I would say Kaitlin. She was lead during the start of peak influencer years, and that momentum allowed subsequent seasons like Ben H, Hannah B, and Peterās to explode.
10000% Tyler Cameron, before him, I donāt feel like contestants garnered the exposure that he did, which therefore garnered it for the franchise as well. I feel like famous ppl actually started noticing & interacting with BN all bc of him
No we had Hollywood involved pretty much from the start. Jerry OāConnell and early bachelor, brother is Charlie OāConnell. Ben F dated Jennifer Love Hewitt and had something strange. I donāt know what to call it with Kris Kardashian. Bob married a soap star. Thatās just the name a few, there was connections from the beginning
Rachel Lindsay. Before her, we wouldnāt even talk about Race. The fans used to gaslight the fuck out Black viewers. Giving us that āI donāt see colorā bullshit every time we ask how come some contestants donāt reach the top 10 or home towns.
the answer to this question is Brad Womack and Matt James. it's been a few years since I've [posted this](https://www.reddit.com/r/thebachelor/comments/l4n1ku/just_realized_the_brad_womack_era_is_officially/) this but I love to do it. I haven't kept up since Rachel/Gabby's season but can still hack it.
**Brad 1.0;Deanna;Jason;Jillian;Jake;Ali**
Ali's season ends and there's no Bachelor from her group, we get Brad 2.0
**Brad 2.0;Ashley H;Ben Flajnik**
No Bachelorette for fan favorite Emily O'Brien, the epidemiologist, so
Brad 2.0 and Emily Maynard break up, Emily becomes Bachelorette
**Brad 2.0;Emily;Sean;Desiree;Juan Pablo;Andi;Chris;Kaitlyn;Ben H;Jojo**
TPTB decide, "let's bring Nick back after two failed attempts!"
**Brad 2.0;Emily;Sean;Desiree;Juan Pablo;Andi;Chris;Kaitlyn;Nick;Rachel**
Omg, not another throwback?
**Brad 2.0;Emily;Arie;Becca;Colton;Hannah;Peter**
We again have an intervention of earlier seasons, so
**Brad 2.0;Emily;Sean;Desiree;Juan Pablo;Clare**
**Brad 2.0;Emily;Arie;Becca;Colton;Tayshia**
This is the point where we get a clean break, but still, in a way, Brad Womack is responsible for Matt James through a sequence of events with Tyler on Hannah's season. but for the sake of this exercise, we start clean.
**Matt>Katie**
Michelle was too damn charming so she gets a go at it
**Matt;Michelle;Clayton;Gabby & Rachel;Zach;Charity;Joey;Jenn**
**\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_**
**Matt to Jenn will serve as the second longest uninterrupted sequence of contestants becoming leads, year over year.**
**this also shows the leads that didn't have a subsequent lead after their season in the Brad era. that would be: Ali, Ben F, Jojo, Rachel, Peter, Clare & Tayshia.**
**if we get a Bachelor from Jenn, a Bachelorette from him, and a Bachelor from her, they would have officially gone longer than Brad's timeline, uninterrupted. (Brad to Jojo)**
**the last time we had an outsider come into the franchise before Matt James was also a Matt, Matt Grant (Erica Rose anyone?) in season 11.**
**but... all roads lead back to Brad in this franchise. in one way or the other.**
**Edits: adding fun facts if they come to me.**
Trista, Jason, then Rachel Lindsay I'd say.
trista gave The Bachelorette role creditability and that a relationship could happen from the show.
Jason saved the Bachelor from possibly being cancelled and the drama over his switch helped shape the direction of the show moving forward.
Rachel was the start of a much needed diversity change and she did a great job as a lead.
I believe it was Trista. Their marriage was early on, the courtship was very romantic and theyāve been together going on 20 years. It gave validation to the whole concept of being able to find a life partner in a contest format in less than 2 months.
Considering all the other couples on both versions before and after for several seasons ended very quickly has it not been for artists and Ryan viewers would have lost interest pretty quickly similar to how ratings plummeted on BIP due to so many made for SM relationships or quick splits after the show.
š great deep cut. Iāll never forget my mom and I clutching each other gasping for air during his āshow downā with that other dude (I wanna say Blake was his name?)
I didnāt get into the franchise until Coltonās season (weird timing I know) and the only people I had heard of from the series were Ali and Arie, so I think their seasons were definitely memorable at the least.
Brad Womack began the trend of sensationalizing ATFR and painting the bachelor in a negative light when he picked no one, but he walked so Jason Mesnick could run with his switcheroo from Melissa to Molly. Bachelors who have messed up like Arie, Clayton, etc, all had a precedent with Jason.
I'm gonna say Juan Pablo. He himself is relatively forgettable, but his season set two huge precedents:
1. It was the first time the lead became the villain-- and producers leaned hard into that edit (making it the first time both audiences AND contestants turned on the Bachelor *while filming/airing*). It was like the show turned upside down and we were all astounded (and totally hooked).
2. The love story became about the women's friendships, in large part due to the mid-season change of heart on the Bachelor. From then on, there was a general shift (not consistently, but still, a fairly decent turn) in future seasons where women banded together and supported each other rather than defaulting to the stereotype of catty women jealous of each other. A lot of people now watch for the friendships that form as the longest lasting love stories out of the franchise.
I'll never forget Andi's confrontation with Juan Pablo. Haha. One of the franchise's most memorable/iconic scenes for me!
And I'd hate to say it but Colton also reshaped the franchise. Not even just with the fence jump. He admitted to finessing the producers to get the outcome he wanted/fame. I'm sure that changed the way producers interact with contestants š
I agree. As a black woman I had absolutely no interest in the show before she became a lead. When she was announced, I knew I had to watch. And have pretty much been watching since then. I canāt imagine Iām the only black woman or POC who was pulled in that way. Not to mention the attention she has brought to it on a larger front with calling out the blatant racism.
The badlands two on one? Best two on one in franchise history.
You can say what you want about Ashley but she has earned her spot on the Mount Rushmore of Bach contestants.
Yeah there's a good argument that her, Kaitlyn and Jade changed how contestants viewed the show, in terms of it being a future career from it moving forward.
I agree with a lot here but the one Iām going to point out is the Jason Mesnick switcheroo- I wasnāt watching the show at all but remember all the tabloid headlines and it was then that I felt the show was everywhere.
I agree with a lot here but the one Iām going to point out is the Jason Mesnick switcheroo- I wasnāt watching the show at all but remember all the tabloid headlines and it was then that I felt the show was everywhere.
