The Bachelorette is an American reality televisiondating game show that debuted onABC on January 8, 2003. The show is aspin-off ofThe Bachelor and the staple part ofThe Bachelor franchise. The first season featuredTrista Rehn, the runner-up from the first season ofThe Bachelor, offering the opportunity for Rehn to choose a husband among 25 bachelors. The 2004 season ofThe Bachelorette again took a runner-up from the previous season ofThe Bachelor. After last airing on February 28, 2005, the series returned to ABC during the spring of 2008, following an absence of three years,[1] and has since become an annual staple of the network's summer programming.
For its first 16 seasons, the show was hosted byChris Harrison.JoJo Fletcher took on temporary hosting duties during season 16 when Harrison was isolating having taken his son to college.[2]
In March 2021, the show announced it would air two seasons for the first time ever.[3] The seventeenth season debuted on June 7, 2021, with former BachelorettesTayshia Adams andKaitlyn Bristowe as hosts. The eighteenth season premiered on October 19, 2021, with Adams and Bristowe returning as co-hosts.[b][4][5][6]
In March 2022, it was announced that there would be two Bachelorettes in one season. The 19th season premiered on July 11, 2022, withJesse Palmer as host.[7] Althoughseason 11 featured two Bachelorettes in the first episode, andseason 16 featured two consecutive Bachelorettes within a season, this marked the first time that two women led concurrently for the entire season.
On February 10, 2024, ABC renewed the series for a twenty-first season, which premiered on July 8, 2024.[8][9] On February 7, 2025, it was announced that the show will be on hiatus for the summer 2025 television season.[10]
All of the rules are adapted from therules of its parent show,The Bachelor. As the name implies, it is essentially a gender-swapped version ofThe Bachelor: the series revolves around a single bachelorette, usually a former contestant from a recentBachelor season, and a pool of romantic interests (typically 25, though sometimes more) which could include a potential husband for the bachelorette. The show starts with the bachelorette standing in front of the mansion and greeting each male contestant individually, as they make an entrance to the bachelorette. After each rose ceremony, at least one contestant does not receive a rose and goes home; therefore, the pool of contenders gets smaller, and eventually leaves the bachelorette to decide between two contestants in the final rose ceremony.
For the final selection, one of two male suitors proposes to the bachelorette. Unlike its parent show, the first sixteen seasons ofThe Bachelorette have ended with a proposal which the bachelorette either accepted or declined. The series has resulted in five marriages to date: Trista Rehn's toRyan Sutter,Ashley Hebert's to JP Rosenbaum, Desiree Hartsock's to Chris Siegfried,Rachel Lindsay's to Bryan Abasolo, andJoJo Fletcher's toJordan Rodgers.[11] The first two weddings were broadcast on ABC. Season 16 was the only season that did not hold anAfter the Final Rose special due to circumstances over theCOVID-19 pandemic andChristmas holiday.
Season 11 was the first season to feature a twist in casting. Since producers could not unanimously decide betweenThe Bachelor Season 19 contendersKaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson, the 25 men participating had to decide which bachelorette would make the best wife. In the end, more men voted for Kaitlyn, and Britt was sent home on the first night.[12]
Season 13 was the first season to have an African-American contestant, Rachel Lindsay, as the lead in the entireBachelor franchise. Season 16 was the first season to feature two bachelorettes. Clare Crawley was initially cast, but left the show after becoming engaged to contestant Dale Moss. Tayshia Adams was then brought in to complete the season.
In March 2021, after hostChris Harrison announced he was "stepping away" from the franchise, former BachelorettesTayshia Adams andKaitlyn Bristowe were announced as co-hosts for season 17.[3][13] In June 2021, a day after the season 17 premiere, Harrison announced he was leaving the franchise altogether.[b][14]
Season 19 was the third season to feature two Bachelorettes,Gabby Windey andRachel Recchia; however, it was the first season to feature both leads for the entire season.
