The Bachelor became a cultural phenomenon quickly when it first aired in early 2002, giving viewers a courtside view of fairytale romance. While there had been dating reality TV shows in the past, nothing like The Bachelor had ever existed before. The idea of one man choosing from a pool of 20 to 30 women was beyond belief, and seeing it all happen as cameras looked on, filming everything for a television show was unheard of. Still, when The Bachelor premiered, no one could look away. The audience was quickly captivated by the series, and before long, it became appointment television week after week as the story unfolded.
For the early seasons of The Bachelor, the fame and notoriety that came with being the lead weren’t as lucrative as it is now. Many felt ashamed of their turn as The Bachelor since reality TV wasn’t as commonplace in the early 2000s, and it was at times difficult to return to “normal” life afterward. As the popularity surrounding the show and its various spin-offs rose, that shame melted away, and the leads of the series typically became overnight celebrities. Now, after 27 seasons, there have been some tremendous leads and some who fade into the background.
26 Andrew Baldwin: The Bachelor Season 10
Andy Baldwin was the star of The Bachelor season 10, which was also called The Bachelor: Officer And A Gentleman, due to Andy’s military career. While he was a fairly decorated lead, Andy didn’t seem to be very open about his plans or his feelings. He proposed to Tessa Horst on the series, but the couple broke up a few months later while Andy was deployed overseas. While it wasn’t a disastrous season, Andy’s one of the least memorable Bachelor leads, earning him the bottom-ranked spot.
25 Brad Womack: The Bachelor Season 11 & The Bachelor Season 15
Though Brad Womack was a memorable Bachelor, it certainly wasn’t for the right reasons. After leaving The Bachelor season 11 as a single man because he wasn’t interested in either of his finalists, Brad returned for a second chance as the lead for The Bachelor season 15. The choice was incredibly controversial at the time, as Brad was hated among Bachelor Nation for the way he dismissed the women from his initial season. Brad proposed to eventual Bachelorette Emily Maynard during his second season, but the couple didn’t work out.
24 Chris Soules: The Bachelor Season 19
Chris Soules was advertised as a humble farmer during his turn as The Bachelor. After appearing on Andi Dorfman’s season of The Bachelorette and becoming an overnight sensation, Chris was cast as The Bachelor for season 19. He got engaged to Whitney Bischoff during his season, which focused on his life in Iowa. After his time as The Bachelor, Chris got into some legal troubles and was ultimately charged with a felony after leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in the death of another driver.
23 Matt Grant: The Bachelor Season 12
Matt Grant was the first Bachelor who wasn’t an American citizen, which was a huge move for the series. The Bachelor: London Calling showed off Matt’s British roots as dozens of American women were vying for his affection. Ultimately, though Matt was charming, he didn’t appeal to the American sensibility of the time. He ultimately got engaged to Shayne Lamas during his season, but the pair broke up quickly after, and Matt faded into oblivion.
22 Lorenzo Borghese: The Bachelor Season 9
Lorenzo Borghese was an Italian American citizen who had grown up in New Jersey for the majority of his life but gave off an international air. The mystery surrounding Lorenzo during his season of The Bachelor quickly faded, and it was clear that he was not fully committed to the process of finding love on TV. The appeal of Lorenzo was that he was literally Italian nobility, with ties back to the thirteenth century. Lorenzo didn’t propose to his final rose recipient Jennifer Wilson, but the two dated and eventually broke up.
21 Clayton Echard: The Bachelor Season 26
One of the most recent leads, Clayton Echard, was originally featured on Michelle Young’s season of The Bachelorette. His underdog spirit and air of innocence led him to become the lead of his own season, which was interesting, but ultimately left viewers feeling underwhelmed. Clayton wound up offering his final rose to Susie Evans, but she rejected him at first. During the time between the end of the season and the After The Final Rose special, Clayton and Susie got back together. The couple broke up just a few months into their relationship but remain friendly.
20 Byron Velvick: The Bachelor Season 6
Byron Velvick was an interesting lead for The Bachelor, though not entirely memorable. Byron was the first Bachelor to start the season with two potential leads. Byron and Jay Overbye were both allowed to be the lead of The Bachelor season 6, but Byron was ultimately chosen by the women and became the lead. Byron’s season was fairly standard, but the aftermath was more dramatic than most. After five years with his final rose recipient, Mary Delgado, Byron filed assault charges against Mary and the two broke off their engagement. The legal troubles were settled out of court.
19 Juan Pablo Galavis: The Bachelor Season 18
Juan Pablo Galavis was one of the most polarizing Bachelor leads. After making a splash on Desiree Siegfried’s season of The Bachelorette, Juan Pablo was cast as the first-ever minority lead of The Bachelor. With big shoes to fill, Juan Pablo’s turn as the lead fell flat. His overall attitude and lack of interest in the women on his season were difficult to watch, and the aftermath of his season with Nikki Ferrell was a media frenzy. Though Juan Pablo wasn’t the best Bachelor, he did introduce the franchise to Andi, which ranks him a bit higher.
18 Zach Shallcross: The Bachelor Season 27
As the most recent lead of The Bachelor, Zach Shallcross had some huge shoes to fill. While Zach was an underdog during The Bachelorette season 19, viewers didn’t seem as interested in seeing his journey as the lead. Still, Zach’s season wasn’t full of controversy and ultimately ended on a high note for him. He is currently still engaged to his final rose recipient Kaity Biggar and seems happy to be a part of Bachelor Nation.
