ABC’s television series, The Bachelor, is arguably one of the most addicting reality shows to date. Due to its devoted fan base, the show has been able to run twenty seasons of The Bachelor and eleven seasons of The Bachelorette. Unfortunately, the majority of the time the romance between the Bachelor and final contestant is short-lived, however, every once in a while true love strikes. This article is focused on catching up with popular past Bachelors and the women that they asked to marry them. Who made it work and who fell apart? Let’s see if we can’t find out.
Like most former Bachelors, Mesnick actually started as a contestant on Deanna Pappas’ season of The Bachelorette. He ended the season heartbroken as second runner-up, but got a second chance at love when he was selected to be the Bachelor of the reality show’s 13th season. Every true fan of The Bachelor remembers Jason Mesnick’s season, specifically the ending. Jason Mesnick proposed to Melissa Rycroft on the season finale of The Bachelor. All rainbows and butterflys right? Wrong. On the After the Final Rose episode Jason revealed that he no longer had feelings for Melissa and was hopeful that Molly Malaney would be willing to give him a second chance. Molly decided to give Jason another shot and were wed on February 27, 2010. They extended their family in 2014 with the birth of a little girl, Riley. The couple often makes appearances on Bachelor reunions and as guests of featured Bachelor weddings.
Jake Pavelka & Vienna Girardi Update
Eliminated on Jillian Harris’ season of The Bachelorette, Jake Pavelka became the bachelor in its 14th season. Pavelka proposed at the end of his season to Vienna Girardi, only to split three months later. There was major controversy, actually, when it let out that Jake broke up with her over the phone. Although the reasons for this split tend to conflict, the general consensus is that Pavelka’s relationship with Girardi was making it hard for him to pursue a larger career in acting. (Around this time, he was working on an appearance in the show Drop Dead Diva.) Pavelka went on to be a contestant on Dancing with the Stars and Bachelor Pad 2. He also made a guest appearance on Jojo’s season of The Bachelorette, giving Jojo advice on the importance of following her heart. As for his current love life, it appears that the commercial pilot is still searching for his one & only. Giardi, on the other hand, is currently set to marry Todd Allen, her long-term boyfriend.
Sean Lowe & Catherine Giudici Update
Ahhhhh, Sean and Catherine, one of the few bachelor couples to actually have a happily ever after. Sean was on Emily Maynard’s season of The Bachelorette. He was eliminated after the overnight dates and went on to become the bachelor during its seventeenth season, where he fell in love and proposed to Catherine Giudici. The two married in January of 2014 and just recently welcomed their first child in July of 2016, Samuel Thomas. The duo has appeared on multiple reality TV shows, like Celebrity Family Feud, Celebrity Wife Swap, and even Who Wants to Be A Millionaire since falling in love on The Bachelor and is arguably one of Bachelor Nation’s favorite couples. More recently, it was announced that Sean and Catherine plan on having another child together sometime soon. (For the record, Catherine has said that she wants a girl.) Regardless, I think that it’s safe to say that these two definitely made it work!
Juan Pablo Galavis & Nikki Ferrell Update
Juan Pablo Galavis was selected as the bachelor for the show’s 18th season, and he made history by being the first ethnic minority to be chosen as bachelor. Like many other bachelors, he originally competed on Desiree Hartsock’s season of The Bachelorette before being eliminated about midway through the season. The Bachelor‘s 18th season was also interesting, in that it didn’t end with a proposal. Although Juan chose Nikki Ferrell, he didn’t propose to her. In fact, he was controversial among viewers for even being hesitant to say that he loved her. Galavis’s logic was sound enough, though — he thought that forcing their relationship for the sake of the cameras would be detrimental to the both for them. In the end, however, the couple ended up officially splitting up in October of 2014. This was after months of fighting, even going so far as to appear on Couples Therapy. Juan Pablo is still single, but Nikki was recently married to one of her friends, Tyler Vanloo.
Chris Soules & Whitney Bischoff Update
Chris Soules was the bachelor of the show’s 19th season, and he was largely chosen due to his popularity on Andi Dorfman’s season of The Bachelorette. Chris ended up finishing in third place on The Bachelorette, but this new season of The Bachelor gave him a brand new chance to find love. Soules had thirty women to chose from at the beginning of the season, but by the season’s finale he proposed to Whitney Bischoff right outside of his family’s barn. This may sound like a fairy tale ending, but unfortunately it’s anything but. In May of 2015, it was announced that they had called off their engagement. Don’t worry, though. At the very least, the relationship was ended amicably and they are apparently still friends. Not every breakup has to be dramatic. Sometimes things just don’t work out, and that was the case here. Since The Bachelor, Chris has appeared on other reality television shows like Dancing with the Stars and Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition. Soules is still single today, but Whitney has since been engaged to Ricky Angel.
Ben Higgins & Lauren Bushnell Update
Ben Higgins made history on The Bachelor, as the first bachelor to tell both of the final women that he was in love with them. Unfortunately for JoJo Fletcher, he decided that Lauren Bushnell was the one that he couldn’t live without. During the After the Final Rose episode, Ben and Lauren revealed that they were doing better than ever and still very much in love. Ben and Lauren appear to be one of the more popular couples amongst bachelor nation, which lead them to starring in their very own reality series. Set to air this October on the ABC network, Freeform, Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After, which showcased the couple’s engagement and adjusting to life after The Bachelor. However, the couple’s fans were seriously shaken up when it was announced that the wedding had been called off. Don’t hit the panic button just yet, though. Ben and Lauren are still going strong, and they are focusing more on strengthening their relationship than hurrying along a wedding. I would be tentatively optimistic about this one, if I were you.
Jake is passionate about everything tech, film, and gaming related. If he's not writing you can probably catch him at a local sporting event or coffee shop.