Season 21 will be the first season to have an Asian-American contestant,Jenn Tran, as the lead in the entireBachelor franchise history.[15]
The Bachelorette season 4 winner,Jesse Csincsak, commented that contestants must follow producers' orders and that a storyline was fabricated in the editing room.[16]
On March 15, 2010,The Bachelorette creator Mike Fleiss appeared on20/20 to confess that he developed the show's contestants into characters that catered to his audience's tastes, and that they "need [their] fair share of villains every season".[17] Fleiss has come under fire for admitting thatThe Bachelor has less to do with reality than it does making good television.[18]
By season 7 ofThe Bachelorette, some believed that actors were being hired by ABC to play specific roles on the show. Some viewers were becoming tired of the show's scripted nature and speaking out.[19]
In 2018, Amy Kaufman published a book titled,Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America's Favorite Guilty Pleasure. This book provided insight on some of the manipulation tactics that producers employ in order to create drama and garner controversy as a ratings ploy.[20]
Much like the parent show, the first two seasons were filmed in a luxurious house inLos Angeles County, California, and "Villa De La Vina" inAgoura Hills, California, for later seasons. Since the fifth season, the third and remaining episodes filmed around the world. Episodes have been filmed throughout the United States, Canada, Spain, Iceland, Turkey, Portugal, Thailand, China (Hong Kong only), Bermuda, England, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and Ireland. In season 3, filming was located inNew York City;[21]Charlotte, North Carolina, forseason 8, where Emily Maynard lived, so that she could stay with her daughter Ricki during production.[22][23][24][25] In addition to Villa De La Vina mansion, the contestants in seasons 4 and 5 lived in a bunkhouse close to the mansion.
Due to the concerns surrounding theCOVID-19 pandemic, when the mansion was strictly restricted for filming purposes, thesixteenth andseventeenth seasons filmed entirely within the United States being isolated on a quarantine typebio-secure bubble atmosphere around a single location at the hotel or resort they rented by production.[26][27] While theeighteenth season filmed mostly in the United States, some quarantine restrictions being lifted with limited travel.[28] In thetwenty-first season, the mansion was not used for filming purposes unrelated to the then-existing pandemic above, they used the Hummingbird Nest Ranch inSanta Susana, California previously appeared in the spin-off seriesThe Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart.[29]
Rehn and Sutter were married on December 6, 2003, on national television.[30] They live inDenver, Colorado with their two children; son Maxwell (born July 27, 2007) and daughter Blakesley (born April 3, 2009).[31][32]
Hebert and Rosenbaum married on December 1, 2012, and their wedding aired as a TV special on December 16 of that year.[40][41][42] They have two children together; son Fordham (born September 30, 2014), and daughter Essex (born November 4, 2016).[43][44] On October 14, 2020, they announced that they had decided to permanently separate.[45] Their divorce was finalized on October 7, 2021.[46]
Hartsock and Siegfried married on January 18, 2015, and currently live inPortland, Oregon with their three sons; Asher (born October 19, 2016), Zander (born January 12, 2019), and Noah (born November 5, 2024).[48][49][50][51]
Booth proposed to Bristowe in the season finale, but they announced their breakup on November 2, 2018.[53] On May 12, 2021, Bristowe announced her engagement to Jason Tartick, who finished in third place onseason 14.[54] On August 6, 2023, Bristowe and Tartick announced their breakup.[55]
Lindsay and Abasolo married on August 24, 2019.[57] Abasolo filed for divorce on January 2, 2024.[58] Their divorce was finalised on January 8, 2025.[59]
Yrigoyen proposed to Kufrin in the season finale, but they broke up in August 2020.[60] On October 13, 2023, Kufrin marriedseason 17 contestant Thomas Jacobs, whom she met onseason 7 ofBachelor in Paradise.[61] Kufrin and Jacobs have a son together, Benson (born September 21, 2023).[62]
In the live season finale, it was revealed that Brown and Wyatt broke up in June 2019 after Brown discovered that Wyatt had a girlfriend at the time of filming. Wyatt also admitted that he went on the show to promote his music career.[63] During theAfter the Final Rose special, Brown asked runner-up Cameron on a date, but they ultimately decided not to pursue a relationship.[64]
