While The Bachelorette falls for over two dozen men each season, we at home usually ending up falling for her, especially as we root for her journey of love. Over the last 21 seasons, there have been many amazing bachelorettes that have journeyed through love, loss, and a whole lot of drama on our screens.
We’ve just witnessed an incredibly dramatic season with Jenn Tran, the first Asian-American bachelorette, and a brilliant choice. Tran’s season might have had a crop of gorgeous men, but as far as personality goes, nobody was beating the leading lady.
The Bachelorette’s premise is so simple, yet so appealing, that viewers have been tuning in regularly since the show debuted on ABC in 2003. We’ve watched many single women go through the emotional wringer of a series of group and one-on-one dates, hometown visits, and rose ceremonies, all in the name of finding love. Each of the bachelorettes the audience has met thus far has brought something unique to the show, whether it be her personality, career, background, or perspective on love.
15. Clare Crawley (Season 16)
Crawley was the first Bachelorette of season 16, which also featured Tayshia Adams as a leading lady. In episode 4, she controversially decided to send every contestant home as she had already made her choice. She and former wide receiver Dale Moss got engaged rather speedily, which eventually gave room for Adams to steal the show! Love her or hate her, but Crawley certainly knew exactly what she wanted.
14. Desiree Hartsock (Season 9)
Season 9 of The Bachelorette aired in 2013, featuring Desiree Hartsock Siegfried as the main attraction. Desiree was a fan favorite on Sean Lowe’s The Bachelor season and made it to the final four. Her sudden breakup with Sean after a disastrous date in her hometown provided a touching farewell that viewers could empathize with. Desiree experienced highs and lows, love and heartbreak, drama and twists throughout her season. She started with 25 suitors, four of whom—Brooks Forester, Chris Siegfried, Drew Kenney, and Zak Waddell—made it to the end.
13. Ashley Hebert (Season 7)
Ashley Hebert, a fan favorite from Brad Womack’s season of The Bachelor, was the focus of the 2011 season of The Bachelorette. Ashley’s season was most memorable for the emotional roller coaster she went through with contestant Bentley Williams, who played with her feelings but ultimately left the competition early. The experience saddened Ashley, but it helped her to focus on the other men and move forward with more caution and knowledge. Ashley ultimately chose J.P., and the series finale concluded with a romantic proposal in which J.P. confessed to Ashley that he was “madly in love” with her.
12. DeAnna Pappas (Season 4)
Another Bachelorette turned social media influencer, DeAnna Pappas helmed the show at a critical time when fans were still attached to the fairy-tale debut season, and it seemed that no subsequent season could live up to the fantasy. Her bubbly, down-to-earth personality immediately had fans rooting for her.
11. Andi Dorfman (Season 10)
Airing in 2014, season 10 of The Bachelorette featured Andi Dorfman, an associate district attorney from Atlanta, Georgia, who was personable and self-assured. Andi originally appeared on The Bachelor, starring Juan Pablo Galavis, where she made headlines by leaving him after an unpleasant Fantasy Suite date, demonstrating her strong personality and independent character. Her no-nonsense, honest demeanor won over viewers and made her an intriguing bachelorette contender.
10. Becca Kufrin (Season 14)
Twin Cities PR Becca Kufrin rose to fame during Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s season of The Bachelor. Becca’s televised heartbreak over Arie’s decision to propose to her and then back out and propose to the runner-up, Lauren Burnham, made her an understandably sympathetic lead for Season 14 of The Bachelorette, which aired in 2018. Becca, known for her positivity and kindness, handled the season’s pressures efficiently. Several significant events and people stood out to her along her journey, including the top three finalists, Blake Horstmann, Jason Tartick, and Garrett Yrigoyen.
9. Tayshia Adams (Season 16)
The Bachelorette season 16 was particular since Tayshia Adams wasn’t the original bachelorette. In the premiere episode, Clare Crawley played the role of the bachelorette and quickly found love with one of the other contestants, Dale Moss. Tayshia replaced Clare after she and Dale left the show after only a few weeks, making her the first mid-season replacement in the series’ history. As one of the most memorable contestants from Colton Underwood’s season of The Bachelor, Tayshia was an instant hit with the guys and the audience thanks to her composure, empathy, and engaging attitude. And you can bet she’s still winning hearts today!
8. Jillian Harris (Season 5)
Harris was the first Canadian Bachelorette, and was first seen on season 13 of The Bachelor. Her witty personality and optimistic outlook immediately endeared her to viewers. She was also known for her famous hotdog theory where she claimed she could figure out everything about someone from their choice of hotdog toppings. Nowadays, the former Bachelorette star is warming hearts on social media, where she posts all things family, holidays, and love! And with 1.4 million followers, she’s definitely doing a great job.
