- "The Bachelor" is about to kick off its 26th season, starring Clayton Echard.
- In honor of Echard's season, we've ranked every star of "The Bachelor."
- The ranking is based on likability, quality of contestants, and entertainment value of each season.
24. Juan Pablo Galavis, season 18
Could this have been anyone else? While many were initially delighted when Galavis was announced as the first Latino Bachelor back in 2013, things quickly deteriorated. Two weeks into the broadcast of his season, Galavis upset many when he stated that he believed that there shouldn't be a gay or bisexual Bachelor, though he later apologized and claimed his words were taken out of context.
Galavis was also patronizing towards his contestants, repeatedly brushing off any of their concerns by saying "It's okay." Andi Dorfman, future star of "The Bachelorette," left the show after Fantasy Suites, claiming that she "want[ed] to die" if she had to hear him say "it's okay" again.
The season ended with runner-up (and future Bachelorette) Clare Crawley telling Galavis off because she felt that he had lead her on, and ended with her telling him "I would never want my children having a father like you." Galavis' reply? "I'm glad I didn't pick her."
To top it all off, Galavis didn't even propose at the end of the season, instead offering winner Nikki Ferrell a final rose — the two broke up soon after.
23. Jake Pavelka, season 14
Pavelka's fall from grace is still astounding 10 years later. The pilot's season, subtitled "On the Wings of Love," was highly anticipated since he was a fan-favorite on his season of "The Bachelorette."
However, Bachelor Nation turned on him when he picked the season's villain, Vienna Girardi.
The couple broke up not long after the show wrapped, putting fans through an excruciatingly uncomfortable break-up special, in which Girardi sobbed and called Pavelka emotionally abusive, while he screamed at her to stop interrupting him.
22. Arie Luyendyk, Jr., season 22
Things started off rocky for Luyendyk when he was announced Bachelor, as his pick was met with a resounding "who?" The race car driver hadn't appeared on the franchise in six years, since his break-up with then-Bachelorette Emily Maynard. Plus, Bachelor Nation had been hoping that Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay's runner-up Peter Kraus would be named the new Bachelor.
It was only downhill from there. Fans frequently complained about how boring Arie — and thus the season — was, and how it was unclear what Luyendyk actually wanted.
But, of course, nothing will top the finale, in which painfully raw, unedited footage showed Luyendyk dumping his distraught winner and fiancée, future-Bachelorette Becca Kufrin, so he could reunite with runner-up Lauren Burnham. Though this wasn't the first time this happened — more on that later — it made Luyendyk persona non grata to Bachelor Nation, and even got him banned from Kufrin's home state of Minnesota.
21. Peter Weber, season 24
Ranked just above the other pilot in "Bachelor" history, Weber's season was, simply put, excruciating to watch. From his inability to mediate conflict, to his tendency to reward drama, to his main requirement of his future wife being "someone who wants me," it was frustrating, annoying, and sometimes boring to watch his season.
The other requirement of a good season, the contestants, also let us down. There wasn't even a good enough candidate to pick for this season's "Bachelorette" — they had to take a trip down memory lane to 2014. All of the women seemed catty, which is not what you want. There was no one to root for!
Yes, the two-part finale was riveting television, but that was in spite of Weber, not because of him. It was empowering to see his ex-fiancée Hannah Ann Sluss tell him off, and jaw-dropping to see his mom's open disdain of his other choice, Madison Prewett. Weber himself didn't really do much of anything — and that's the hallmark of a bad Bachelor.
20. Byron Velvick, season 6
Velvick's main crime is being forgettable, made worse because he was the star of an objectively important season. It was the first time the contestants were given a choice between two Bachelors, a gimmick that would later be used on "The Bachelorette."
Velvick, a professional bass fisherman, was chosen over Jay Overbye, a realtor, back in 2004. He ended up proposing to former football cheerleader Mary Delgado. The two were together for a few years, but their relationship ended in 2009 — after five years and Delgado getting arrested for allegedly punching Velvick in the face.
19. Lorenzo Borghese, season 9
In 2006, Borghese was marketed as an Italian prince, but he technically doesn't have a title — his father's the real prince — plus he grew up in Short Hills, New Jersey.