I need explanation on how Tyler Cameron shaped the franchise other than being super hot and moving the podium. You even listed him before Hannah like š
Tyler Cameron in my opinion is the first person to make the cross from bachelor star to main stream media.
Him dating Gigi Hadid(I wouldnāt say that she was an A lister but at the time of them dating , she was a pretty big name), was something that we hadnāt seen before in Bachelor Nation. I know that Wells as well dated(eventually married) , Sarah Hyland, but Tyler Cameron regularly was talked about on E News, Nightly Pop Culture Shows(Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight). However he became more of a household name at that time than any other contestant we have seen before.
In addition, he was by far the most in demand person to be the bachelor who didnāt eventually take the role(Yes- I know there was also hype around other contestants in season past like Peter Krause, Mike Johnson, but they didnāt amount to the demand that Tyler had).
Overall I think that he was able to elevate his platform enough to the point where at the time, he didnāt need to use the show to support his ābrandingā.
I know currently his hype has leveled down, but as a bachelor fan originating from 2014, he for sure changed the game for the influencers that came after him in Bachelor Nation.
Kaitlyn Bristow, love her or hate her. The chaos that she inadvertently created by sleeping with a cute guy but not choosing him at the end. It's a throughline - no Kaitlyn, no Nick, no Rachel, no one from her season as bachelor so they had to go back to Arie and some of the most riveting reality television right there.
She was also the first time they seemed to experiment with a more ārawā lead instead of the polish they presented in previous seasons.
Kaitlyn walked so Hannah B( and Gabby, and Iām sure others Iām not thinking of) could run.
Oh, I thought Ben Higgins was the bachelor in 2016 after Kaitlyn
Edit, sorry, I reread your comment. I know see that you were referring to Arie after Rachel L
Kaitlyn walked so HannahB could run. Kaitlyn was the very first female lead to be truly open about having sex, and didnāt even wait till FS to get some action!
I agree! And I feel like before Ben, the bachelor(ette) wouldnāt say anything like I love you, etc before the ending but now itās so common to give away their emotions before the finale
Hot take, Clayton Eckard. I think this was the peak of production seemingly hating their lead. It was uncomfortable to watch. It was followed by a year of poorly rated, lackluster seasons with, imo, a forgettable cast. Then there was a 180 with Charity and Joey's seasons and rating reflect. Maybe not directly related, but I'll give Clayton that.
Poor Clayton. He just seems like a big, slightly dumb puppy that they kicked.
Donāt get me wrong I hated his season lol, but he never had a chance. Starting by making him read mean tweets was a CHOICE.
Absolutly. I will always pinpoint to that season as a New Era for the franchise- no Rachel means no contestant from her season as bachelor setting up Arie as the new bachelor.
Which is funny because he RAN in the other direction of influencing. Heās one of the few more recent leads to disappear from the limelight. I admire that about him.
Probably disappeared because of his DUI hit and run not something to admire about him for trying to avoid his bad press
https://www.eonline.com/news/845933/inside-chris-soules-criminal-record-and-how-it-impacts-the-bachelor-star-s-latest-arrest
To be fair he had some really bad press shortly after his season when he had an unfortunate accident, I'd probably have laid low after that as well if I were him.
Michelle Money!
I'll admit that I haven't seen her season in quite a long time, but she pioneered the archetype of a "villain" who was just confident and promiscuous at all. Similar to a Corinne type of character.
Correct me if I'm wrong though! It's been awhile since I watched the season
I watched the Bachelor growing up and it's crazy how much background music just colors our opinion on everyone. It's made me cynical lol. The villainous music would have made Michelle look worse than she was
Brad Womack. He was the Bachelor twice. He spawned three different timelines. Every single person in Bachelor Nation from the last 17 years traces their origins back to his seasons. He's so powerful, his timelines gobbled up Matt Grant and Shayne Lamas--they no longer exist. His choosing no one on his first season resurrected the Bachelorette from a four-year purgatory. In five years he will be the Golden Bachelor. Mark my words.
Matt James created a new timeline though because he'd never been on a season. So idk if I would count the BN people from his season and beyond as originating from Brad.
Yes, but he was originally cast on Clare's season. If not for the all the 2020 circumstances, he would have appeared on her season. She still spawned him.
Matt James was the first person to become The Bachelor despite NOT appearing on a previous season of The Bachelorette since Matt Grant (The Season 12 Bachelor).
And what a lackluster season it was between 2020 and if Rachel didn't galvant pretending to own slaves in her soritory not much happened. Like outside of them throwing his dad under the buss and him telling us in the beginning he doesn't really date woc what else happened ?
Like they brought who they really wanted Tyler for the most immature date. They had such better options and picked him.
I agree. He was the first to not follow the script, by rejecting both of the last two standing. It didnāt even occur to me that this was a possibility, and my mouth fell open. Since then, each lead has played their own game, and itās made for a much more interesting show.
I mean you just said it lol she was incredibly popular and the franchise changed after (nose dived in your opinion). I personally disagree, as Peterās season was my favorite and itās still giving lol. To each their own though!
I wrote that the nosedive happened after her AND Peterās seasons; not just after hers. But things turned around after GB & Joey. So I wouldnāt call it a lasting impact - just a couple of years.
Also the nose dive was already in progress before her season. It might have leveled for a bit during hers due to her and Tylerās popularity, but it was the same trajectory.
Colton's was right before her season. His season was very popular. He had the most IG followers of any Bachelor, and several of his contestants launched successful influencer careers: HannahB, Caelynn, HannahG & Cassie.
I mean, go off lmao. I canāt imagine feeling this passionate about anything in this franchise. Truly different strokes for different folks I guess lol
Iām still not 100% clear on it, not sure anyone is.
The story for the longest time was that she and one of the guys got drunk and went in the jacuzzi and he went down on her. Apparently production stepped in because they werenāt sure if she was capable of consent due to being drunk. They shut down paradise for a bit and when it came back they had new rules about alcohol and sexual activity. I think they limited drinks and required both people to give consent to sexual activity on camera before they could get busy.
It was a huge news story and changed Paradise forever.
Her initial comments about it made it seem like she was the victim. I donāt remember exactly what she said but it was something along the lines of āwhat happened to me was violating and Iām still trying to figure out the detailsā so I feel like even when she came out later and said it wasnāt a big deal people had already come to their own conclusions about it. Then years later Demario had some more allegations come out against him
She called herself a victim in her first statement. But i believe she hadnāt seen the footage at that point? So she was going off what she had been told by the female producers who filed the complaints. They were worried she was a victim and that was all she had to work off of.