Moss proposed to Crawley in the fourth episode. They announced their breakup on January 19, 2021.[65] On May 28, 2021, Moss confirmed they were back together, but they broke up for good in September 2021.[66][67]
Moynes proposed to Thurston in the season finale, but they announced their breakup on October 25, 2021.[69] On November 23, 2021, Thurston announced that she was dating John Hersey, whom she had previously eliminated during week two of her season.[70] She confirmed their breakup on June 20, 2022.[71]
Schwer proposed to Windey in the season finale. They announced their breakup on November 4, 2022.[73] On August 2, 2023, Windeycame out onThe View and announced her relationship with female comedianRobby Hoffman.[74]
Although the season ended with Franco proposing to Recchia, it was revealed during the live finale that Recchia had ended their engagement in August 2022 after Franco admitted to cheating on her.[75] Later in the live finale, runner-up Jones asked Recchia on a date, and she said yes. However, they ultimately decided not to pursue a relationship.[76][77]
Although the season ended with Tran and Strader proposing to each other, it was revealed during the live finale that Strader had ended their engagement in August 2024.[79]
On April 10, 2019, it was announced that a two-hour special titledBachelorette Reunion: The Biggest Bachelorette Reunion in Bachelor History Ever! would premiere on May 6, 2019. Bachelorettes from seasons 2 and 3, Meredith Phillips and Jen Schefft didn't make an appearance during the reunion special.[80] Although host Chris Harrison claimed Meredith Phillips was unavailable to attend, Reality Steve reported her sending him the text"No, I was never contacted or spoke to anyone. I didn't even know the show was happening." in regards to the reunion.[81] Schefft couldn't make it due to a long-planned family vacation.[citation needed]
^abcTheAfter the Final Rose special aired the next day.
^In the fourth season, three episodes aired at the later time of 9:00 pm on May 19, May 26 and June 16.
^Seasons five though seven aired at the later time of 9:00 pm.
^The eighth season premiere aired for 90 minutes at the later time of 9:30 pm. One episode aired at the later time of 9:00 pm on May 21.
^The tenth season premiere aired for 90 minutes at the later time of 9:30 pm.
^In the eleventh season there was a two-night premiere. The first night of the premiere aired at the later time of 9:00 pm. The second night of the premiere aired for 60 minutes at 8:00 pm the next day. One episode aired at the later time of 9:00 pm on May 25.
^abAlthough Adams and Bristowe were the interim hosts for seasons 17 and 18, they were credited as 'Special Guest' at the end of those seasons' episodes.
^Season 11 featured two Bachelorettes at the start. Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson were initially selected as candidates. In the second episode, the men voted Bristowe as the Bachelorette for the majority of the season.
^Season 16 featured two Bachelorettes. After the first Bachelorette Clare Crawley prematurely chose Dale Moss, new Bachelorette Tayshia Adams was introduced and continued the season with the remaining men, and 4 additional men were added to the cast.
^Season 19 featured two Bachelorettes for the entire season.
^McDow, Christine (June 28, 2011)."Jesse Csincsak Talks About Ashley Hebert And Last Night's The Bachelorette".Reality TV Magazine. Archived fromthe original on April 22, 2012. RetrievedJuly 10, 2012.The viewers are seeing the PRODUCED side of her show and not so much the genuine stuff, and she looks silly because of it... A LOT TAKES PLACE IN THE EDITING ROOM!
^"Today's TV Addict Top 5: Wildly Disturbing Quotes from THE BACHELOR creator/executive producer Mike Fleiss".Today's TV Addict. March 18, 2010. RetrievedJuly 10, 2012.'We are very careful in our casting to develop characters that the audience is going to root for and root against.' Fleiss admits that his show has less to do with 'reality' than it does making good television. Which is all fine and good... if a few moments later he hadn't claimed that the whole premise was romance and the search for love.
^Angel, Ilana (May 24, 2011)."The Bachelorette Is Back – More Addictive & Ridiculous Than Ever".The Jewish Journal. RetrievedJuly 16, 2012.The only thing lamer than this show is the people who make it. They take it so seriously and think we do, but we don't. It's a scripted reality show, not real life. We watch with hope and no expectations, just as we lead our lives, the difference is we are decent and they are not.