While his season was interesting to watch — it was filmed in Rome, Italy — it felt too gimmicky to have a "prince" as Bachelor, and Borghese wasn't very compelling. Essentially, he was another forgettable lead.
Borghese chose Jennifer Wilson at the end of the season, but didn't propose. Instead, he offered her a "family ring," and the two dated for a few months before breaking up. Borghese then began dating runner-up Sadie Murray, but they fizzled out as well.
18. Aaron Buerge, season 2
Buerge was another perfectly nice, yet forgettable Bachelor. To become a highly-ranked Bachelor, one must be more than just nice.
Buerge, a banker, searched for love on reality television in 2002. He chose Helene Eksterowicz and proposed to her, but they called off their engagement only a few weeks after the show aired.
17. Matt Grant, season 12
Grant's British accent bumped him up a few slots. When he became the Bachelor in 2008 he was the first lead from outside of North America, which made him very exciting. But his season wasn't as thrilling as it should've been — there was no real drama until after the season wrapped, when he and the winner Shayne Lamas broke up.
Grant openly regretted picking Lamas, saying "Did I find true love on the show? Um, no. Not one little bit. I proposed to a woman who was about a foot and a half shorter than me, who had nothing in common with me, and thought there were palm trees in London. Did I make a mistake? Yes. Did I look like an idiot? Yes. Do I regret it? A little bit." Yikes. Being rude about your winner rarely makes you more likable.
16. Travis Lane Stork, season 8
Stork is now best known for hosting the syndicated morning talk show, "The Doctors." The fact that he was able to successfully re-brand himself as a TV doctor can only mean one thing: He was the star of a very uneventful season of "The Bachelor."
Stork appeared on the show in 2006, and didn't end up proposing to his final contestant, Sarah Stone. Instead, the two began a short-lived relationship, and the handsome doctor began hosting his show two years later.
15. Charlie O'Connell, season 7
O'Connell's season in 2005 seemed to be when the show's producers realized that adding copious amounts of alcohol, while potentially dangerous and definitely problematic, made for entertaining reality TV.
It's the year "The Bachelor" stopped taking itself so seriously, and the season began with body shots and plenty of making out, which is essentially what makes spin-off "Bachelor in Paradise" so much fun to watch.
O'Connell, older brother of actor Jerry O'Connell, proposed to Sarah Brice, and the couple were on-and-off until 2010, when they called it quits for good.
14. Matt James, season 25
It was always going to be an uphill battle for James, who was not only the first Black Bachelor, but also the first lead in over a decade who hadn't come from a previous season of "The Bachelorette." It meant many audiences didn't have much of a connection with him, unless they were avid followers of Tyler Cameron.
Season 25, more than anything, seemed designed to psychologically torture the women — first, by keeping them stuck at Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania; second, by adding five new women a few weeks in, which sent them all into a tailspin and led to accusations of bullying and the shaming of sex workers; and third, by having one of the all-time worst contestants in history: Queen Victoria.
Add that to the whole controversy with James' eventual winner, Rachael Kirkconnell, and how Chris Harrison's defense of her led to him getting ousted from the show, and it's a wonder this season holds together at all. It's a testament to how naturally likable James is.
13. Ben Flajnik, season 16
Flajnik, a winemaker and owner of Envolve wines, was well-liked, but a bit clueless. He ended his 2012 season by committing the faux pas of picking the season's villain, Courtney Robertson.
Viewers were frustrated week after week when Flajnik turned a blind eye to Robertson's rude behavior towards other contestants, instead focusing only on the way she acted towards him. But Flajnik and Robertson will be best remembered for their midnight skinny dipping in the ocean, which remains a huge deal in Bachelor Nation to this day.
Flajnik proposed to Robertson, but the couple didn't last long. In fact, they broke up while the season was still airing due to Robertson's villainy. While they briefly reunited for "After the Final Rose," they ended things for good only a few months later.
12. Alex Michel, season 1
The very first Bachelor ranks smack in the middle of the show's list of eligible men. Michel was plucked from obscurity in 2002 to become the now mega-franchise's guinea pig. He seemed like a genuine catch; the businessman graduated from both Harvard and Stanford.
