before you step foot on the sand.'" Brendan also attempted to cover his mic, to tell Pieper, "I incriminated myself enough where it's like I'm screwed."

And just when it seemed like Brendan couldn't possibly make himself look worse, his mic caught him saying incredibly rude comments about Natasha. "She had zero prospects. Like, it's not like I was keeping her from anyone. Like, I don't know if she would have a single, actual, viable, like, prospect otherwise, you know?" As if he did her a favor.

Bachelor Nation was heated over Brendan's comment about Natasha, and over the con he and Pieper planned. It didn't take long for viewers to cancel them on social media. In fact, before the episode was over, viewers kicked off an unfollow spree on both of their Instagram profiles and took to Twitter to bash the two:

Meanwhile, fellow Paradise contestants were also on the same page as viewers. Deandra Kanu stated, "The only reason I can think that Pieper and Brendan are here is for clout, is for TV time, airtime, because if I had a man that I knew that I got along with and he was coming to the beach, the only explanation for why you're here that seems reasonable is to be on television. To me, if I was Pieper and Brendan, I would waste no time at the beach. I would just send myself home. Just leave the beach," while Tia Booth explained, "I feel like people who have already hung out before this, and who already have established that they're into each other, and they come on the show, it's like a mutual agreement, like, 'Yeah, I'll give you a rose. You give me a rose. Our Instagram followers will go up and we'll get paid to be here, and it'll be a great time and it'll look so natural.'"

Bachelor in Paradise airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Watch relationships getting messy on 'Bachelor in Paradise' causing complete chaos:

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