In October 2026, Valeria Polyanska—the manager and close friend of TV host Lesia Nikitiuk, who has worked in her professional circle for many years—found herself in the spotlight. This time, Polyanska was on the other side of the cameras as a contestant on the 15th season of the romantic reality show 'The Bachelor', starring Ukrainian basketball player Viacheslav Kravtsov. For Polyanska, participating in the show is an opportunity to present herself to the audience not just as an organizer of the star's work processes, but as an independent protagonist.
Behind the Scenes and On Camera: Who is Valeria Polyanska
For years, Polyanska remained primarily behind the scenes, helping Nikitiuk manage her work processes and accompanying her on professional projects. Their friendship is evidenced by joint social media posts, travel photos, and moments outside of work. Polyanska runs an Instagram account where she shares personal snapshots, behind-the-scenes work episodes, and trips. Thus, by the time the new season aired, she already had a steady, albeit niche, public audience familiar with her primarily as a member of the host's inner circle.
The Prop That Couldn't Take It: The Potato and Sprat Trick
On air, Polyanska intrigued Kravtsov with an unusual request for help with a prop setup: she had pre-arranged small chairs, a table, and a dish consisting of potatoes with sprats. She explained her idea by mentioning that she had recently visited a popular restaurant in Odesa and saw a photo of the exact same dish in Viacheslav's Instagram stories from that venue. The situation turned comical when the small chair could not support Kravtsov's weight. Nonetheless, the season's bachelor reacted positively to the participant's idea, noting that, in his words, she certainly knows the way to a man's heart.
Season Hero: Why a Basketball Player Was Chosen
Ukrainian basketball player Viacheslav Kravtsov became the main hero of the 15th season. According to the project team, the choice of the protagonist follows the logic of diversity: in an interview with the YouTube channel Wave, the text version of which was published on Styler, host Hryhoriy Reshetnik explained that for each season the team tries to find an interesting hero unlike the previous ones. He pointed out that previously the project featured a 'foreign prince,' whereas now, in his words, the viewer needs someone who is experiencing the same circumstances, is not leaving the country, and 'feels the pain for Ukraine as well.'
Context of Previous Seasons
Reshetnik also listed examples of past seasons' leads to illustrate the difference in circumstances: Francis Matthew, Andriy Skhorovets, Serhiy Melnyk—who played in Belarus and came to Ukraine to film—as well as Maks Chmerkovskiy, who lived in the US, filmed the project, and returned to the United States. According to him, those seasons had different demands and circumstances, whereas now the team aims to feature a protagonist living in the context relevant to the current audience.
Family Story from Bakhmut
Aside from the romantic storyline, personal themes have also surfaced in the public discourse surrounding the contestant. Earlier, the media discussed why Valeria Polyanska's family history from Bakhmut is primarily tied to memories. This context adds depth to her image, setting her apart from the typical 'pretty face' of reality TV and emphasizing that off-camera, the contestant has her own biography that extends far beyond her job as a manager.
