Juan Pablo Galavis is the most universally loathed Bachelor, and fans have many reasons to rightfully despise the Season 18 Bachelor. On the show, he was patronizing to the women. And in fact, Andi Dorfman chose to leave of her own accord and said she “wanted to die” if she heard him say “It’s ok” again.
Clare Crawley famously told him off before exiting—and he also refused to propose to his final pick. Of course, they broke up shortly after. Off the show, he has said publicly that there should never be a gay or bi bachelor. Thank you, next.
Alex Michel was a businessman and producer, and more importantly the original bachelor from the show's very first season. Does being the first make him the best? Not really.
Alex Michel did not end up proposing to winner Amanda Marsh, but they did end up having a relationship that was ultimately short-lived, lasting only several months. It was not the perfect match it seems. Since the first season, he has largely disappeared from the public eye. In fact, he didn't even respond to an invitation to The Bachelor reunion special in 2020.
Pilot Pete is seemingly pretty popular, with 1.7 million Instagram followers. He was a standout on Hannah Brown’s season (24), after loudly and proudly getting it on four times in a windmill. But his season got messy real quick, and fans turned on him when he pulled an Arie Jr. moment and dumped his pick, Hannah Ann Sluss, for his runner-up (who broke up with HIM), Madison Prewett.
Then his mom bad-mouthed Hannah on live TV, and Peter did…nothing. The two broke up a week or two later, and he then began dating Kelley Flanagan, who was the 5th runner-up on his season. Their relationship was on-again-off-again until she finally ended things in February 2021 by telling Peter to “get the hell out of my life” and to lose her number. She also mentioned his only interests are Pokemon cards, video games, and partying. He may have a high follower count, but that’s only because people love to follow the drama.
Colton Underwood of Season 23, known for being the (second) virgin Bachelor, famously scaled a fence to escape producers and chase down his final pick, Cassie Randolph. The two dated for a couple of years before ending things—and that’s when it really got messy.
Cassie filed a restraining order against him because he allegedly stalked her and put a tracker on her car. In 2021 he announced that he’s gay, and he has a new show on Netflix where he learns…how…to be…gay. Fans haven't really warmed back up to him despite his recent endeavors.
Meredith Phillips of Season 2 of The Bachelorette got engaged to Ian Mckee at the end of her season. Both the bachelorette and her final suitor ultimately proved underwhelming to audiences, and the relationship didn't last.
Meredith broke up with McKee a year after the show wrapped. She didn’t even bother attending The Bachelorette reunion in 2019.
You may not remember, but at the time, Velvick and another—Jay Overbye—were candidates for the season 6 Bachelor position. The women had to actually vote who would be the bachelor and then compete for the elusive proposal. Velvick proposed to Mary Delgado, and the two of them actually stayed together for five years.
Byron Velvick wasn't totally unpopular when season 5 was airing, but in retrospect, he certainly was one of the more forgettable bachelors. Before The Bachelor, he was a professional angler, and afterward, his fame helped him get a job as a sportscaster.
Jen Schefft was the Bachelorette for season 3 in 2003. Before that, she was a contestant in season 3 of The Bachelor.
Jen Schefft was and yet another disappointment in Bachelor/ette history. During the very first live final rose ceremony, Schefft had chosen Jerry Ferris over John Paul Merritt. Ferris proposed to Schefft, but then she rejected his proposal. Waste of time.
Aaron Buerge was an American banker and businessman before he became a Bachelor. He had a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla and an MBA from Clemson University. As a Bachelor, he was easily one of the most forgettable ones.
Aaron Buerge was not afraid to propose to winner Helene Eksterowicz, but perhaps rushed things a little too quickly. Aaron and Helene ended up breaking up after just several weeks from the ending of the show's second season.
Lorenzo Borghese was the Bachelor for Season 9, but ultimately not a memorable one. Although he was marketed at the time as a prince, he was really from New Jersey, making him one big lie. In truth, he was merely the son of Prince Francesco Marco Luigi Costanzo Borghese.
Borghese chose Jennifer Wilson as the winner but did not propose. They began a relationship that ended up only lasting a few months or so. Then he ended up choosing the runner-up Sadie Murray off-camera, but that relationship, too, was short-lived.
Brad Womack was a bar owner and entrepreneur that everyone wanted to love. He appeared as the Bachelor not once, but twice in seasons 11 and 15. So, why is he so low in the ranking, you may ask?
Although not proposing to someone after two months would be understandable in the real world, it’s practically a crime in Bachelor Nation. Fans turned on him when he didn’t propose in 2007—so they gave him a chance to win back the audience by being the Bachelor again in 2011. He ended up proposing to Emily Maynard, who went on to be the Bachelorette when the couple broke up three months later. Obviously, she's higher up on this list than he is...
