The Ultimatum’s Creator Says 1 Contestant’s Exit Was A Huge Surprise

The Ultimatum isn’t for everyone. In the show’s first two seasons, a few couples have left the experience prematurely, but Season 3 saw an unprecedented mass exodus. Just after the trial marriages began, four contestants secretly met up and made plans to sneak out of the reality show. Well, three of the deserters did inform production that they wouldn’t be continuing the experiment, but showrunner Chris Coelen revealed that one contestant truly did ghost everyone.

In the fourth episode of Season 3, Dave, Vanessa, Micah, and Chanel all suddenly exited their trial marriages just a day after they began. From what was shown on the series, Vanessa’s exit was the only real surprise, as she seemed to be forming a real connection with her trial husband, Nick. The departures left Micah’s trial wife, Mariah, and Nick to go through the trial marriage weeks alone, a first for the show.

“They snuck around. As a group, they secretly met,” Coelen told Variety of the exits. “And listen, they’re adults. We don’t put restrictions on what people do or don’t do. But the expectation from the other participants is, ‘We’re going to be in trial marriages. Let’s actually do that, and not go hang out with our original partner.’”

While Dave, Vanessa, and Chanel all told production about their plan to leave ahead of time, Coelen revealed that Micah truly disappeared without any warning. “Micah was gone and didn’t have a conversation with anyone,” Coelen said.

Micah and Chanel’s exit is a permanent one, as Coelen confirmed they did not return for the recently filmed reunion. Dave and Vanessa, however, will appear in the season-ending special.

Part of the reason these premature exits were possible is the fact that, unlike other similar reality shows, contestants on The Ultimatum get to keep their cell phones. They also all share an apartment complex, meaning they know exactly where their partners are. Coelen said that there have been discussions about potentially keeping participants more distant from one another next time.

“I think in future seasons, maybe there are modifications,” Coelen said. “The truth is, it doesn’t really matter. I think wherever we put them, they can always get to each other, even if it’s virtually.”