How Bad ‘Bachelor’ Arie Buried The Series

When Arie Luyendyk Jr. blindsided Becca Kufrin by ending their engagement in a brutal 30-minute breakup, The Bachelor didn’t just crush her heart — critics say the reality Romeo may have torpedoed the already floundering franchise!

Six weeks after becoming engaged to Arie, Becca saw herself tossed to the side in favor of show runner-up Lauren Burnham. But what’s worse, ABC aired every excruciating, unedited second of the emotional split — prompting furious backlash from fans, as reported on RadarOnline!

Then an April 1 gag — tweeting out a mocked-up baby bump photo of Lauren, only to follow up an hour later with "APRIL FOOLS!" — added insult to injury.

Couples struggling with infertility reacted with scorn, leading to an April 2 apology from the lamebrained Arie.

“Viewers expect drama, but they also crave a happy ending,” one critic told The National ENQUIRER. “Ratings for the season had been down. "The Bachelor" may never recover from this — unless the show makes some big changes.”