7. Kaitlyn Bristowe (Season 11)
Kaitlyn Bristowe, a lively and dynamic dance instructor from Vancouver, Canada, starred in Season 11 of The Bachelorette, which aired in 2015. Since Kaitlyn won viewers’ hearts on Chris Soules’ season of The Bachelor, she was an obvious option to be the next bachelorette. However, Kaitlyn’s season began unusually. Kaitlyn and Britt Nilsson, another fan favorite from Chris Soules’ season, debuted as bachelorettes on the same night, a first for the series. The men decided early on that they wanted to continue the season with Kaitlyn, and they voted for her on the first night. Shawn, a personal trainer from Nashville, earned the “first impression” rose, and Kaitlyn ultimately chose him.
6. Emily Maynard (Season 8)
Emily Maynard initially rejected the offer to head her own season as she didn’t want to leave her daughter. This led to season 8 being the first season of The Bachelorette to be filmed in the South, as production moved the show to North Carolina to keep her close to her daughter. Her close bond with her daughter made fans love her. Maynard famously won season 15 of The Bachelor, but her engagement to Brad Womack was short-lived. As the Bachelorette, she fell for Jef Holm, but their engagement lasted about 3 months.
5. Trista Rehn (Season 1)
In 2003, when Trista Rehn, a pediatric physical therapist from Miami, Florida, debuted as the lead on The Bachelorette, she broke new ground in the reality television genre. Trista was a contestant on the first season of The Bachelor, in which she finished in second place. During this landmark season, Trista handled her time on the show with poise and honesty. Charlie Maher and Ryan Sutter were the last two men standing. Trista had a deep connection to Charlie, a financial analyst, but Ryan, a Colorado firefighter, won her over.
Ryan was well-liked for his genuineness, modesty, and the touching poetry he penned especially for Trista. Ryan’s proposal to Trista at the season’s end was the emotional high point for everyone involved. However, that wasn’t the end of the couple’s story. Their love flourished when Trista and Ryan left the show, and they tied the knot in front of millions of viewers on a television wedding special in December 2003. They moved to Colorado and are now parents to two young kids.
4. Hannah Brown (Season 15)
The star of the fifteenth season of The Bachelorette, which aired in 2019, was Hannah Brown, an Alabama interior designer, and former Miss Alabama USA. Hannah, who earned the nickname “Hannah Beast” due to her strong character, won over viewers on The Bachelor with her genuineness and candor during Colton Underwood’s season. Singer-songwriter Jed Wyatt from Nashville proposed to Hannah at the series finale, and she said yes. They were engaged for a brief time, sadly. In the aftermath of The Bachelorette, it was revealed that Jed had been dating someone else right before production began, a fact he had kept from Hannah. Hannah broke off the engagement after learning this.
3. Jenn Tran (Season 21)
Right from the get-go, Jenn Tran was seen as a breath of fresh air in The Bachelorette season 21. The first Asian-American bachelorette was fun and exciting, and contributed largely to the popularity of the season (especially since the men were quite underwhelming, personality-wise.) She ended up with Devin Strader, who was later outed as having been arrested in the past due to violating a restraining order against him. Thankfully, Tran is doing just fine these days, and earned seventh place in season 33 of Dancing with the Stars.
2. Rachel Lindsay (Season 13)
As the first Black bachelorette in the show’s history, Dallas, Texas, attorney Rachel Lindsay brought much-needed diversity to the role. Rachel gained fans on Nick Viall’s The Bachelor season because of her wit, charm, and poise. Bryan Abasolo, a chiropractor from Miami, Florida, nevertheless successfully won Rachel’s heart. Rachel accepted Bryan’s proposal in the series finale. Their love endured, unlike that of many other Bachelor Nation couples, but it all came to a shocking end when Abasolo filed for divorce in January, 2024.
1. JoJo Fletcher (Season 12)
JoJo Fletcher made her television debut on Ben Higgins’ season of The Bachelor before becoming the lead on Season 12 of The Bachelorette, which aired in 2016. The season featuring the Dallas native and real estate developer featured memorable scenes and colorful contestants like Luke Pell, Wells Adams, and James Taylor. Her final two, Jordan Rodgers and Robby Hayes, both had big personalities that impacted the season. Though she had concerns and had to address accusations about Jordan’s past throughout the season, JoJo chose Jordan in the final rose ceremony.
Published: Nov 17, 2024 03:17 am