The video above really breaks down how the Bachelor in Paradise cast is chosen. The producers chose contestants from the most recent seasons of the Bachelor and the Bachelorette, therefore for season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise most cast members came from season 25 of the Bachelor and season 18 of the Bachelorette. The producers try to choose the top 6 female contestants from the Bachelor to come to paradise. They get sent to the island first to have the most time to make connections throughout the season. As for the men usually they film the Bachelorette in very close proximity to the Bachelor in Paradise so the top 6 usually don’t get casted for paradise.
Producers usually chose the contestants from a pool of four seasons. This amounts to a little over 100 contestants to choose from. The way they narrow this down aside from the top contenders is by choosing people who have made a lasting impression by having a token saying, personality, or name, or just by being well liked by the audience. This helps them bring in as many viewers as they can. For instance, some token people brought in for season 7 were Grocery Store Joe for being a grocery store owner, Queen Victoria for coming into every season with a crown, and Abigail for being well liked during her season of the Bachelor. The producers also ask all chosen contestants to make a list of people they would be interested in seeing on the island to help finalize all cast members.
So far on all seasons it focuses on heterosexual relationships between males and females. Throughout the seasons the contestants are very similar. Most of the cast are regular middle class people from all over the United States. The producers have a mixture of stereotypical and belligerent characters. For instance, in season 7 they have their token “playboy,” Kenny, and then a token crazy girl which is Demi. Demi is always crying and being sassy, while Kenny is always in some kind of love triangle.