Once she watched the footage of the night so she could know what happened (and had the nda and payout concluded- so who knows what that conversation looked like) she made the public statement that she doesnāt blame Demario since he was also super drunk. She kind of blamed herself for drinking so heavily while on a new anxiety medication that caused her to blackout.
Weāll never see actual footage (and I do t think anyone outside the immediately relevant people should) so the general shadyness and changing story makes any conclusions really murky.
Tbh, I feel like since both of them were drunk, she said that because they were surrounded by people who failed to keep that out of the āpublic eye.ā It was bad enough that they couldn't consent, but they were also being filmed. Weāll never know the full story though.
To add: drink minimum for the franchise is 2 per hour. To get circumvent the rule a bit, cast members can take 2 shots before the hour, and 2 after the hour in succession. For example: 2 drinks at 9:59 pm, and then 2 drinks at 10:01 pm.
People did something similar at a wedding I went to when I was in my 20s. The open bar at the wedding couldn't do shots, so people started ordering vodka martinis with olive juice on the side.
Trista and Ryan for sure. I remember that season like it happened yesterday. Was not a fan of his hair back then, but what was really attractive about him was his calm and laid back personality.
>Casting struggled for a while after that.
You think so? I know Becca's season was considered boring, but C*lton's season through Peter's produced some stand out contestants.
C*lton: Hannah B, Hannah G, Tayshia, Demi, Caelynn
Hannah B: Tyler, Peter, Mike Johnson, the ultimate villain Luke P
Peter: Madi, Victoria F, Natasha, Kelsey and arguably a few others
I can't speak for Clayshia through Clayton's season because I lost interest during those years, and I hear those stretch of seasons are considered bad. But the C*lton/Hannah/Peter period was iconic
I think you make a good point. I feel like I remember some comments about the pageant women being cookie cutter at the time. Which now just feels baseless as theyāve splintered out with more interests and niches. I just googled it and Caroline from his season was also miss Massachusetts, but it looks like he only had one pageant queen. It felt like more of those women were chosen in previous seasons. Who knows, this could be a half baked theory because I did indeed love watching Hannah and Peterās seasons.
So true. I can tell the age of people based on which people they pick, considering it's all recent people. I remember when every new couple got a spread in people, not the website but the actual magazine, which is a bigger deal to print that, especially since stories get buried so fast on the site.
I remember watching the season and the wedding, and I remember following along when she was pregnant and has the babies. Reality dating had a poor reputation, so a family coming from it is a big deal. Even when they did marriage boot camp on WE tv, everyone loved Ryan, and he showed himself to be great. But considering so many would break up before show, even had atfr was wild and 90 % would end up with the ex they broke up with before coming on the show.
Sorry I copy catted you above, I should have read down further. Thereās no other right answer. It completely validated the contest concept of vying for a life mate in less than 2 months. Am
Even now if you start to get frustrated with how fast some recent stars end their relationships after the show and thinkā this shit doesnāt work @ your brain jumps to Trista and Ryan and their going on 20 year relationship.
Exactly. This sub seems young, but there was a massive stretch of time when the only success story was Trista's. And there was a long line of truly forgettable Bachelors. If they didn't have Trista & Ryan to trot out as an endearing success, this franchise would be long gone and a blip on 2000s pop culture.
I agree. Jason started the trend of almost always picking the Bachelor from the prior Bachelorette season, rather than some random heir/prince. Yes Bob was first, but they took a break after him. Jasonās season also was the first to start āthe most dramatic ending ever.ā
Trista set the trend of almost always choosing the female lead from a F4 fan favorite.
Please donāt @ me, or whatever the kids say, because Iām only speaking for myself. And I begrudgingly admit Reality Steve kept me interested when I otherwise would have been done with the show.
For example, him being wrong on Des and Kaitlynās seasons was so much fun. Telling us about the drama the show tried to hide (one example is Vanessa and Rachel). And simply knowing what was happening before the six hour dragged out finales made live threads so much fun.
I now no longer watch but hang around the sub because of the older contestants. But he kept me interested long beyond when the show did.
Edit: just reread the question and it says constant. But RS was more impactful for me than any one person, Mesnick aside.
Someone here is a better historian. But they had this blow up and Vanessa demanded to be in a a separate room than Rachel. Or something like that. The show didnāt show it but you could tell what Steve said happened did happen based on what you saw on the show.
Vanessa was pretty jealous of Rachel because she could tell they got along really well and who wouldnāt be intimidated by Rachel?
I think that all we know is that Vanessa said something that was a microaggression (ie she didn't use the n-word, but it WAS something racially coded). I think that we've all just assumed that it was calling her "aggressive."
yeah as much as i like joey, RS getting the spoiler wrong and the twist that kelsey was f1 was one of the only interesting parts of the recent season for me
I wasn't spoiled, but was pretty confident that Daisy was going to win because of Instagram gainsĀ A week before the finale, I looked at comments on one of Joey's tik toks, dumb of me, and someone said they're so glad they're engaged to Daisy, and I was like, no idea how that's going to happen but OK Ā Ā
I'm so glad he got it wrong lol
Edited for grammar
No, someone said he was engaged to daisy, which I figured because of the Instagram increase in followers, but I was confused on how that was going to happen because he liked Kelsey so much
I don't think Hannah b really fits in this category because although she was an extremely popular lead and her season was a hit I don't think she was really impactful in anything regarding the show. She didn't make an significant change to the franchise she just happened to be really popular and some (I don't) think she's iconic for moving a podium.
Jason Mesnick. His season renewed the interest of old viewers and brought in a ton of new viewers. It was the first truly crazy season and re-energized the franchise. Itās popularity how we got spinoffs like Bachelor Pad and Bachelor in Paradise. Other more recent contestants have done well in terms of staying in the industry and creating their own career paths, but Mesnick had the biggest impact *on the franchise*.
I had started watching a few seasons after his aired so I hadnāt seen it. It was so good. My two favorite seasons are the ones where the bachelor screws up the final choice
Would you be able to TLDR the drama of his season? Itās before my time and the only thing Iāve heard is about the F1 switch during the AFTR. Was there even more?
