Entertainment TV Reality TV Jesse Palmer Defends 'The Bachelor''s 'Authenticity' Against 'Love Is Blind', Other Dating Shows: It 'Was First' Palmer said The Bachelor franchise is "really trying to get back to what the core of the show has always been about and what it's supposed to be about," starting with lead Zach Shallcross By Valerie Nome Valerie Nome Contributor, PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on February 2, 2023 01:53PM EST Jesse Palmer. Photo: Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty The Bachelor is in a league of its own, according to current host and former star Jesse Palmer. In speaking to E! News about how the matchmaking reality show stacks up against trendy newcomers such as Love Is Blind, Love Island and Too Hot To Handle, Palmer said: "The Bachelor was first." "I think a big part of The Bachelor is about authenticity and really trying to get back to what the core of the show has always been about and what it's supposed to be about," Palmer, 44, continued. "It's finding love, it's the romance, it's the journey, it's the love story, and finding out how that develops." Nick and Vanessa Lachey on Love Is Blind. Netflix The Bachelorette's Clare Crawley Marries Ryan Dawkins: 'The Happiest Day of My Life!' To be fair, The Bachelor has tried new twists, such as featuring two Bachelorettes in Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia last season last year. "I think it's OK for a show to be cyclical sometimes and to try different things," Palmer admitted. However, the show is reverting back to tradition for Zach Shallcross' season, airing now. "Instead of trying to completely redefine and recreate itself," Palmer said, "it's just getting back to what it's supposed to be." Sarah Herron's Baby Dies in His 'Dad's Arms' After Being Born Premature: 'We Love You So Much' If the days of Andrew Firestone and Bob Guiney are yearned for, don't miss this season. "For Bachelor fans who have been watching for a long time, my hope is that watching this season is going to feel really nostalgic to them," he added. Palmer previously teased how Shallcross' season would be a "throwback" to what longtime viewers once knew. "I would say that Zach's season is a bit of a throwback season, in the sense that this is really about the love story; it's not so much about the drama," he said on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast earlier this month. "And I know in some past seasons, drama takes over. With every season of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, there is going to be drama. It's just something that you can't avoid." Jesse Palmer. Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Palmer has since weighed in on Shallcross' no drama approach, sharing all the details behind the lead's decision to send Tahzjuan Hawkins home on Monday night's episode. As part of the episode, franchise alum Hawkins made a guest appearance to help Shallcross, 26, navigate through the first group date of the season, which featured rapper Latto. Hawkins, who first appeared on Colton Underwood's season of The Bachelor and later on Bachelor in Paradise, expressed an interest in vying for Shallcross. But Shallcross chose to send her home "rather quickly," Palmer recalled. Kaitlyn Bristowe Says Bachelorette Co-Host Gig Hurt Her Friendship with Chris Harrison: 'Down the Toilet' Jesse Palmer. Craig Sjodin/ABC "I think [other people] in Zach's position, they may have played it a little bit and sort of gone around the room asking different women what their opinion would be if, in fact, he did decide to bring another woman into the mansion," Palmer said on the PEOPLE Every Day podcast on Tuesday. "And Zach sort of made the decision himself." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC. Close