The Bachelor WILL continue filming amid the coronavirus pandemic with ‘virtual dates’

Production of The Bachelor Australia was indefinitely suspended on Thursday due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But the contestants will continue to go on ‘virtual dates’ with leading man Locky Gilbert, according to Channel 10’s head of entertainment, Stephen Tate. 

The cast and crew left the mansion in the early hours of Friday morning, but steps are being taken to make sure the girls maintain their connections with Locky.  

Tate told The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Friday: ‘[The women] are all going to do the right thing and go into their two weeks of isolation, as will Locky.’

To keep the show going, they will be organising virtual dates while the contestants and Locky are in self-isolation. 

Radio host Kyle Sandilands asked: ‘So are you going to film those dates while they isolate?’

‘Yeah, we’re actually working through that at the moment. We’re calling it “Love In Lockdown”, Tate replied. 

The wider narrative of the coronavirus pandemic will ‘form part of the story’ of The Bachelor’s eighth season.

Tate explained: ‘We’ve got a good amount of the series in the can, we’re about a third of the way in, which buys us a lot of time.

‘We’re going to embrace what’s happening to all of us here in Australia. It will form part of the story, and we think we’ll be able to deliver probably the most extraordinary series ever.’ 

Locky, who appeared on Australian Survivor in 2017 and returned for this year’s All Stars season, was announced as the Bachelor on March 4.

‘I am beyond excited to be announced as this year’s Bachelor and cannot wait to share this epic romantic adventure with you all,’ he said at the time.

As of Friday morning, there are 3,050 confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Australia, including 13 deaths.