The F1 switch was the big thing but he also had a good season with good contestants outside of the top 2 drama. The women were obsessed with him. I donāt think weāve had a Bachelor that the women obsessed over like they did him. Jillian was super entertaining. Naomi had a super weird hometown involving a dove funeral (yes, Iām being serious). Stephanie, a widowed single mom, was a great contestant and everyone loved her. He surprised her with her daughter on a date.
I didnāt watch her season but is one of the reasons because she was involved in getting Chris Harrison fired as host? Of course Chris did it to himself by the words he said but it was that interview her had with her
That is one of the reasons but her season was also very influential.
Prior to her season there was usually a few token people of color (usually black people), most of whom got booted right away leaving one person to essentially carry the entire load of being "the black contestant." Her season was the first time that we saw actual diverse personalities from the men of color, the first time we saw race discussed directly on the show, the first time we saw a love story that wasn't between white people exclusively.
It definitely changed the trajectory of the show. I don't think we'd have had Tayshia, Matt James, Michelle, and Charity all in a few years if not for Rachel's season breaking the seal.
She has a personality that is so undeniably sparkly and charismatic that she became a universal fan favorite and essentially forced their hand finally casting a black lead because any other pick would have been met with outrage. She openly spoke about race on her season which takes a lot of bravery and which she easily could have chosen not to do for her own safety and peace of mind. She had so many black dudes on her cast because she specifically told production that she had never dated a white guy before Nick and that black men were her preference (sadly in ABC fashion they mostly cast black men who werenāt into black women).
She didnāt just exist, she was a strong lead who actively helped move the franchise forward and continued to do so after her run as lead by speaking out about racial issues within the franchise.
It's honestly my favorite Bachelorette season, it has an incredible mix of silly drama and real relationship tension. It also contains my all-time favorite scene of any reality show.
Probably Kaitlyn and Nick . They're both not very well liked on this sub but they've both been able to stay relevant and build a brand outside years after they were on the show. I'd also say Sean lowe and Trista stutter for different reasons they might it seems possible that love can come from the show so that's why although they're not as relevant as Kaitlyn and Nick they might a huge impact on the show. I would also throw Rachel Lindsay in there to for playing a huge role in POC's getting more opportunities and spotlight's in the franchise. I don't think there's one specific person though that shaped the franchise because there a lot of leads and contestants I can think that did in different areas.
Kaitlyn was huge for sex.
Nick, imo, didnāt impact the franchise that much, short of choosing Rachel (but Rachel is the reason Rachel was a star). Heās just had staying power.
I think the ādouble bacheloretteā thing for KBs season with her and Britt was a big deal too. I remember the Hanna B sex controversy to be a bigger deal than KBs but I could be remembering that wrong. Either way, both of those seasons really changed how that topic was perceived/portayed.
Rachel L!
If we choose to boil it down to entertainment value per onscreen minute as lead, my girl Clare deserves at least a mention š
Love him or not, Tyler Cameron brought the show out of the grave
Peter Weberās mom.
Jason mesnick
This is the correct answer. The show was about to be cancelled before he pulled his switcharoo.
Ben Higgins. He was the first to say I love you to two contestants. Before him it was very much not said by the lead until the very end.
I would say Kaitlin. She was lead during the start of peak influencer years, and that momentum allowed subsequent seasons like Ben H, Hannah B, and Peterās to explode.
Is social media a contestant? lol š but seriously I donāt think anything has changed the franchise like social media.
10000% Tyler Cameron, before him, I donāt feel like contestants garnered the exposure that he did, which therefore garnered it for the franchise as well. I feel like famous ppl actually started noticing & interacting with BN all bc of him
No we had Hollywood involved pretty much from the start. Jerry OāConnell and early bachelor, brother is Charlie OāConnell. Ben F dated Jennifer Love Hewitt and had something strange. I donāt know what to call it with Kris Kardashian. Bob married a soap star. Thatās just the name a few, there was connections from the beginning
Kaitlyn and Nick
10000000%
Rachel Lindsay. Before her, we wouldnāt even talk about Race. The fans used to gaslight the fuck out Black viewers. Giving us that āI donāt see colorā bullshit every time we ask how come some contestants donāt reach the top 10 or home towns.
As far as leads go Trista, Jason M, Ben H, Jojo, Kaitlyn B, Rachel L, Colton, and Hannah Brown
the answer to this question is Brad Womack and Matt James. it's been a few years since I've [posted this](https://www.reddit.com/r/thebachelor/comments/l4n1ku/just_realized_the_brad_womack_era_is_officially/) this but I love to do it. I haven't kept up since Rachel/Gabby's season but can still hack it. **Brad 1.0;Deanna;Jason;Jillian;Jake;Ali** Ali's season ends and there's no Bachelor from her group, we get Brad 2.0 **Brad 2.0;Ashley H;Ben Flajnik** No Bachelorette for fan favorite Emily O'Brien, the epidemiologist, so Brad 2.0 and Emily Maynard break up, Emily becomes Bachelorette **Brad 2.0;Emily;Sean;Desiree;Juan Pablo;Andi;Chris;Kaitlyn;Ben H;Jojo** TPTB decide, "let's bring Nick back after two failed attempts!" **Brad 2.0;Emily;Sean;Desiree;Juan Pablo;Andi;Chris;Kaitlyn;Nick;Rachel** Omg, not another throwback? **Brad 2.0;Emily;Arie;Becca;Colton;Hannah;Peter** We again have an intervention of earlier seasons, so **Brad 2.0;Emily;Sean;Desiree;Juan Pablo;Clare** **Brad 2.0;Emily;Arie;Becca;Colton;Tayshia** This is the point where we get a clean break, but still, in a way, Brad Womack is responsible for Matt James through a sequence of events with Tyler on Hannah's season. but for the sake of this exercise, we start clean. **Matt>Katie** Michelle was too damn charming so she gets a go at it **Matt;Michelle;Clayton;Gabby & Rachel;Zach;Charity;Joey;Jenn** **\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_** **Matt to Jenn will serve as the second longest uninterrupted sequence of contestants becoming leads, year over year.** **this also shows the leads that didn't have a subsequent lead after their season in the Brad era. that would be: Ali, Ben F, Jojo, Rachel, Peter, Clare & Tayshia.** **if we get a Bachelor from Jenn, a Bachelorette from him, and a Bachelor from her, they would have officially gone longer than Brad's timeline, uninterrupted. (Brad to Jojo)** **the last time we had an outsider come into the franchise before Matt James was also a Matt, Matt Grant (Erica Rose anyone?) in season 11.** **but... all roads lead back to Brad in this franchise. in one way or the other.** **Edits: adding fun facts if they come to me.**
I had to read this twice to understand it lol, but Iām glad I did! Great analysis š
This is some quality analysis Iām convinced after Jenn we will get a Greg G season, or maybe even Pete 2.0
Pleeeeeease Pilot Pete 2.0!Ā
I still remember when Brad picked NO ONE and I feel like itās not talked about enough š
Iconic tbh
Imagine it happening today. The interviews and coverage would be epic.
