A final rose isn’t forever. Not every couple survives the reality TV curse, especially in Bachelor Nation. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the franchise is one of the most — if not the most — popular reality show on TV.
When The Bachelor first debuted in 2005, not even host Chris Harrison would have predicted that it would result in five different spinoffs: The Bachelorette, Bachelor Pad, Bachelor in Paradise, Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise and The Bachelor Winter Games.
In 2020, the show is a bit different after a handful of scandals surfaced. During season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise, production was shut down following a sexual misconduct complaint involving Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson. The situation made headlines for months and rules were changed the following season.
Now, one of the larger controversies is the number of background checks the production team are doing — something Harrison promises is getting better.
“I do know that measures were taken and people were hired to do some deep dives into peoples’ social media and to try to cover our bases as much — as much more — as possible,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in 2019. “But at the end of the day, we live in a very different world than when the show started 17 years ago. We’re evolving and changing and doing the best you can. But there will be things that come up. You hate to be reactive; you’d love to be proactive. But you can only be so proactive. Stuff is going to happen, so you just do the best you can with the information you have at the time.”
Ultimately, as much as it’s a cliché, the show is constantly looking for people who are there for the right reasons. Us Weekly has gathered a list of all the winners of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette over the years — it’s up to you to decide who was competing for true love.
