When “The Bachelor” made its tv debut again in 2002, viewers skilled a actuality competitors like no different. Whereas recreation reveals like “The Relationship Sport” and “Love Connection” had been pairing individuals up for years, “The Bachelor” put a complete new spin on the idea with their first season by casting 25 ladies who every strove to win the center of titular bachelor Alex Michel. Armed with a provide of crimson roses, Michel’s final purpose was to search out his good associate — with the expectation that the season would culminate with an on-camera marriage. Nevertheless, that did not occur; Michel chosen Amanda Marsh, however stopped wanting proposing. They break up up a number of months after the present aired. 

Commercial

Regardless, the present was an immediate hit, and extra seasons adopted — as did spin-offs, together with “The Bachelorette,” “The Golden Bachelor,” and “Bachelor in Paradise.” Lots of these seasons did finish with engagements, but over the course of the franchise’s two-plus many years the variety of Bachelor-verse {couples} who’ve really remained collectively stays surprisingly small — lower than 30 as of mid-2025. On the flip aspect, there have been a variety of breakups; one-time Bachelor Peter Weber, the truth is, holds the doubtful distinction of splitting up with not only one girl from the franchise, however three (Hannah Ann Sluss, Madison Prewett, and Kelley Flanagan, for individuals who are questioning). 

So what occurred in any case these ultimate roses had been introduced and all these proposals had been accepted to stop these {couples} from tying the knot? Learn on for a rundown of “Bachelor” Nation {couples} who by no means made it to the altar. 

Commercial

Season 25 of “The Bachelor” was a historic one for the present, with Matt James turning into the primary Black man to be tapped because the lead. That season was additionally notable when Rachel Kirkconnell acquired James’ ultimate rose — and subsequently was criticized for a resurfaced social media publish celebrating her attendance at an antebellum-style “Previous South” celebration. When the sequence’ longtime host, Chris Harrison, defended Kirkconnell throughout an interview, the backlash was so extreme that Harrison was in the end compelled to step down as host.

Commercial

The irony, in fact, is that when the mud cleared and the season ended, James and Kirkconnell turned a bona fide couple. Whereas they by no means did get engaged, they did stay collectively for 4 years. 

Sadly, it did not final. In January 2025, James introduced in a prayer (in a since-deleted Instagram publish) that they’d damaged up. “Father God, give Rachael and I energy to fix our damaged hearts. Give us a peace about this choice to finish our relationship that transcends worldly understanding,” he wrote. Later, Kirkconnell revealed she’d been blindsided by James’ prayer, which he’d posted with out warning her. “It nearly appeared like [him] saying it like a prayer was the simpler strategy to say it than to say one thing actual, one thing genuine to our precise relationship,” Kirkconnell advised “Name Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper when showing on the podcast (by way of the Los Angeles Occasions). “It is very him. I assume it did not shock me that he stated it like that, I assume I used to be simply stunned that he stated it in any respect. That he posted that.”

Commercial

Like Matt James, Jenn Tran additionally made “Bachelor” franchise historical past — Tran was the primary Asian-American girl chosen for “The Bachelorette.” Starring in Season 21 of the spin-off, Tran ended her run by getting engaged to Devin Strader. Whereas the proposal was as romantic as they get, the romance flamed out shortly. By the point they appeared collectively on the post-finale “After the Ultimate Rose” particular, they’d already gone by way of a bitter break up.

Commercial

Particulars of what occurred, nonetheless, range significantly, with Tran claiming that Strader started pulling away from her just about instantly after the cameras shut off. “He principally stated that he did not love me anymore, did not really feel the identical approach,” Tran stated tearfully, claiming that he’d dumped her in a two-minute telephone name. “He regretted getting engaged.” Strader, nonetheless, countered her narrative in a social media video wherein he displayed quite a few textual content exchanges between him and Tran, which he stated refuted her declare. That, nonetheless, blew up in his face when he was hit with backlash for publicly exposing their personal conversations. 

Strader wound up issuing an apology. “I deeply am so sorry for exhibiting delicate data from the underside of my coronary heart,” he wrote in a publish shared on his Instagram Story (by way of Us Weekly). “My solely intention is to indicate the connection from my perspective. I achieve nothing from that textual content dialog being proven. I promise you that was a mistake. I attempted to censor all our private/delicate data, I actually missed this one & f***ed up.”