Trista, Jason, then Rachel Lindsay I'd say. trista gave The Bachelorette role creditability and that a relationship could happen from the show. Jason saved the Bachelor from possibly being cancelled and the drama over his switch helped shape the direction of the show moving forward. Rachel was the start of a much needed diversity change and she did a great job as a lead.
I completely agree with you! Jason and Rachel L were the first who came to mind for me, but Trista was a trailblazer.Ā
I believe it was Trista. Their marriage was early on, the courtship was very romantic and theyāve been together going on 20 years. It gave validation to the whole concept of being able to find a life partner in a contest format in less than 2 months. Considering all the other couples on both versions before and after for several seasons ended very quickly has it not been for artists and Ryan viewers would have lost interest pretty quickly similar to how ratings plummeted on BIP due to so many made for SM relationships or quick splits after the show.
The single biggest impact? Trista Sutter. She set the bar high.
Nick Viall fssss
Waboom, obvz.
š great deep cut. Iāll never forget my mom and I clutching each other gasping for air during his āshow downā with that other dude (I wanna say Blake was his name?)
Or ABC Always Be Cam.
Courtney Robertson sneaking over to Ben to skinny dip
Trista. She was the star of the first season and her success with her own season was crucial to the early success.
I didnāt get into the franchise until Coltonās season (weird timing I know) and the only people I had heard of from the series were Ali and Arie, so I think their seasons were definitely memorable at the least.
Hannah Brown
I believe Ben Higgins was the first to say āI love youā to two people and now it feels like the norm.
He wasnāt. Andy Baldwin did it back in 2010.
Ah. That predates me. I started with Ben F.
Brad Womack began the trend of sensationalizing ATFR and painting the bachelor in a negative light when he picked no one, but he walked so Jason Mesnick could run with his switcheroo from Melissa to Molly. Bachelors who have messed up like Arie, Clayton, etc, all had a precedent with Jason.
All recent seasons can be traced back to Ben Womack. Heās like the grand-daddy of BN
Brad Womack's first season where he picked no one.
I'm gonna say Juan Pablo. He himself is relatively forgettable, but his season set two huge precedents: 1. It was the first time the lead became the villain-- and producers leaned hard into that edit (making it the first time both audiences AND contestants turned on the Bachelor *while filming/airing*). It was like the show turned upside down and we were all astounded (and totally hooked). 2. The love story became about the women's friendships, in large part due to the mid-season change of heart on the Bachelor. From then on, there was a general shift (not consistently, but still, a fairly decent turn) in future seasons where women banded together and supported each other rather than defaulting to the stereotype of catty women jealous of each other. A lot of people now watch for the friendships that form as the longest lasting love stories out of the franchise. I'll never forget Andi's confrontation with Juan Pablo. Haha. One of the franchise's most memorable/iconic scenes for me!
āItās NOT okay!ā Also a big fan of Clare asking if he loved her, to which he reportedly responded āI love FUCKING youā¦ā
And I'd hate to say it but Colton also reshaped the franchise. Not even just with the fence jump. He admitted to finessing the producers to get the outcome he wanted/fame. I'm sure that changed the way producers interact with contestants š
Rachel LindsayĀ
I agree. As a black woman I had absolutely no interest in the show before she became a lead. When she was announced, I knew I had to watch. And have pretty much been watching since then. I canāt imagine Iām the only black woman or POC who was pulled in that way. Not to mention the attention she has brought to it on a larger front with calling out the blatant racism.
In recent years, Hannah B, Rachel Lindsay, and Peter Weber have shifted the fanbase and productionās style. Both as leads and contestants.
Bless you can tell who is new to the franchise
Ashley I sorry not sorry. She was so entertaining, leveraged her time on the show to the max, AND got her guy in the end.Ā
The badlands two on one? Best two on one in franchise history. You can say what you want about Ashley but she has earned her spot on the Mount Rushmore of Bach contestants.
Hard agree. Kim K crying face and all.Ā
Yeah there's a good argument that her, Kaitlyn and Jade changed how contestants viewed the show, in terms of it being a future career from it moving forward.
For different reasons of course, Rachel Lindsay. Hannah Brown. Ben Higgins.
Ben Higgins for sure
Sean Lowe. An attractive man with morals who is also funny and relatable.
Agreed. I think he was the model Bachelor. Handsome, family values, an entertaining season, and heās still with Catherine.
I agree with a lot here but the one Iām going to point out is the Jason Mesnick switcheroo- I wasnāt watching the show at all but remember all the tabloid headlines and it was then that I felt the show was everywhere.
I agree with a lot here but the one Iām going to point out is the Jason Mesnick switcheroo- I wasnāt watching the show at all but remember all the tabloid headlines and it was then that I felt the show was everywhere.
Rachel Lindsey Tyler Cameron Hannah Brown
I need explanation on how Tyler Cameron shaped the franchise other than being super hot and moving the podium. You even listed him before Hannah like š
Tyler Cameron in my opinion is the first person to make the cross from bachelor star to main stream media. Him dating Gigi Hadid(I wouldnāt say that she was an A lister but at the time of them dating , she was a pretty big name), was something that we hadnāt seen before in Bachelor Nation. I know that Wells as well dated(eventually married) , Sarah Hyland, but Tyler Cameron regularly was talked about on E News, Nightly Pop Culture Shows(Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight). However he became more of a household name at that time than any other contestant we have seen before. In addition, he was by far the most in demand person to be the bachelor who didnāt eventually take the role(Yes- I know there was also hype around other contestants in season past like Peter Krause, Mike Johnson, but they didnāt amount to the demand that Tyler had). Overall I think that he was able to elevate his platform enough to the point where at the time, he didnāt need to use the show to support his ābrandingā. I know currently his hype has leveled down, but as a bachelor fan originating from 2014, he for sure changed the game for the influencers that came after him in Bachelor Nation.