No one remembered who Arie Luyendyk Jr. was when he was picked as the Season 22 Bachelor—mostly because he hadn’t been on the show in six years, since he came in 2nd on Emily Maynard’s season. His season was a snore-fest up until the finale, when he dumped his final pick, Becca Kufrin, and ran off with the runner-up, Lauren Burnham.
Fans were infuriated, but his relationship has stood the test of time—he and wife Lauren now have three children together, including twins, so Bachelor Nation has warmed back up somewhat since their public exile.
Jake Pavelka is a pilot, actor, model, and the Bachelor for season 14. He was pretty likable and had everything going for him until…
Fans turned on him when he picked the villain of his season, Vienna Girardi. But they broke up soon after, and on After the Final Rose, they screamed at each other for two hours.
Ben Flajnik, a winemaker, was the Bachelor for season 16. As with Pavelka, Fans turned on him for choosing the show’s villain (they infamously went skinny dipping)—but they broke up while the show was still airing because he saw how awful she was to the other women in the house.
However, the couple later reconciled and got engaged for a second time. They broke up once again in October 2012 for good this time.
Chris Soules, the Bachelor for season 19, was a fan favorite with a reputation for just being a nice country boy. He ended up proposing at the end of his season, to everyone's excitement, and his season gave us some Bachelor Nation favorites, like Kaitlyn Bristowe, Ashley Iaconetti, Jade Roper, Carly Waddell, and Becca Tilley.
But Soules's popularity took a dark turn after the show, after his fatal hit-and-run in 2017. He ended up getting two years probation. Then he went on to date Victoria Fuller, the villain from Peter Weber's season, after he reportedly slid into her DMs (as he's allegedly done with many other members of Bachelor Nation). So yeah, his popularity hasn't really ever recovered.
Jason Mesnick was season 13's Bachelor, and before that, he was the runner-up on Season 4 of The Bachelorette. He proposed to the winner Melissa Rycroft, but the engagement didn't last.
Jason Mesnick walked so Arie Luyendyk Jr. could run. He was the first Bachelor to dump his pick and get back together with the runner-up—except he waited until they were live on After the Final Rose to do it. Fans obviously turned on him, but like Luyendyk Jr., his marriage has ultimately stood the test of time.
In season 4 of The Bachelorette, Pappas chose Jesse Csincsa. Their wedding had been set for May 2009, but they broke up in November 2008.
She now has a lifestyle blog and is married to Stephen Stagliano, brother of Michael Stagliano, from season 5 of The Bachelorette.
Matt Grant from Season 12 was a financier and business development manager, which wouldn't make him stand out much if it weren't for the fact that he had a British accent that instantly made him more appealing.
Matt Grant ended up proposing to Shayne Lamas, but they broke up in July 2008, following the end of the season in May. He later went on to publicly bash her, which fans didn't take too kindly to.
The premiere of Bob Guiney's season (4) of The Bachelor was the most-watched in the entire franchise, with a whopping 18.62 million viewers. Why? Because he was the first Bachelor to appear as a contestant on The Bachelorette, so the audience had already developed a relationship with him. Clearly, this is a success they've tried to replicate every single season since.
Bob Guiney did not end up proposing to winner Estella Gardinier, but that doesn't mean he was uninterested in her. Instead of an engagement ring, he offered a promise ring, which Estella accepted. The relationship was short-lived (as is every relationship that involves a promise ring).
Andrew Firestone was another American businessman who grew up in a family of businessmen, generation after generation. As you might have guessed, he's the great-grandson of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company founder Harvey Firestone.
While business may be in his blood – love, not so much. Although he ended up proposing to Jen Schefft in Season 3, the two of them broke up after several months.
Standing out from the businessmen who came before him, Jesse Palmer was a Canadian quarterback in the NFL. He played for both the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers. After The Bachelor elevated his fame, he became a sports commentator.
Jesse Palmer did not end up proposing to Season 4's winner, Jessica Bowlin. They broke up after several weeks, which is a real shame, but what can you do?
Andrew Baldwin was the 10th Bachelor and a man of many trades. He was a naval officer, ironman triathlete, physician, and humanitarian. Unlike some of the Bachelors on the show, Baldwin was very respectful toward the women—which didn't make for the most exciting hour of television, but it was still a nice change of pace.
Under the tagline: "An Officer and a Gentleman," season 10 was still somewhat interesting to watch—and it actually ended with a proposal. Baldwin proposed to Tessa Horst. And though they broke off the engagement after a month, they continued the relationship until breaking it off officially in 2007.
In Season 8 of The Bachelorette, Emily Maynard chose Jef Holm as her pick. There was a proposal, but the relationship ended just a few months later after the finale.
