Peter Izzo Tells Us What It’s Really Like to be on The Bachelorette

28-year-old Peter Izzo first joined The Bachelor Nation back in 2021 when he appeared on season 18 of The Bachelorette. His time on the show wasn’t very long-lived–he was deemed the “villain” of the season pretty early on, which inevitably ended with his elimination in week 3. A similar story occurred when he appeared on the beach for season 8 of Bachelor in Paradise, which he quit during week 2. We all know The Bachelorette is a “reality” tv show, but how much of it actually is real? 

Izzo didn’t plan to join the show at first—his sister decided to sign him up after seeing an ad on her social media page. A director on the show then reached out to Peter, asking for a “first date” and a chance to get to know him. Hesitant at first, Izzo agreed and later got selected to fly to L.A for a chance at true love. 

Peter was quite the dramatic character in season 18, but not by choice. “The whole thing was fake,” says Izzo. “I wouldn't be a small business owner in my local community if I was a bad guy or a villain.” Even though The Bachelorette is a “reality” tv show, it’s still a tv show. The producers have to inflict conflict to grab the viewer’s attention. 

“A lot of stuff was not shown because it didn’t fit the edit of ‘Bachelor Nation’….at the end of the day, people need to realize that The Bachelor and The Bachelorette [are tv shows]...everybody’s a character and everybody has a role,” according to Izzo. 

When Peter was asked about the infamous throwing the jacket into the pool, he said, “They were going to eliminate me that night and kick me off the show” if he didn't. “All my hard work I put in to get there for nine months prior, dieting, working out, taking care of myself, could’ve been destroyed in one night.” 

The producers of reality shows have a job: to make everything SEEM real when most of it is fabricated. According to Peter, the producers for Bachelor Nation are even more intense. 

“The producers are not normal producers…they’re all trained to be mental manipulators in every capacity, not just in bad and negative [ways], but in good capacities for certain people too because everyone has their own role,” says Izzo.  

A similar situation happened with Izzo when he arrived at the beach to film Bachelor in Paradise. When he arrived, he couldn't leave his room for six days. According to Peter, the only thing he was allowed to eat was what was available from room service, and he couldn't leave the room for any reason. The producers were also very hesitant to let him know that there were already 15 guys on the beach and only seven girls. Peter didn’t even watch his own appearance on the show because he knew they would make him look bad. 

“I lived it, and I knew what the truth was, and I knew they were making me out to be a bad guy,” Izzo said. 

When asked what his favorite part about being on both shows was, Peter responded, “The realization for myself of who I am as a young man, my integrity and what I stand for, my core values, my family values…I was very proud to not sell out in the end and stand up for what I believe is right. How my mom raised me is what matters, and my family is what matters, not likes on Instagram or views or a blue checkmark next to my name,” added Izzo. 

So everything is not what it seems. There's more to Ptere Izzo than what meets the eye. On top of his time spent with the Bachelor Nation, Peter is a self-proclaimed “pizzaprenuer.” He owns and operates his own Pizza company: Peter’s Pizza. Currently, he mainly works out of his Boca Raton location on Palmetto Park Road. Still, he is opening up a flagship store in Pompano and developing plans to start a hospitality company. As one of the only New York-style pizza parlors in the area, peters delivers a unique pizza experience that you really don't see much of in South Florida. Maybe Peter isn't such a villain after all! 

Strike out, 

Haley Dockendorff 

Boca Raton

Haley Dockendorff is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca. Loud and proud, this Virgo loves writing just about anything that will cause a bit of commotion. If you can’t find her, she’s probably somewhere on a beach with a camera in hand. You can reach her at haleydockendorff143@gmail.com