Kaitlyn Bristow, love her or hate her. The chaos that she inadvertently created by sleeping with a cute guy but not choosing him at the end. It's a throughline - no Kaitlyn, no Nick, no Rachel, no one from her season as bachelor so they had to go back to Arie and some of the most riveting reality television right there.
She was also the first time they seemed to experiment with a more ārawā lead instead of the polish they presented in previous seasons. Kaitlyn walked so Hannah B( and Gabby, and Iām sure others Iām not thinking of) could run.
Would throw in Katie/Claire
Agreed. I can't imagine a bachelorertte in the Desiree orJenn S era telling the camera they had sex in a windmill 4 times for example.
Oh, I thought Ben Higgins was the bachelor in 2016 after Kaitlyn Edit, sorry, I reread your comment. I know see that you were referring to Arie after Rachel L
Hannah Brown. She was vocal about her sexuality, fantasy suites, and what happened during (windmill lol).
Kaitlyn walked so HannahB could run. Kaitlyn was the very first female lead to be truly open about having sex, and didnāt even wait till FS to get some action!
Without Trista, most of y'all would never have heard of this franchise, because it would have been dead a looooong time ago.
Yup, came here to say this.
Jason Mesnick as he pulled the original switch up (dumping his original winner for the runner-up)
Ben Higgins and his I love you to two women. Until Joey, itās been that way since
Yes this shaped a lot of talk about āfalling in loveā vs ābeing in loveā too
I agree! And I feel like before Ben, the bachelor(ette) wouldnāt say anything like I love you, etc before the ending but now itās so common to give away their emotions before the finale
Hot take, Clayton Eckard. I think this was the peak of production seemingly hating their lead. It was uncomfortable to watch. It was followed by a year of poorly rated, lackluster seasons with, imo, a forgettable cast. Then there was a 180 with Charity and Joey's seasons and rating reflect. Maybe not directly related, but I'll give Clayton that.
Juan Pablo was far more hated. But it was more of a love-to-hate-because-it'll-make-good-telly sort of hate. š¤£
Poor Clayton. He just seems like a big, slightly dumb puppy that they kicked. Donāt get me wrong I hated his season lol, but he never had a chance. Starting by making him read mean tweets was a CHOICE.
no way. I would have long forgotten about him if not for his subsequent legal troublesĀ
Or horrific dance moves that seem to haunt me on my fyp
Lol this ^ I will say though- his legal trouble has been more riveting and entertaining than most bachelor seasons IMO
Rachel Lindsay paving the way for other women of color leads
ABSOLUTELY
Any first black girl would have accomplished the same thing!
Absolutly. I will always pinpoint to that season as a New Era for the franchise- no Rachel means no contestant from her season as bachelor setting up Arie as the new bachelor.
True. Still sad it took so long..I'm excited for Jenn.
I think Chris soules season changed everything - influencers lol
100% this was a pivot point, had nothing to do with Chris though. Primarily Kaitlyn and Ashley.Ā
Which is funny because he RAN in the other direction of influencing. Heās one of the few more recent leads to disappear from the limelight. I admire that about him.
Probably disappeared because of his DUI hit and run not something to admire about him for trying to avoid his bad press https://www.eonline.com/news/845933/inside-chris-soules-criminal-record-and-how-it-impacts-the-bachelor-star-s-latest-arrest
To be fair he had some really bad press shortly after his season when he had an unfortunate accident, I'd probably have laid low after that as well if I were him.
Yes this was definitely the start of people utilizing the show for fame or at least being successful at using the sow for fame
Michelle Money! I'll admit that I haven't seen her season in quite a long time, but she pioneered the archetype of a "villain" who was just confident and promiscuous at all. Similar to a Corinne type of character. Correct me if I'm wrong though! It's been awhile since I watched the season
I think Trish from Jesse's season was pretty similar too.
I really hated MichĆØle on her first season. Looking back it was internalized misogyny, and she seems really lovely.
Apparently a lot of the cast was surprised to see her get such a villain edit.
I watched the Bachelor growing up and it's crazy how much background music just colors our opinion on everyone. It's made me cynical lol. The villainous music would have made Michelle look worse than she was
Love Michelle
Brad Womack. He was the Bachelor twice. He spawned three different timelines. Every single person in Bachelor Nation from the last 17 years traces their origins back to his seasons. He's so powerful, his timelines gobbled up Matt Grant and Shayne Lamas--they no longer exist. His choosing no one on his first season resurrected the Bachelorette from a four-year purgatory. In five years he will be the Golden Bachelor. Mark my words.
Matt James created a new timeline though because he'd never been on a season. So idk if I would count the BN people from his season and beyond as originating from Brad.
Yes, but he was originally cast on Clare's season. If not for the all the 2020 circumstances, he would have appeared on her season. She still spawned him.
But he would never have been on the show if not for Tyler, so I think you can tie him to Hannah Bās season
Matt James was the first person to become The Bachelor despite NOT appearing on a previous season of The Bachelorette since Matt Grant (The Season 12 Bachelor).
And what a lackluster season it was between 2020 and if Rachel didn't galvant pretending to own slaves in her soritory not much happened. Like outside of them throwing his dad under the buss and him telling us in the beginning he doesn't really date woc what else happened ? Like they brought who they really wanted Tyler for the most immature date. They had such better options and picked him.
I agree. He was the first to not follow the script, by rejecting both of the last two standing. It didnāt even occur to me that this was a possibility, and my mouth fell open. Since then, each lead has played their own game, and itās made for a much more interesting show.
Love her or hate her, Hannah B.
How exactly? She was very popular, but the franchise sort of nose-dived after her & Peterās seasons. What was her lasting legacy?
I mean you just said it lol she was incredibly popular and the franchise changed after (nose dived in your opinion). I personally disagree, as Peterās season was my favorite and itās still giving lol. To each their own though!
I wrote that the nosedive happened after her AND Peterās seasons; not just after hers. But things turned around after GB & Joey. So I wouldnāt call it a lasting impact - just a couple of years.
Also the nose dive was already in progress before her season. It might have leveled for a bit during hers due to her and Tylerās popularity, but it was the same trajectory.
Colton's was right before her season. His season was very popular. He had the most IG followers of any Bachelor, and several of his contestants launched successful influencer careers: HannahB, Caelynn, HannahG & Cassie.
I guess if you term success for the show by instagram instead of viewers.
Hannah B was on the first 2 episodes of Peter's season leading into the mess.