However, his season was hampered by its short length — it was only a month long — and viewers didn't get the chance to know him that well.
Michel didn't propose to his winner, Amanda Marsh, and the couple broke up after a year of dating. Since the show, Michel has stayed off the grid instead of becoming an influencer like other "Bachelor" alumni, suggesting that he was probably there for the right reasons.
11. Andy Baldwin, season 10
Baldwin was a real get for the show. He was an actual US Naval Officer, (the "Bachelor" franchise loves the armed forces), which led to his season getting subtitled "An Officer and a Gentleman," and he genuinely treated the contestants with respect. These two things almost earned him a "Bachelor" top 10 placement.
Baldwin proposed to Tessa Horst in the 2007 finale, but they called off their engagement only a few weeks later. They continued to date, but broke up for good in September of that year.
10. Jesse Palmer, season 5
Palmer cracks the top 10 for his longevity. The former New York Giants quarterback appeared as Bachelor in 2004, and returned to the ABC family in 2018 to host an even shorter version of "The Bachelor," called "The Proposal," in which 10 women participate in a beauty pageant of sorts before getting proposed to.
And now, he's the new host of "The Bachelor" starting in 2022.
Palmer is also responsible for one of the most iconic "Bachelor" moments of all time, when he accidentally said the wrong woman's name at a rose ceremony before legitimately fleeing the room upon realizing this mistake. It's always fun to peek behind the curtain of "The Bachelor," and it was a truly human moment — who can actually remember the names of 30 identical women after pulling an all-nighter?
Lastly, Palmer pulled a never-before-seen and never-again-attempted move — he made one of his married friends go undercover as a contestant in order to gain intel and spill secrets about what the ladies are like without him around.
Palmer ended up asking Jessica Bowlin to continue dating, instead of proposing. They broke up shortly after.
9. Nick Viall, season 21
Viall earned his spot on this list, after appearing on not one, not two, but three "Bachelor" shows. He was runner-up on both Andi Dorfman and Kaitlyn Bristowe's seasons of "The Bachelorette," and almost proposed to Jen Saviano on the third season of "Bachelor in Paradise."
Although Viall wasn't a fan-favorite when he was announced as the next Bachelor in 2016, Viall's season was definitely entertaining. It also introduced us to "Bachelor" favorites like Raven Gates, future "Bachelorette" lead Rachel Lindsay, and, of course, Corinne Olympios.
Though this might annoy some viewers, it can be endearing when the lead has a clear favorite from day one, and Viall's eventual winner Vanessa Grimaldi was the obvious frontrunner for most of the season. The two got engaged, but broke things off a few months after the show.
8. Bob Guiney, season 4
Guiney's 2003 season introduced viewers to the now-standard formula of picking a Bachelor from the cast-offs of a previous season of "The Bachelorette." He was eliminated during the first-ever season of "The Bachelorette" by Trista Rehn.
Guiney stands out because the viewers already had a relationship with him, and he was legitimately funny.
His season is also the most-watched season premiere in the franchise's history, with 18.62 million viewers.
Guiney didn't propose with an engagement ring, but did offer a promise ring to winner Estella Gardinier. They broke up a month after the show ended.
7. Brad Womack, seasons 11 and 15
Womack pulled the ultimate no-no at the end of his first season of "The Bachelor" in 2007 when he didn't choose a winner. While this would probably be considered an emotionally mature decision in real life, he was demonized by Bachelor Nation.
However, he also has one of the greatest comeback stories in the franchise's history. In an unprecedented move, he was re-named the Bachelor four years later, in 2011, and vowed to find love for real this time. Even though he did get slapped along the way, Womack proposed to Emily Maynard, an all-time Bachelor Nation favorite.
But, unfortunately, the couple broke off their engagement three months after the show aired. Maynard was named Bachelorette in 2012.
6. Jason Mesnick, season 13
The fact that Mesnick made the top six in this ranking, despite essentially doing the same thing to his top two finalists as Arie Luyendyk, just nine years earlier in 2009, is a real testament to his likability.