Commercial

Whereas Kaitlyn Bristowe might have said that being the Bachelorette wasn’t enjoyable, there isn’t any query she made an impression on viewers whereas being wooed by 25 males in Season 11 of “The Bachelorette.” When she handed over her ultimate rose, it went to Shawn Sales space. The 2 acquired engaged within the season finale, and went on to spend the subsequent three years collectively.  

Commercial

All of it got here to an finish in November 2018, once they issued a joint assertion to Us Weekly confirming they’d referred to as off the engagement. “After three unbelievable years, we’ve got determined to go our separate methods,” the assertion learn. “This troublesome choice comes after considerate, respectful consideration.” 

Bristowe did not waste a lot time when it got here to transferring on. In January 2019, she confirmed she was courting fellow “Bachelor” franchise alum Jason Tartick, who’d been a contestant on Becca Kufrin’s season of “The Bachelorette.” Sales space, nonetheless, later claimed that he’d deserted plans to interrupt up amicably when Bristowe by accident despatched him a textual content that was supposed for Tartick — whom she secretly started seeing earlier than their break up. “After we had damaged up, the final time I noticed her, I used to be like, ‘I don’t need to discuss to you or see you ever once more,'” Sales space recalled in an episode of his “Within the Sales space with Shawn Sales space” podcast

Commercial

Bristowe’s relationship with Tartick was in the end doomed. In August 2024, the 2 introduced by way of Instagram that they’d determined to finish their engagement.

Following a stint on “The Bachelor” trying to win the center of pilot Jake Pavelka in Season 14, Ali Fedotowsky was invited to star in Season 6 of “The Bachelorette” in 2010. Come the finale, Fedotowsky selected suitor Roberto Martinez and accepted his proposal when he acquired down on one knee. On the time, the 2 had been all-in on the thought of getting hitched ASAP. “Planning a marriage is lots, and we do not need to undergo all of the motions,” Fedotowsky advised Individuals, revealing they’d floated the thought of eloping. “We simply need to be married. We’re simply excited for that. We’re like, ‘Let’s be married — proper now!'”

Commercial

Finally, a marriage date was scheduled — however needed to be postponed whereas Fedotowsky recovered from leg surgical procedure. “We had a date set, and that date has now handed,” she advised Individuals in August 2011. Just some months later, nonetheless, the pair referred to as it quits. “Ali Fedotowsky and Roberto Martinez have ended their relationship,” her rep stated in an announcement to E! Information.

Fedotowsky subsequently broke her silence in regards to the breakup, telling E! Information that they’d been struggling within the relationship way over followers realized. “We had been actually making an attempt to make it work, and realizing it wasn’t getting higher,” she stated. “We had been sad greater than we had been blissful, and one thing wanted to alter … I did not need to let individuals down. I felt anger from my followers, followers … The strain was to ensure we did what would make each of us blissful.”

Commercial

Emily Maynard first entered the Bachelor-verse in Season 15 of “The Bachelor,” which ended together with her accepting the proposal of Brad Womack. Their engagement did not final lengthy, they usually break up up in 2011, just some months after the finale aired. “It did not final so lengthy, however I take a variety of the blame for that, too,” Maynard stated when showing on the TV particular “The Bachelor: The Biggest Seasons — Ever!” (as reported by Individuals). “And it was actually arduous. We each put in a variety of work touring forwards and backwards and all of that, however I believe we each knew, ‘That is simply not enjoyable anymore. That is simply not going to work.'”

Commercial

The silver lining of their breakup was that Maynard was chosen to headline Season 8 of “The Bachelorette,” which aired in 2012. That season ended with one other engagement, this time to contestant Jef Holm. Storm clouds gathered shortly, with Holm’s brother claiming to Us Weekly that Maynard was dishonest, adopted by a bonkers conspiracy principle that Maynard was paying Holm to remain in a pretend relationship that was extra about enterprise than love.

