I am Ken Fuchs, director of Shark Tank, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Family Feud, Celebrity Family Feud, Love Connection, Deal or No Deal, & more. AMAA!

Who was your favorite bachelor and bachelorette?

Some of favorites include Ben Higgins & Jason Mesnick. Also, going way back to the first season of Bachelorette, Trista! And more recently, Rachel.

How much do ABC/producers listen to fan opinions about choosing the next bachelor(ette)?

I'm not sure because I am not involved in the casting. But, the producing team is definitely aware of social media and fan discussion.

Do you have any behind the scenes stories from the Bachelor and Bachelorette to share with us??

In Ben Flajnik's finale in Switzerland there was a funny situation. We set everything up and we were all ready to go for the big proposal for the next day....we showed up on set and the mountain goats had eaten through all our cable!

My amazing team had to pull it together and make everything work within just a few hours.

Do you get to eat the untouched perfect looking food on 1 on 1 dates?

No. I wish :)

Do people mispronounce your surname?

What the Fuchs do you mean? :)

How do you decide what the storylines are going to be on shows where you have so much footage?

I don't decide that, the producers do. That's not part of my job.

What's up with Kanye's permanent smile on episode 1 of Celebrity Family Feud? He seems like a nice guy.

He was so nice and so excited and happy to be on Feud. It was one of my favorite episodes to direct.

Do you have a favourite of all the shows you direct?

I love all my children equally :). They are very different and I like the variety.

Is there any aspect to The Bachelor franchise that even a big fans don't know about, that you think makes it special and or interesting?

Over the course of 17 years, it is amazing what a tight knit family the crew has become. It helps us make great television.

Peter for Bachelor please? Any chance?!

There are a few great guys that are being considered. It will all be announced soon!

Who are more difficult to work with, hosts or contestants?

I work with everyone differently. All of my hosts are incredible and easy to work with!

Out of the current couples, whose wedding would be your favorite to direct?

I would do any/all of them!

It is very clear the impact that social media has on shows like The Bachelor(ette), do you notice any impacts with the other shows you are involved with?

Family Feud & Celebrity Feud have a huge social media presence! It's cool to see.

Do the sharks use their own money or is it the TV station that invests in these companies?

It is 100% their own money.

Funniest or your personal favorite moment from Becca's season of The Bachelorette?

The llamas! I was attached by a llama at the proposal. I can maybe post a video later...haha

https://imgur.com/a/30KIzSO

Oh wait this is Arie's season where Becca won....let me keep thinking.

What's the hardest part about directing reality TV?

Being ready for anything to happen, and to get your entire crew on board with that idea. Staying flexible. But I love the challenge of spontaneous storytelling.

What's your favorite couple that's come out of the Bachelor franchise?

Definitely Trista + Ryan are the most memorable! They set the gold standard. Once they got married, nobody could say "that show will never work" anymore. And it was a career highlight to direct their wedding special.

Kevin (Mr. Wonderful) doesn't seem interested in investing with many companies unless they pay him royalties. Does this bother producers? Do they want more from him, or do they keep him around for his commentary? Also, have you watched the Sharks go after a company and you thought it was a terrible investment? I love all your shows and my husband and I can't wait for Deal or No Deal to come back!!

I'm not involved with the investment choices, but I love working with Kevin. He adds so much to the show and makes directing it really fun. He keeps me on my toes!

Thank you for your support. You're going to be blown away by the new Deal! It's bigger and better than ever, debuts December 5th.

What did you think of our most recent Bachelorette, Becca?

Becca was amazing. It was great to give her a second chance at love. She's a nice, easy to work with Bachelorette.

In your opinion, what are the ingredients for a good 'Women Tell All' episode?

The same thing that makes the show good: honesty. It is great for the girls to see the Bachelor one more time. On these specials, they are able to get closure and it is a joy to direct these situations.

Do you watch your own shows on TV? If not, what reality shows do you watch?

Yes! I like to see how they are presented with commercials. I'm too busy making the shows to have time to watch them!