Today, Emily has about 650k followers on Instagram (despite using heavy filters with blue undertones) and remains one of the more beloved leads. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, who is not her pick from the show, and she has four children.
In 2006, Travis Lane Stork was the Season 8 Bachelor—but would later rebrand as a daytime talk show host for the program The Doctors, which ran from 2008 to 2020. But before his television gigs, he was an emergency physician.
The winner for Season 8 was Sarah Stone, who Stork did not propose to. They did begin a relationship, but it ended shortly after the show ended, making it a made-for-TV love story, almost exclusively.
Season 6 Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky, now Ali Manno, did not marry her pick, Roberto Martinez. They got engaged but broke up a year later. She is now happily married to radio personality Kevin Manno, and they have two children together.
Ali went on to be an entertainment reporter on E! News for several years and co-hosted Bachelor Happy Hour with Rachel Lindsay for a while, before leaving due to a battle with skin cancer. She has 1 million followers on Instagram.
Charlie O'Connell, the Bachelor for Season 7, is an actor and the older brother of fellow actor Jerry O'Connell (although not quite as successful., clearly) The season had a noticeably different tone, taking itself far less seriously than previous seasons, with plenty of drama, alcohol, and other antics—which set the tone for future seasons.
Sarah Brice was the winner that season, but O'Connell did not propose. They did have a relationship, however, that was on and off again, but they broke up for good in 2010.
Ashley Hebert from Season 7 married her pick, JP Rosenbaum, in a televised wedding in 2012. Sadly, they announced they were splitting in October 2020.
She has 330k Instagram followers despite mostly leaving the spotlight.
Clare Crawley has 1 million followers on Instagram, showing just how popular she remains. She left the show with Dale Moss just four episodes in. They got engaged, then broke up a couple of months after the season aired. Then they got back together, only to break up again in September 2021.
People were initially excited about Clare being named The Bachelorette because the contestants have gotten progressively younger, and she was 38 during her season. But once it aired fans quickly turned against Clare and said she was too thirsty, too demanding—and of course, they criticized her when she cut her time on The Bachelorette short to leave with Dale.
Trista Rehn, now Trista Sutter, from Season 1 is the OG Bachelorette, a physical therapist, and dancer. Trista also competed—and won—on the first season of Dancing With the Stars. Tristaa and Ryan Sutter were married on December 6, 2003 on national television.
Trista and Ryan are still married, and they are the first Bachelor franchise couple to actually tie the knot. They have two kids, and she has about 350k followers on Instagram.
Hannah Brown has among the highest follower counts on Instagram with 2.6 million, and her season WAS popular. Fans praised her for telling off a contestant who shamed her for having sex on the Fantasy Suite dates. She even went on to win Dancing With the Stars—the season just before Kaitlyn Bristowe also took home the Mirrorball Trophy!
But in the summer of 2020, she came under fire for accidentally saying the n-word on Instagram Live. She took several weeks to work with an anti-racism coach and put out a heartfelt apology, but she’s mostly stayed out of the spotlight since.
Desiree Hartsock, now Desiree Siegfried, was the Season 9 Bachelorette. She's still quite popular; she has 530k followers on Instagram, in fact. She started off as a contestant in Season 17 of The Bachelor.
Desiree married her pick, Chris Siegfried, in 2015, and they’re still together. They have two kids together. She now has a podcast and a bridal line.
Fans fell in love with Season 10 Bachelorette Andi Dorfman when she told off Juan Pablo and left his season of her own accord. She’s not known for mincing words. Andi got engaged to her pick, Josh Murray, whom she later described in her debut book as "controlling." Her runner-up, Nick Viall, went on to compete on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season, and came in 2nd there too, before becoming The Bachelor in Season 21.
Andi currently has 1 million followers on Instagram. She's a two-time New York Times Bestselling author, and is still a single gal living in NYC.
Jillian Harris of Season 5 of The Bachelorette now co-hosts HGTV’s Love It or List It Vancouver. She also has 1.3 million followers on Instagram.
Jillian Harris had chosen Ed Swiderski, but dumped him after about a year. She got back together with an ex, and they're still together; they have two kids.
Michelle Young will be the Season 18 lead of The Bachelorette. She has about 517k followers (which will only increase once her season airs). She's also the second Bachelorette to come from Matt James’s season as the runner-up.
Young's season will air after Katie Thurston’s, and will be co-hosted by Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams, who are standing in the place of Chris Harrison. He is on a leave of absence after making controversial, racially charged statements in defense of past contestant Rachael Kirkconnell (which we'll get to in just a second).
Katie Thurston will be the season 17 lead for The Bachelorette. She has been a new Bachelor Nation favorite ever since she showed up at the Bachelor Mansion for Matt James’s season and made quite the buzz with a vibrator.