17 Charlie O’Connell: The Bachelor Season 7
During a more notable time in Bachelor history, Charlie O’Connell was the first quasi-famous lead for the franchise. An actor in his own right, Charlie is the brother of the more famous Jerry O’Connell, who’s notably a reality TV buff. Charlie was an interesting lead but not entirely memorable. He seemed to be participating in the show in order to boost his career more than to find love, but his turn as The Bachelor didn’t really achieve either goal.
16 Colton Underwood: The Bachelor Season 23
Colton Underwood is the first to come out as gay after starring on The Bachelor, which makes him tremendously notable. Though Colton’s season wasn’t successful for him in terms of finding a partner, he did make some interesting connections with his contestants, and the viewers found him endearing. Though things have changed in nearly every facet of Colton’s life since his time as The Bachelor, his charismatic energy still seems to be the same outside the series.
15 Andrew Firestone: The Bachelor Season 3
​​​​​​​As an early lead on The Bachelor, Andrew Firestone isn’t exactly the most memorable, but he had a memorable name. His time as The Bachelor didn’t lead to a lasting relationship. Still, some recall that he was the heir to the Firestone fortune, which made him a great pick for the series. After following in the footsteps of the original Bachelor leads Alex Michel and Aaron Buerge, Andrew proposed to eventual Bachelorette star Jen Schefft, but the pair broke up quickly after.
14 Jake Pavelka: The Bachelor Season 14
Jake Pavelka was one of the most notable Bachelor stars in an interesting time for the series. A pilot, Jake’s season was dubbed The Bachelor: On The Wings Of Love and aired in 2010. Jake eventually got engaged to Vienna Girardi at the end of his season, and the couple’s tumultuous relationship took hold of the public for several months. Though their relationship was short-lived, their breakup felt like it dominated the news for months afterward. The couple publicly feuded for years to come, making the season a hugely memorable one.
13 Ben Flajnik: The Bachelor Season 16
Ben Flajnik was a fan favorite during The Bachelorette season 7 and was ultimately asked to be the lead for The Bachelor season 16 because of his popularity. While Ben’s season wasn’t exactly the most memorable, his relationship with his final rose recipient, Courtney Robertson, was followed heavily by the media after the season finished. Though Ben isn’t as memorable as some other Bachelor leads, the season was one of the more interesting from the time, and his relationship with Courtney, which was on and off, is worth the watch.
12 Jesse Palmer: The Bachelor Season 5
Now the host of The Bachelor, Jesse Palmer, became the lead during season 5 near the end of his professional football career. A Canadian, Jesse was the first non-American to be the lead of the series and also committed one of the worst Bachelor offenses for the first time. During an early episode, Jesse called out the wrong name of one of the women he wanted to keep in the running. Apologetic for the blunder, Jesse’s charm helped him out of the tough situation. Though he didn’t find love on The Bachelor, Jesse did eventually come full circle and now hosts the series.
11 Aaron Buerge: The Bachelor Season 2
The second-ever Bachelor, Aaron Buerge, was the first to propose at the end of his season of the show. While his season isn’t quite as memorable as the original, it was interesting to see the changes made between The Bachelor season 1 and season 2. Aaron’s somewhat shy nature made him an interesting Bachelor to watch, and though his season ended with an engagement to Helene Eksterowicz that didn’t last, he still made a compelling lead.
10 Peter Weber: The Bachelor Season 24
Dubbed “Pilot Pete” by viewers, Peter Weber was the lead of The Bachelor season 24 and has become one of the messiest in Bachelor Nation. His season heavily featured his family and their involvement in his relationships, a first for the series. Peter chose to give his final rose to Hannah Ann Sluss, but the pair broke up before the show had even begun airing. During After The Final Rose, Peter admitted to having feelings for his runner-up, Madison Prewett, but the two didn’t pursue a relationship. Instead, Peter began an on-again-off-again relationship with Kelley Flanagan, another woman from his season, for the last several years, which is now over.
9 Arie Luyendyk Jr: The Bachelor Season 22
A fan favorite from his turn on Emily’s season of The Bachelorette, Arie Luyendyk Jr. took years to come around to being the lead of The Bachelor. When he finally decided to step into the role, things were a whirlwind for the former professional driver as he dated through his group of women. Ultimately, he chose to propose to Becca Kufrin but broke things off on camera when he realized he still had feelings for Lauren Burnham. He ultimately proposed to Lauren, who he’s now married to, and shares three kids with.
8 Matt James: The Bachelor Season 25
As the first black Bachelor lead, Matt had a huge amount of pressure sitting on his shoulders throughout his turn as the lead. Though he was being criticized from every angle, Matt navigated his time as The Bachelor with grace. His final rose recipient Rachael Kirkconnell came under fire during the end of The Bachelor season 25 when some racially insensitive posts of hers were brought to light, and Matt ended their relationship before the season’s finale. Matt and Rachael ultimately got back together weeks later and are still together in 2023.
7 Nick Viall: The Bachelor Season 21
Fan favorite Nick Viall appeared on two seasons of The Bachelorette and a season of Bachelor In Paradise before becoming the lead of his own season of The Bachelor. In what felt like a huge moment for the franchise, viewers and production alike were determined to help Nick find real love. He had an array of wonderful women on his season, including future Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, but ultimately chose and proposed to Vanessa Grimaldi. The pair broke up, but Nick eventually met and got engaged to his current partner, Natalie Joy.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