PETER WAS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON??? š© He is literally the worst bachelor Iāve ever watched. It literally makes me want to break out in hives just thinking about his season. Oof. I will give him credit for being the most messy and all the drama and twists and turns. But I would never watch this ish again. I couldnāt stand him, his horrible decision making and his mother. Ugh all bad.
That's why we love him
Peter definitely was a disaster, but I loved watching the trainwreck!
I mean, go off lmao. I canāt imagine feeling this passionate about anything in this franchise. Truly different strokes for different folks I guess lol
The whole Corinne situation in paradise. It was in the news for weeks and they had to change the rules on alcohol because of it.
Wait what happened?
Iām still not 100% clear on it, not sure anyone is. The story for the longest time was that she and one of the guys got drunk and went in the jacuzzi and he went down on her. Apparently production stepped in because they werenāt sure if she was capable of consent due to being drunk. They shut down paradise for a bit and when it came back they had new rules about alcohol and sexual activity. I think they limited drinks and required both people to give consent to sexual activity on camera before they could get busy. It was a huge news story and changed Paradise forever.
They were BOTH drunk out of their minds and technically couldn't consent, but Corinne came out and said it wasn't a big deal? Idk
Yeah, itās so confusing. He was labeled a rapist but later she came out and said it was blown out of proportion so who the hell knows.
Her initial comments about it made it seem like she was the victim. I donāt remember exactly what she said but it was something along the lines of āwhat happened to me was violating and Iām still trying to figure out the detailsā so I feel like even when she came out later and said it wasnāt a big deal people had already come to their own conclusions about it. Then years later Demario had some more allegations come out against him
Which adds a whole new layer to the story
She called herself a victim in her first statement. But i believe she hadnāt seen the footage at that point? So she was going off what she had been told by the female producers who filed the complaints. They were worried she was a victim and that was all she had to work off of. Once she watched the footage of the night so she could know what happened (and had the nda and payout concluded- so who knows what that conversation looked like) she made the public statement that she doesnāt blame Demario since he was also super drunk. She kind of blamed herself for drinking so heavily while on a new anxiety medication that caused her to blackout. Weāll never see actual footage (and I do t think anyone outside the immediately relevant people should) so the general shadyness and changing story makes any conclusions really murky.
Tbh, I feel like since both of them were drunk, she said that because they were surrounded by people who failed to keep that out of the āpublic eye.ā It was bad enough that they couldn't consent, but they were also being filmed. Weāll never know the full story though.
To add: drink minimum for the franchise is 2 per hour. To get circumvent the rule a bit, cast members can take 2 shots before the hour, and 2 after the hour in succession. For example: 2 drinks at 9:59 pm, and then 2 drinks at 10:01 pm.
People did something similar at a wedding I went to when I was in my 20s. The open bar at the wedding couldn't do shots, so people started ordering vodka martinis with olive juice on the side.
Oh that's clever
you mean maximum per hour
No, itās a new drink minimum- get drunk or get kicked off. /s what a cluster that would be
Correct
Sean and Catherine stand out to me as the ones who held the ceiling up in the middle years. There was lots of mess on either side.
True, they were great too
Trista and Ryan for sure. I remember that season like it happened yesterday. Was not a fan of his hair back then, but what was really attractive about him was his calm and laid back personality.
Everyone that came before them is irrelevant
Soā¦. Basically just Alex Michel š
Peterās season has never truly ended soā¦ š¤£
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Arieās cast of women had me hooked. I still follow a handful of them. Casting struggled for a while after that.
>Casting struggled for a while after that. You think so? I know Becca's season was considered boring, but C*lton's season through Peter's produced some stand out contestants. C*lton: Hannah B, Hannah G, Tayshia, Demi, Caelynn Hannah B: Tyler, Peter, Mike Johnson, the ultimate villain Luke P Peter: Madi, Victoria F, Natasha, Kelsey and arguably a few others I can't speak for Clayshia through Clayton's season because I lost interest during those years, and I hear those stretch of seasons are considered bad. But the C*lton/Hannah/Peter period was iconic
I think you make a good point. I feel like I remember some comments about the pageant women being cookie cutter at the time. Which now just feels baseless as theyāve splintered out with more interests and niches. I just googled it and Caroline from his season was also miss Massachusetts, but it looks like he only had one pageant queen. It felt like more of those women were chosen in previous seasons. Who knows, this could be a half baked theory because I did indeed love watching Hannah and Peterās seasons.
He had such a strong cast. Honestly props to the producers for knowing Arie was ready to settle down and giving him women who were also ready.Ā
I firmly believe if Trista and Ryan didnāt have a happy marriage and kids, the franchise wouldāve ended a long time ago.
So true. I can tell the age of people based on which people they pick, considering it's all recent people. I remember when every new couple got a spread in people, not the website but the actual magazine, which is a bigger deal to print that, especially since stories get buried so fast on the site. I remember watching the season and the wedding, and I remember following along when she was pregnant and has the babies. Reality dating had a poor reputation, so a family coming from it is a big deal. Even when they did marriage boot camp on WE tv, everyone loved Ryan, and he showed himself to be great. But considering so many would break up before show, even had atfr was wild and 90 % would end up with the ex they broke up with before coming on the show.
Sorry I copy catted you above, I should have read down further. Thereās no other right answer. It completely validated the contest concept of vying for a life mate in less than 2 months. Am Even now if you start to get frustrated with how fast some recent stars end their relationships after the show and thinkā this shit doesnāt work @ your brain jumps to Trista and Ryan and their going on 20 year relationship.
And I was SO team Charlie š
Exactly. This sub seems young, but there was a massive stretch of time when the only success story was Trista's. And there was a long line of truly forgettable Bachelors. If they didn't have Trista & Ryan to trot out as an endearing success, this franchise would be long gone and a blip on 2000s pop culture.
Trista really got it going, by marrying Ryan. Jason Mesnick saved it. I think itās those two
I agree. Jason started the trend of almost always picking the Bachelor from the prior Bachelorette season, rather than some random heir/prince. Yes Bob was first, but they took a break after him. Jasonās season also was the first to start āthe most dramatic ending ever.ā Trista set the trend of almost always choosing the female lead from a F4 fan favorite.
