The world of reality TV was forever changed when the first season of The Bachelorette aired in 2003. Trista Rehn set the stage for finding love amid 20 some suitors and proved that it could actually happen. While the series had a strong start, over the years there were seasons that flopped for many reasons, including too much, or too little, drama.
As the years went by, Bachelorette seasons came with higher expectations for both the lead and those competing for their affection. While the leading lady is normally chosen from being a fan-favorite—or villain—on the previous season of The Bachelor, fans aren’t always pleased with who is named.
The franchise has tried to switch things up at times, like naming two bachelorettes at once, but it’s ultimately the chemistry—or lack-there-of—between the lead and her suitors that makes for a successful season. Not to mention the luxurious destinations and crazy date ideas are also among the things that intrigue viewers.
The Bachelorette seasons ranked from worst to best
Scroll down to see where your favorite Bachelorette season landed on this list.
Season 2 — Meredith Phillips
Image Credit: Bob D’Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. The most unmemorable season came in 2004. Fresh off competing on Bob Guiney’s season of The Bachelor where she placed third, Phillips was chosen to lead the show. Her season was pretty uneventful, which doesn’t make for great reality TV. At the end of her journey, Phillips got engaged to Ian McKee, but the pair broke up a year later.
Season 3 — Jennifer Schefft
Image Credit: Donna Svennevik/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. Fans became familiar with Schefft when she appeared on Andrew Firestone’s season of The Bachelor. While the two became engaged at the end, they amicably split months later. In 2005, the event planner went on to become the third Bachelorette, but her journey to find love was less than exciting … until the very end. After choosing Jerry Ferris, she denied his proposal, asking him to hold onto the ring until a later date.
Ferris went on to propose a second time during the first-ever live After the Final Rose where Schefft one again denied and this time stated that the relationship was over and that they were better off as friends.
Season 19 — Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia
Image Credit: Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images. The Bachelor franchise decided to shake things up in 2022 and award two fan favorites from Clayton Echard’s season the title of Bachelorette. While Windey and Recchia proved that friendships can form during the process of the show, the season got off to a slow start while the men decided which woman they wanted to pursue a relationship with.
Neither bachelorette found lasting love during this season.
Season 9 — Desiree Hartsock
Image Credit: Craig Sjodin/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. Hartsock gained popularity during Sean Lowe’s season of The Bachelor, securing her the spot of Bachelorette in 2013. She was likeable and while that didn’t make for a very exciting season — minus the surprise exit of Brooks Forester whom she had fallen for — Hartsock was one of the lucky few who found true love with Chris Siegfried. As of August 2024, she and Siegfried are still together. They share two kids and are expecting their third.
Season 17 — Katie Thurston
Image Credit: Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images. Thurston first competed for the heart of Matt James on the 25th season of The Bachelor, but was sent home on week six. Despite her short journey with James, Thurston gained recognition and was named The Bachelorette in 2021. Her season was filled with exhausting drama and ended with her getting engaged to Blake Moynes who didn’t appear as a contestant until week five. The pair split later that same year.
Season 7 — Ashley Hebert
Image Credit: Craig Sjodin/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. After getting her heart broken by Bachelor Brad Womack, Hebert was named The Bachelorette in 2011. Hebert’s season lacked excitement other than when two potential suitors willingly left the show. Hebert eventually found love with J.P. Rosenbaum whom she married and had two kids with. The former couple announced their decision to split in October 2021 and divorced the following year.
Season 14 — Becca Kufrin
Image Credit: Paul Hebert via Getty Images. Viewers felt for Kufrin when she was blindsided by Arie Luyendyk Jr. after getting engaged on the finale of his season. While the two left the show seemingly happy, Luyendyk Jr. decided he was not in love with Kufrin, but rather runner-up Lauren Burnham. The drama led to Kufrin being chosen to lead season 14 of the reality show. Kufrin left engaged once again, this time to Garrett Yrigoyen. She and Yrigoyen broke up in September 2020 after nearly two years together.
Season 16 — Clare Crawley & Tayshia Adams
Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC. Getty Images. Crawley was the runner up on Juan Pablo Galavis’s season of the show, and went on to stay relevant in the franchise by appearing on two seasons of Bachelor in Paradise as well as The Bachelor Winter Games. She was unsuccessful in finding love, and went on to be named The Bachelorette in 2020.
Things escalated quickly for Crawley who got engaged to Dale Moss (they split months later) and left the show after just four weeks. The shakeup led to Adams — who previously appeared on Colton Underwood’s season of The Bachelor — stepping in and finishing out the filming. Adams left engaged to Zac Clark, but they also eventually split.
Season 4 — DeAnna Pappas
Image Credit: Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. Pappas was one of the two women sent home on the finale of Brad Womack’s season. She then became the Bachelorette in 2008, where she left engaged to professional snowboarder Jesse Csincsak. The pair didn’t work out, but Pappas went on to marry Stephen Stagliano, whose twin brother, Michael, appeared on Jillian Harris’ season of the show.
