Channel 10 has begun airing double episodes of The Bachelor in an effort to finish Jimmy Nicholson's ratings-starved season quicker.

The show, which has suffered the worst ratings in the franchise's eight-year history, aired two episodes back to back in the 7.30pm time slot on Thursday.

There will be another double episode on Wednesday, August 18.  

While it's common for networks to truncate seasons that aren't performing, a 10 spokesperson told  these double episodes have 'always been planned'.  

Viewers flocked to Twitter to complain about the 'boring' ordeal of sitting through two full-length episodes, with one asking: 'Haven't we suffered enough?'

Another tweeted: 'I was so excited for this double episode, thinking there was going to be so much extra drama. I am wallowing in despair that it's just two normal episodes stuck together.'