How are the locations determined for each Bachelor/ette season? Does the team literally google “most romantic places” and ensure no same place is repeated?

I'm not particularly a part of the location decisions. Our producing team does a great job of establishing relationships with various countries and cities. And of course we look for the most romantic and exotic locales.

We actually have repeated some countries, like Thailand, Spain, Thailand again...

One of my favorites is Cape Town, South Africa! We were there for Emily's proposal. Also, for Sean Low's finale at the elephant resort in Thailand.

What are the most memorable moments you’ve been part of? Have you been in the room for any really uncomfortable or emotional scenes? I’m think of breakups like Becca and Arie or Peter and Rachel. Were you there and does it ever feel intrusive?

We are not in the room, as we are in our mobile set up looking at the cameras. Everyone knows we are making a television show, in the end we try to be the least intrusive we can, while also doing our jobs. I think these moments underscore the authenticity of the show. By that point in the season, the cast is also less aware of our presence.

How long have you been the Director of these shows? How did your life take you there?

I've been director for 17 years on Bachelor and Family Feud, and 10 years on Shark Tank. I worked my way up the ranks through various shows, before eventually becoming an AD (Assistant Director). Then, I was finally given the chance to direct.

How was it having Richard Branson on the show as a guest shark?

It was incredible. How often do you get to witness 2 billionaires in a water fight?

By the way, I am proud to have that as my Emmy-nominated episode!

Do you keep in touch with any of the Bachelor leads / contestants after filming is done?

I wish them well at the end, but then I'm right on to the next season or project.

Where are you when things are being filmed? With the camera crew or in a TV room?

We build a mobile control room in another room, where we can see all the cameras at once.

Any fun stories from all those freebie weddings done on Bachelor/rette?

It must just so much harder dealing with crowds of family, drunk relatives, grannies/grandpas flirting with production, bach nation guests, bride and groom tantrums!

One story from a wedding...during Molly + Jason's there was a torrential downpour. But yet, her makeup held up beautifully. His hair, not so much. They totally embraced it. This was another example of going with the flow, which makes working on these kinds of projects so fun. And the unpredictability is so fun for the viewers. It's as unscripted as it gets. I like to think of them as happy accidents :)

One of my fave scenarios on Shark Tank is when all sharks are interested in a pitch and there a shark fight each one going for blood as they try to outbid each other. Is that a director's dream as well?!

Yes! Your dreams scenarios are my dream to direct. We all want the same thing.

Is working with the Sharks as intimidating as it seems on TV?! Or are they more intimidated by you because you're the director? :)

They are certainly not intimidated by me ;)! They are more curious about my work.

They are lovely, self-made millionaires who treat everyone equally on the set.

How is the experience of directing billionaires? How do you get them to do what you want? It must require some special skills!

I see them as normal people. It's amazing. They're easy. And they're brilliant. All I do is watch them go through their discovery process on all of these companies.

Is it true on Shark Tank the sharks had to work long hours and were purposely not fed, so that they could provide more drama when investment pitches were made. Eek. I think I heard it one of their interviews. Maybe Cuban? My question : WHYYYYYYY? Seems inhuman.

No, not at all. There's plenty of krafty on set, and the occasional food product! I love working with Mark.

What’s one deal a Shark has passed up on that you know they totally regret now?

I don't think the Sharks have any regrets. They don't have hindsight. They make the best decisions at the time and they move on. That's why they are sharks.

Have you been able to score any Maverick tickets from Mark Cuban?

I haven't been in Dallas during the season! But I'm sure it's a possibility... ;)

How are bachelor/ette people on camera as opposed to off camera? Do contestants act different/fight or feud/play up certain personas in front of cameras ? Who was the biggest showboat character? Is it harder to direct people who are clearly just there for fame/playing a character of themselves?

How has social media changed the way you work on bach nation shows? Have you noticed a difference in contestants?

They are always on camera! We've had many showboats, Chad is quite memorable and was a fan-favorite. For the fame question, usually it is difficult to tell on set.

Clearly my time on The Bachelor has changed with the popularity of social media. It seems to have grown the popularity and fan base a lot!