In any case, they pulled the plug in October 2012. “I’m sorry to let you know that Jef and I’ve, certainly, parted methods,” Maynard advised Individuals. “It was a really troublesome and heartbreaking choice.” Maynard lastly acquired her blissful ending, marrying husband Tyler Johnson in 2014. They remained fortunately married and began a household collectively; in 2017, Maynard welcomed her fourth baby with Johnson.

Commercial

Juan Pablo Galavis catapulted from “Bachelorette” suitor to starring in Season 18 of “The Bachelor.” As viewers will recall, his ultimate rose went to Nikki Ferrell, although he stopped wanting proposing. Given the controversy that erupted when Galavis appeared unable to say “I like you” to Ferrell through the “After the Ultimate Rose” particular, few followers had been stunned when the 2 broke it off not lengthy after the finale aired.

Commercial

Viewers finally discovered the actual motive Galavis and Ferrell referred to as it quits. “All of it performed out over a few days, proper earlier than my birthday,” Ferrell revealed in an interview with Life & Fashion. “We had been simply going forwards and backwards by way of texting. He was questioning the connection and I used to be questioning it again. I despatched him a message saying, ‘We should always struggle for this. We should always work this out.’ And he did not reply.”

Ferrell was finished, and he or she (impulsively) blocked Galavis on social media. By the point they met in particular person a number of days later, it was clear to each that it was over. As Ferrell recalled, “we each knew we had been losing one another’s time. The connection wasn’t making us blissful anymore. We had been by no means a standard couple.”

Commercial

Season 21 of “The Bachelor” was constructed round Nick Viall. Viall was first launched in Andi Dorfman’s season of “The Bachelorette” earlier than then returning for Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season the next 12 months — he notably turned the primary”Bachelorette” contestant to turn out to be runner-up two seasons in a row. Within the “Bachelor” finale, Viall proposed to Vanessa Grimaldi, who fortunately accepted. The engagement, nonetheless, lasted a mere 5 months. 

Commercial

“It is with a large amount of heartbreak for the each us as we’ve got determined to finish our engagement,” the ex-couple stated in an announcement to Individuals. “We gave this relationship our all and we’re saddened that we didn’t get the fairytale ending we hoped for.”

As Grimaldi later advised Individuals, there was no huge dramatic second that led to the tip of the connection, merely a dawning realization that it merely wasn’t working. “Ultimately, as a lot as we beloved one another and tried to make it work, we simply realized we had been totally different individuals combating to maintain a relationship when in the end we simply weren’t the very best match for one another,” she stated, insisting there was nothing pretend in regards to the emotions that they had for one another. “I fell for him arduous,” she added, “and whenever you fall in love that arduous, your coronary heart breaks even tougher.”

Commercial

After shedding out to Jef Holm for the center of Emily Maynard in Season 8 of “The Bachelorette,” Arie Luyendyk Jr. was tapped for Season 22 of “The Bachelor” in 2017. With one rose left on the finale, Luyendyk gave it to Becca Kufrin, who accepted his on-camera proposal of marriage. 

Commercial

Nevertheless, this is able to not be the blissful ending viewers anticipated. Two months after filming the proposal (however earlier than the sequence aired), Luyendyk had an epiphany, realizing that he’d proposed to the fallacious girl — and was really in love with runner-up Lauren Burnham. He broke off the engagement, after which shared his true emotions with Burnham, all whereas cameras rolled.

Though he agreed to be filmed, Luyendyk later felt that producers had hung him out to dry. As he advised Individuals, he’d been promised that the footage would “make Bachelor Nation absolutely [understand] that he was being respectful and simply following his coronary heart,” however felt “100% betrayed” when he noticed the way it had been edited to change the narrative. “They lower out, clearly, manufacturing speaking to me from 10 toes away,” he stated, insisting that what aired “was tremendous unfair to me.” In the meantime, he and Burnham subsequently acquired engaged, tied the knot and began a household; in April 2025, they revealed they had been anticipating their fourth baby.

Commercial

Dale Moss and Clare Crawley met when he was one of many suitors competing for her affection on Season 16 of “The Bachelorette,” filmed through the summer season of 2020. After simply 12 days, she introduced him together with her ultimate rose; he responded by popping the query. 