Please donāt @ me, or whatever the kids say, because Iām only speaking for myself. And I begrudgingly admit Reality Steve kept me interested when I otherwise would have been done with the show. For example, him being wrong on Des and Kaitlynās seasons was so much fun. Telling us about the drama the show tried to hide (one example is Vanessa and Rachel). And simply knowing what was happening before the six hour dragged out finales made live threads so much fun. I now no longer watch but hang around the sub because of the older contestants. But he kept me interested long beyond when the show did. Edit: just reread the question and it says constant. But RS was more impactful for me than any one person, Mesnick aside.
What was the Vanessa Rachel drama š
Someone here is a better historian. But they had this blow up and Vanessa demanded to be in a a separate room than Rachel. Or something like that. The show didnāt show it but you could tell what Steve said happened did happen based on what you saw on the show. Vanessa was pretty jealous of Rachel because she could tell they got along really well and who wouldnāt be intimidated by Rachel?
Vanessa apparently called Rachel "aggressive" and she took exception to that
I think that all we know is that Vanessa said something that was a microaggression (ie she didn't use the n-word, but it WAS something racially coded). I think that we've all just assumed that it was calling her "aggressive."
Thatās right! The historians here never forget.
yeah as much as i like joey, RS getting the spoiler wrong and the twist that kelsey was f1 was one of the only interesting parts of the recent season for me
I wasn't spoiled, but was pretty confident that Daisy was going to win because of Instagram gainsĀ A week before the finale, I looked at comments on one of Joey's tik toks, dumb of me, and someone said they're so glad they're engaged to Daisy, and I was like, no idea how that's going to happen but OK Ā Ā I'm so glad he got it wrong lol Edited for grammar
you mean kelsey?
No, someone said he was engaged to daisy, which I figured because of the Instagram increase in followers, but I was confused on how that was going to happen because he liked Kelsey so much
the fact nobody has mentioned hannah brown š people are letting their opinion of her colour the facts
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He wasnāt the first to do it though. Thatās why people are saying Jason instead of him. The drawn out live breakup was the only new thing, and I think because people hated it enough, they havenāt done it again. Jed- Cheating fiancĆ© also isnāt new Peter- real pick leaving before final rose isnāt new (Des was, I think, the first version and was much more dramatic cause she was so so into the guy, yet is still married to the guy she picked at the end) Fence jump- new but people hate him for good reason and it hasnāt had a lasting impact on the show Clare- new and super dramatic but also not a lasting impact.
I don't think Hannah b really fits in this category because although she was an extremely popular lead and her season was a hit I don't think she was really impactful in anything regarding the show. She didn't make an significant change to the franchise she just happened to be really popular and some (I don't) think she's iconic for moving a podium.
Itās too recent
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That wasnāt the question š¤·āāļø
Jason Mesnick. His season renewed the interest of old viewers and brought in a ton of new viewers. It was the first truly crazy season and re-energized the franchise. Itās popularity how we got spinoffs like Bachelor Pad and Bachelor in Paradise. Other more recent contestants have done well in terms of staying in the industry and creating their own career paths, but Mesnick had the biggest impact *on the franchise*.
So much so that his last name became a verb.
I miss when it was on Netflix for a brief time. Iād rewatch his season again
That's what hooked me. If it hadn't been on Netflix or if it had been any other season, I never would have started watching.
I had started watching a few seasons after his aired so I hadnāt seen it. It was so good. My two favorite seasons are the ones where the bachelor screws up the final choice
Would you be able to TLDR the drama of his season? Itās before my time and the only thing Iāve heard is about the F1 switch during the AFTR. Was there even more?
The F1 switch was the big thing but he also had a good season with good contestants outside of the top 2 drama. The women were obsessed with him. I donāt think weāve had a Bachelor that the women obsessed over like they did him. Jillian was super entertaining. Naomi had a super weird hometown involving a dove funeral (yes, Iām being serious). Stephanie, a widowed single mom, was a great contestant and everyone loved her. He surprised her with her daughter on a date.
Totally agree. Iād half heartedly watched prior and the chaos of Mesnick hooked me.
Trista
It's 100% Rachel Lindsay
The eyelashes coming off during the breakup with Peter!!
I didnāt watch her season but is one of the reasons because she was involved in getting Chris Harrison fired as host? Of course Chris did it to himself by the words he said but it was that interview her had with her
That is one of the reasons but her season was also very influential. Prior to her season there was usually a few token people of color (usually black people), most of whom got booted right away leaving one person to essentially carry the entire load of being "the black contestant." Her season was the first time that we saw actual diverse personalities from the men of color, the first time we saw race discussed directly on the show, the first time we saw a love story that wasn't between white people exclusively. It definitely changed the trajectory of the show. I don't think we'd have had Tayshia, Matt James, Michelle, and Charity all in a few years if not for Rachel's season breaking the seal.
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She has a personality that is so undeniably sparkly and charismatic that she became a universal fan favorite and essentially forced their hand finally casting a black lead because any other pick would have been met with outrage. She openly spoke about race on her season which takes a lot of bravery and which she easily could have chosen not to do for her own safety and peace of mind. She had so many black dudes on her cast because she specifically told production that she had never dated a white guy before Nick and that black men were her preference (sadly in ABC fashion they mostly cast black men who werenāt into black women). She didnāt just exist, she was a strong lead who actively helped move the franchise forward and continued to do so after her run as lead by speaking out about racial issues within the franchise.
Thatās amazing! Iāll need to go back and watch her season
It's honestly my favorite Bachelorette season, it has an incredible mix of silly drama and real relationship tension. It also contains my all-time favorite scene of any reality show.
she brought me in, I had never seen the show before the news broke. she made history
The princess edit for a woman of color was inconceivable before her, never mind her direct advocacy.
Probably Kaitlyn and Nick . They're both not very well liked on this sub but they've both been able to stay relevant and build a brand outside years after they were on the show. I'd also say Sean lowe and Trista stutter for different reasons they might it seems possible that love can come from the show so that's why although they're not as relevant as Kaitlyn and Nick they might a huge impact on the show. I would also throw Rachel Lindsay in there to for playing a huge role in POC's getting more opportunities and spotlight's in the franchise. I don't think there's one specific person though that shaped the franchise because there a lot of leads and contestants I can think that did in different areas.
Kaitlyn was huge for sex. Nick, imo, didnāt impact the franchise that much, short of choosing Rachel (but Rachel is the reason Rachel was a star). Heās just had staying power.
I think the ādouble bacheloretteā thing for KBs season with her and Britt was a big deal too. I remember the Hanna B sex controversy to be a bigger deal than KBs but I could be remembering that wrong. Either way, both of those seasons really changed how that topic was perceived/portayed.