Mesnick, a single dad, was beloved throughout DeAnna Pappas' season of "The Bachelorette," and his own season of "The Bachelor. " However, during the "After the Final Rose" special he blindsided his original winner, Melissa Rycroft, by breaking up with her on live television, then immediately asked runner-up Molly Malaney to get back together.
This turned Mesnick into public enemy number one ... but also made for incredible TV. Plus, Mesnick and Malaney are married with a daughter, making them one of four couples from "The Bachelor" to stay together.
5. Andrew Firestone, season 3
Firestone is the epitome of what the star of "The Bachelor" should be: handsome, wealthy, and just cheesy enough to sell the ridiculous premise of "The Bachelor."
A solidly good guy, complete with millions of dollars as the heir to Firestone tires as well as his own family-owned vineyard — that is a Bachelor we can all get on board with.
Firestone proposed to Jen Schefft at the end of his 2003 season. They broke up seven months later, in December.
4. Colton Underwood, season 23
After a rocky journey on "Bachelor in Paradise," Underwood took the reins and became the star of "The Bachelor" season 23.
Let's cut to the chase: Underwood ranks this high because of one single, shining moment — the fence jump. After being so distraught and heartbroken by frontrunner Cassie Randolph's decision to leave him, Underwood ripped off his mic and fled into the inky black Portuguese night.
Audiences had never seen the curtain ripped this far back on "The Bachelor," and they loved it. Underwood earned this high spot, with his tears, and incredible jumping ability.
In 2021, knowing what we know about Underwood's alleged stalking of his ex-girlfriend Randolph and the subsequent restraining order — and, obviously, the fact that he's gay — the fence jump has aged incredibly poorly. But the original effect it had at the time on reality TV and "The Bachelor" cannot be overstated.
3. Chris Soules, season 19
Excluding his more recent legal troubles due to a hit-and-run, Soules is a top three Bachelor because he somehow convinced every female viewer that she wanted to ditch her family, friends, and job to move to his farm in Iowa.
After appearing on Andi Dorfman's season of "The Bachelorette" and gaining legions of fans during his time there, he became the franchise's next star in 2015.
While Soules was a perfectly fine Bachelor, the real stars were his contestants. No "Bachelor" fan will ever forget Kelsey's "amazing love story," in which she essentially used her husband's death to get closer to Soules, or when she was accused of faking a panic attack to stay in the house. Soules' season also introduced Bachelor Nation to franchise staples Ashley Iaconetti, future Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe, Jade Roper, Carly Waddell, and Becca Tilley.
Soules proposed to Whitney Bischoff, and the two stayed together for almost seven months before splitting.
2. Ben Higgins, season 20
This is a final two we'd have a hard time choosing between, but the runner-up is our 2016 Bachelor, Ben Higgins. After becoming hugely popular on Kaitlyn Bristowe's season of "The Bachelorette," picking Higgins was an easy choice for producers.
While some people may call him boring, we disagree, though he did commit one of the cardinal sins of the show: he told the final two that he loved them both! This was a huge source of drama that even carried over into his spin-off show with winner Lauren Bushnell,"Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After?" (The fact that he even received a spin-off show should tell you a lot about how much he was loved by fans.)
The two eventually broke up after a year-long engagement.
His season also included one of the greatest eliminations from a two-on-one date in "Bachelor" history, as Higgins left villain Olivia Caridi behind on a deserted island.
And again, his contestants were great, including future Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher, "Bachelor in Paradise" staple Amanda Stanton, the twins, and Lace Morris.
1. Sean Lowe, season 17
Really, who else could No. 1 be? Lowe is, to date, the only Bachelor to ever marry his original winner — sorry Arie and Jason — and the couple are still going strong in 2021, eight years later.
Lowe, the original virgin Bachelor, was funny, charismatic, and seemed like a guy genuinely looking for love after getting his heart broken by Emily Maynard on "The Bachelorette."
His season was truly a nail-biter. Lowe's choice came right down to the wire, and he shocked many when he got down on one knee and proposed to Catherine Giudici.
But flash-forward a few years, and the couple are happily married with three kids. Clearly, Lowe knew something that the rest of us simply did not.
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