Season 13 — Rachel Lindsay
Image Credit: Craig Sjodin/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. In 2017, Lindsay became the first Black Bachelorette after appearing on Nick Viall’s season of The Bachelor. Lindsay is as adorable as she is entertaining, but her season fell short of the high expectations fans had. She briefly found love with Bryan Abasolo. The two got married in August 2019, but divorced in 2024.
Season 6 — Ali Fedotowsky
Image Credit: Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. Fedotowskymade a name for herself on Jake Pavelka’s season of The Bachelor when she left and chose her job over finding love. She ended up coming back as the lead where she had an exciting group of men waiting for her. She ended up choosing hunky Roberto Martinez, but they later called off their engagement.
Season 18 — Michelle Young
Image Credit: Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty Images. Young — who first appeared on Matt James’s season of The Bachelor where she lost the final rose — became The Bachelorette in 2021. The humble teacher from Minnesotta attracted one of the most mature and fun-loving groups of guys in the franchise’s history, making it a memorable season.
At the end of her season, Young became engaged to Nayte Olukoya, though they split in June 2022.Season 20 — Charity Lawson
Image Credit: Sami Drasin/ABC via Getty Images. Lawson’s season of The Bachelorette was all about true love. She and Dotun Olubeko, who won her heart and the final rose, hit it off from the start and gave viewers hope that the process of falling in love on reality TV still works after all these years.
Season 21 – Jenn Tran
Image Credit: Disney/John Fleenor. Tran, who was sent home in Week 7 on Joey Graziaidei’s season of The Bachelor, became the first Asian-American lead in The Bachelor franchise’s history when she was announced as the Season 21 Bachelorette in 2024. Tran ended up with winner Devin Strader in her finale. However, after Strader broke up with her in between the time her finale filmed and when it aired on ABC, Tran read him for filth in what became one of the most talked-about “After the Final Rose” specials in Bachelor Nation history. The finale solidified Tran so much as a fan favorite in Bachelor Nation that ABC announced her as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars hours later.
Season 15 — Hannah Brown
Image Credit: John Fleenor via Getty Images. Brown and her southern accent charmed viewers during her time on Colton Underwood’s season of the show, securing her the spot of Bachelorette in 2019. There was no shortage of drama as the series played out, most notably with Luke Parker who shamed Brown for her views on sex before marriage, and then attempted to come back after being sent home.
Brown’s season also introduced fans to franchise favorites Mike Johnson, Peter Weber, and Tyler Cameron to name a few.
Season 8 — Emily Maynard
Image Credit: Francisco Roman/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. Maynard first appeared on Brad Womack’s season of The Bachelor where she accepted a proposal from him only for things to not work out. Maynard’s sweet personality and tragic background story about losing her her then-fiancé, and her daughter’s father Ricky Hendrick, in a plane accident were among the reasons fans fell in love with her and producers chose her the next Bachelorette. Maynard — and viewers — thought she had found love with Jef Holm during her season, but the two split months after the show ended.
Season 10 — Andi Dorfman
Image Credit: Craig Sjodin/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. Dorfman made a statement when she walked out on Juan Pablo Galavis during the ninth episode of his season, landing her the role of the next Bachelorette. Her season was full of drama between the guys, which included Nick Viall, Chris Soules, and Josh Murray to name a few.
Things got tense at times when Dorfman was overwhelmed with the fighting, but she ultimately chose Murray but things didn’t end up working out in the long run.
Season 12 — JoJo Fletcher
Image Credit: Craig Sjodin/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. Fletcher first sought love on TV during Ben Higgins’s season of the show in which she was the runner up. Her infectious smile and loveable personality made her season of The Bachelorette easy to watch.
She and her now-husband Jordan Rogers are one of the rare success stories that have come from the show. They’ve been married since May 2022.Season 5 — Jillian Harris
Image Credit: Jeff Petry/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. Harris — who first appeared on Jason Mesnick’s season — was one of the most relatable Bachelorettes of all time. With her sharp wit and up-for-anything attitude, the dates were some of the best to watch. At the end of her journey, she chose Ed Ed Swiderski, but they later broke up.
Season 1 — Trista Rehn
Image Credit: Craig Sjodin/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. Rehn had a lot to prove as the first-ever Bachelorette and she did not disappoint. From the start, she and firefighter Ryan Sutter were visibly smitten, and the show played out like a perfect romantic movie. The pair got engaged and has been married since December 2003.
Season 11 — Kaitlyn Bristowe
Image Credit: Rick Rowell/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images. Fans were first introduced to Bristowe during Chris Soules’ season of The Bachelor. Hilarious, honest and straight-forward are some of her personality traits that made her Bachelorette season so memorable. She and her final pick, Shawn Booth, were engaged for three years before calling it off in 2018
