Bachelor in Paradise: A New Twist and $500K Prize Shakes Up the Competition and Sends 1 Fan-Favorite Couple Home

The surprises just keep coming on this season of Bachelor in Paradise.

During the Aug. 4 episode of the hit reality dating show, host Jesse Palmer revealed that “everything is going to change” for the BiP cast.

As they kick off Week 6 in Costa Rica and deepen their connections, the love hopefuls will now face a new set of rules with the chance to win a major monetary prize at the end.

“Paradise is, and always has been, about finding love and creating relationships people can take outside of paradise,” Jesse explained. “And this year, we’re raising the stakes.”

“Moving forward, there will be no more new arrivals here in paradise,” he continued. “All of your exercises are going to be relationship tests designed to do exactly that — test your relationship. Sometimes there will be winners who need to make a pivotal decision, and sometimes there will be losers that won’t have any roses to hand out. But in the end, the strongest and the most deserving couples are going to be faced with a life changing opportunity: the possibility of leaving paradise with up to half a million dollars.”

Drawing gasps from the contestants, Jesse likened the twist to a previous spinoff, “the Bachelor Pad,” but “taken to a whole new level.” He then left without offering more details but teased that they would learn more soon.

While some seemed excited to hear the news, others expressed concerns about the impact the money might have on people’s intentions.

“This changes the game completely,” Lea Cayanan confessed. “I gotta focus on me and Jonathan [Johnson], because there’s a lot on the line now. 

“There’s money involved,” Allyshia Gupta added. “More tension, higher stakes. I think it could corrupt some of the relationships. I’m excited to see the phony ones start ripping apart at the seams.”

Golden contestant Gary Levingston shared the same worry. “I’m here for love, but it’s now a game, and when money is involved, people do stupid things. People do things just for the money.”

The next day, the couples put their knowledge of one another to the test by guessing their answers to a series of questions and placing bets based on their confidence that they got it right.

In addition to the winning couple getting to go on a date, the winning woman would also be given the power to choose who goes home at that week’s rose ceremony.

“I told you things were getting serious, and I meant it,” Jesse declared.

After an intense game, Bailey Brown and Jeremy Simon came out on top, with the bottom three being Leslie Fhima and Gary; Faith Martin and Kim Buike; and Brian Autz and Parisa Shifteh.

“It’s harder when you have to make a decision on where people are with their connections and who deserves to have more time in paradise,” Bailey admitted as she contemplated which women will have roses to give their partners. “I’m gonna have to end somebody’s love story here, and you just don’t enjoy that.”

When it came to the ceremony, Bailey ultimately sent home Leslie and Gary.

“Leslie, I love you so much,” Bailey cried. “You’ve been so important to my journey here at paradise. I’m sorry that I can’t offer you this rose. I really hope that you and Gary find each other after this. I’m so sorry.”

Walking off hand-in-hand, the pair revealed that they intended to continue pursuing their connection back home.

“Even though I’m sad and I wish we could have stayed, I think that we show the young people that when you get older, you don’t have to stop having fun or tame it down,” Leslie said.

“It breaks my heart, because I know Leslie was so genuine in wanting to find love, as was I,” Gary added. “Her and I will continue to move forward with our journey, just in a different way.”

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New episodes of Bachelor in Paradise air Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.