She also single-handedly took down the mean girls on her season. People are excited to see her season, and we're hoping she’ll be Kaitlyn Bristowe 2.0. She has about 1 million followers.
Becca Kufrin was the pick on Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s season of The Bachelor, until he dumped her for his now-wife, Lauren Luyendyk. To right his wrong, they made her The Bachelorette on season 14. She picked Garrett Yrigoyen, who came under fire for liking a bunch of controversial, alt-right memes.
They eventually broke up in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, because while everyone else was posting black squares, he made a post on Instagram to “back the blue”. She currently co-hosts the official Bachelor podcast, Bachelor Happy Hour. She took Ali Fedotowsky’s place after she left and co-hosted with Rachel Lindsay, who also just left. She 1.2 million Instagram followers.
The Bachelor franchise’s first-ever (and only) Black Bachelor. He had never been on the show, unlike the other leads; he was BFFs with a couple of Bachelor Nation favorites, Hannah Brown and Tyler Cameron.
When season 25 aired it was revealed that his pick, Rachael Kirkconnell, attended an antebellum plantation-themed party in 2018. He broke up with her because he wanted her to educate herself on anti-racism; they’ve since gotten back together and are working on their relationship. Matt has 935k followers on Instagram.
Ben Higgins is easily one of the most popular bachelors. He currently has 1.2 million Instagram followers. His season 20 tagline was, “The Perfect Ben.” Famously, told the two finalists that he loved them both.
His engagement to his pick, Lauren, ended because she couldn’t get over his relationship with JoJo (who went on to be The Bachelorette in season 12). He’s since gotten engaged to someone outside of Bachelor Nation and continues to co-host his podcast, The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast.
Rachel Lindsay is the The Bachelor franchise’s first-ever Black Bachelorette. She took the lead on Season 13, and she’s still married to her pick, Bryan Abasolo. She also co-hosted the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast with Becca Kufrin up until the spring of 2021, after 100 episodes, at which point she said her “time in Bachelor Nation is limited.”
She’s known for being pretty much the only person in Bachelor Nation to hold people accountable for the show’s lack of diversity, but has grown understandably tired of her role after the aftermath of Matt James’s season. She has 952k Instagram followers.
Nick Viall is a Bachelor with a redemption arc; he hands-down wins the award for the most improved. He went from being the villain fans despised on Andi Dorfman’s season and Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season (both of which he landed in 2nd place), to the most popular contestant on Bachelor in Paradise. He was so popular that they named him the next Bachelor.
He got engaged to his pick, Vanessa Grimaldi, but they quickly broke up after his stint on Dancing With the Stars. He now has his own podcast, The Viall Files, and continues to be one of the more popular members of Bachelor Nation. Still single. 1.1 million Instagram followers.
Sean Lowe of season 17—and the first self-pronounced virgin Bachelor—proposed to Catherine Giudici, and the two got married on January 26, 2014. Sean and Catherine are still married, and they have three kids together.
He’s also the only Bachelor to actually marry his pick. He’s one of Bachelor Nation’s favorites to follow on Twitter, as he live-tweets and pokes fun at contestants. He has 1.3 million Instagram followers.
Tayshia Adams took over Season 16 of The Bachelorette after Clare Crawley left early, and is still engaged to her pick, Zac Clark. She has been a Bachelor Nation favorite ever since she was on Colton Underwood’s season. She has about 1.8 million followers on Instagram.
Now she will be co-hosting Katie Thurston and Michelle Young's seasons of The Bachelorette, along with Kaitlyn Bristowe, in place of Chris Harrison. Fans are excited to see the girl power!
Kaitlyn Bristowe, The Bachelorette for Season 11, is known for being funny, sassy, and unfiltered—and for breaking all The Bachelor rules, including sleeping with Nick Viall before the Fantasy Suite dates. She broke up with her pick, Shawn Booth, three years after the show, and is now engaged to Jason Tartick, who was a finalist on Becca Kufrin’s season.
Jason recently proposed to Kaitlyn on her podcast, Off the Vine, which is where they originally met. She has the podcast, a wine label, a scrunchie line, and she won Season 29 of Dancing With the Stars. She also had a single reach No. 2 on the Billboard charts in 2020. She has about 1.9 million followers on Instagram and a Facebook group with 29.6k members.
JoJo Fletcher, the Season 12 Bachelorette, has 2.3 million followers on Instagram. She's still engaged to her pick, Jordan Rogers, who is the brother of quarterback Aaron Rogers. They recently pushed their wedding back (for about the millionth time) to 2022. They’ve been engaged since 2016!
The couple has gotten into house flipping in recent years and hosted the show Cash Pad on CNBC. They’ve since signed on to co-host several other reality TV shows, and JoJo has popped in to fill in for Chris Harrison on The Bachelor every now and then.