Commercial

The next January, Moss introduced they’d break up up. “I needed [to] share with you all that Clare and I’ve determined to go our separate methods,” he wrote in a since-deleted Instagram publish, as reported by Individuals. Whereas followers had been shocked to be taught of the breakup, so too was Crawley. “I used to be made conscious of a ‘mutual’ assertion on the similar time you all had been, so I’ve wanted a while to essentially digest this,” she wrote on social media (by way of Individuals), including, “the reality is I’m crushed.” A pal advised the outlet, “Clare feels blindsided by the break up.”

Inside a number of months, nonetheless, the 2 reconciled. They celebrated their first anniversary in July 2021, however their happiness did not final. In September, a supply confirmed to People who they’d break up once more. “It was mutual,” stated the supply, indicating the breakup had taken place two week prior. Within the fall of 2022, Crawley had absolutely moved on, asserting she was engaged to new beau Ryan Dawkins. They acquired married and welcomed a baby collectively. Moss went on thus far HGTV persona Galey Alix, finally breaking apart after two years as a pair.

Commercial

Star of Season 15 of “The Bachelorette,” Hannah Brown introduced her ultimate rose to nation singer Jed Wyatt, ensuing of their engagement. Wyatt, nonetheless, was not on the present “for the best causes,” signing on with the only intention of bolstering his music profession. That plan, he later claimed, was derailed when he legit fell for Brown. Additionally derailed, although, was Wyatt’s promise to return to the girlfriend he’d been hiding, Haley Stevens, when filming accomplished. When his engagement to Brown threw a wrench in these plans, the irked Stevens advised all. “We spent the evening collectively the evening earlier than he headed to L.A.,” Stevens stated when interviewed by Individuals, revealing that when Wyatt returned to Nashville, he utterly ghosted her.

Commercial

Understandably, the revelation that her fiancé had a secret girlfriend didn’t go over effectively with Brown, who instantly referred to as off their five-week engagement and dumped Wyatt. “This isn’t the long run I anticipated,” she advised Individuals. “It was heartbreaking … He all the time stated he by no means needed to harm me, however he damage me worse than anyone else did.”

In response to Brown, she’d beforehand been in a relationship wherein she discovered she was being lied to, and refused to put herself in that place once more. “I deserve higher,” she declared. She subsequently acquired engaged to Adam Woolard, and the 2 moved in collectively; in early 2025, they revealed that, for non secular causes, they might be dwelling individually till their marriage ceremony that summer season.

Commercial

Making his debut on Season 14 of “The Bachelorette,” Colton Underwood starred within the 2019 season of “The Bachelor.” His stand on premarital intercourse made him distinctive within the franchise’s historical past. “I am the primary virgin Bachelor and it is loopy to even take into consideration that,” he stated within the sequence premiere, by way of Individuals. Whereas there have been some dramatic ups and downs, Underwood’s ultimate rose in the end went to contestant Cassie Randolph (who returned after quitting the present within the wake of their Fantasy Suite date). Whereas there was no engagement, there was no query that the 2 had been a pair. “We’re tremendous in love,” Randolph stated in an episode of “The Bachelor,” as reported by Individuals. 

Commercial

Sadly, the 2 break up up in Might, 2020. The breakup took a nasty twist when Randolph issued a sequence of Instagram Story posts that July, accusing Underwood of trying to “monetize” the break up. Underwood, nonetheless, denied her claims, telling E! Information that her allegations had been “merely not true.” Underwood then briefly dated “Fairly Little Liars” star Lucy Hale, whereas Randolph then filed a restraining order towards him, accusing Underwood of stalking her. 

In April 2021, Underwood guested on “Good Morning America” to make a surprising confession. “I’ve ran from myself for a very long time. I’ve hated myself for a very long time. I am homosexual,” he shared. Underwood shared later that 12 months that he was in a relationship with political strategist Jordan C. Brown. “All people went by way of my breakup [with Cassie Randolph] … It is good for me to have one thing for myself,” he shared about their personal relationship. In 2023, Underwood and Brown acquired married and the next 12 months, the couple welcomed a son, Bishop Colton Brown-Underwood.

Commercial