What would reality television be without its interesting personalities?
The Bachelor franchise has introduced America to some of the most likable faces in reality programming, but it has also spawned some of the most interesting and unforgettable. Some of the contestants, whether mentally unstable, calculated, or not there for the right reasons, stole the show and kept viewers hooked on their every move.
It’s nearly impossible to list every single memorable Bachelor contestant on one list, but we have whittled it down to ten of the strongest personalities to ever grace the show. Keep scrolling to find out who made the cut!
Lucas Yancey
Lucas Yancey whaboomed his way into Bachelor Nation on Rachel Lindsay’s season of The Bachelorette, where he repeatedly used the catchphrase to annoy the other contestants. Though he was eliminated in week 2 of the show, he had enough screen time to implant “whaboom” into the mind of pretty much everyone.
Of course, Yancey’s exit was not without drama. Fellow contestant Blake Elarbee had personal drama with Yancey that went beyond the show, so when the two men both did not receive a rose, Elarbee blamed Yancey and an iconic fight ensued.
Lee Garrett
Also from Rachel’s season, Lee Garrett was a Nashvillian singer and songwriter that didn’t appear too shabby upon first glance. However, there is usually more than meets the eye when it comes to contestants on The Bachelor franchise, and that definitely applied in this case.
Only a couple weeks into the show, racist Tweets from Garrett’s personal Twitter surfaced. Despite the fact that he was vying for the heart of the first African-American Bachelorette, Lindsay rightfully did not stand for it and let Garrett go in week 5.
Corinne Olympios
Corrine was introduced on Nick Viall’s season of The Bachelor, in which she entertained audiences with a goldmine of quirks. Despite the fact she was 24 years old at the time, she still had a nanny that made her bed and cooked her meals (hello, cheese pasta!). She also skipped out of Rose Ceremonies when she was tired.
Corrine controversy came to a boil when she and contestant DeMario Jackson were involved an alleged case of sexual misconduct that took place on Bachelor in Paradise that caused the network to shut down production to investigate the incident. Warner Brothers later announced that there was indeed no misconduct, but the incident definitely left a bad taste in the mouths of Bachelor Nation.
Justin Rego
Justin “Rated R” Rego may have tried to win Ali Fedotowsky’s heart, but ultimately ended up making more drama for himself on The Bachelorette. When Fedotowsky was given information from a girl named Jessica that claimed Rego was dating her back home in Toronto, Fedotowsky tried to confront him about it to no avail.
As soon as she brought up the subject, Rego immediately walked away, dodging her advances until he effectively eliminated himself from the program. Rego even embarrassingly tried to open a locked door to escape Fedotowsky’s interrogation!
Ashley Salter
We may never know the true personality of Ashley Salter, known on the show as Ashley S., but on Chris Soules’ season, she was definitely the most unique! While the other ladies on the show were busy trying to talk to Soules, Salter wandered alone in the courtyard, comparing people to onions for the camera before seeing something on a tree that looked to her like an onion, but was actually a pomegranate.
Soules took her bizarre behavior in stride, though, telling Life & Style that “Ashley S. is definitely different. She’s also beautiful. And sweet. And not that crazy. Did she say some things that were a little off-the-wall? Sure. She also said some things that made a lot of sense.”
Kasey Kahl
Kasey Kahl was definitely devoted to Bachelorette Ali Fedotwsky, and he wasn’t afraid to show it. Kahl decided to make his affections for the leading lady permanent by getting a six-inch wrist tattoo in her honor, which unfortunately didn’t go over well with Fedotowsky, who was understandably creeped out by the gesture.
Even though Fedotowsky sent Kahl packing the same date he showed her the tattoo in Iceland, he has said that he is keeping the body art anyway. Hopefully, he found a new heart to guard and protect.
Ian Thompson
Though he had initially tried to woo Bachelorette Katelyn Bristowe, contestant Ian Thompson turned on her when he admitted to her that he believed she wasn’t there for the right reasons. Thompson told Bristowe that he thought that she only wanted to “make out with dudes on TV,” calling her personality “surface level.”
Though he complained upon his exit from the show that he was being “punished for being an intellectual,” he later apologized to Bristowe on The Men Tell All special.
Chad Johnson
Chad Johnson first made waves on JoJo’s season of The Bachelorette in which he acted extremely aggressively toward the other male contestants, especially Evan Bass. The standout moment was when he threatened to “come find” one of the contestants in a fit of anger that came be his signature on the show.
His behavior worsened on Bachelor in Paradise, in which he acted so foolishly and erratically that Chris Harrison sent him home after the first night. He ended his time in the franchise by yelling at the host, who took it all in stride.
Kelsey Poe
Kelsey Poe at first seemed like a reasonable contestant in search of love on Chris Soules’ season, but the ladies in the house later found out the truth. Poe’s first husband tragically died by suicide, which of course she revealed to Soules on one of their dates. However, it was her reaction afterward that raised eyebrows.
Poe was quoted as saying, “Isn’t my story amazing?! It’s tragic but it’s amazing. I love my story,” in regards to her husband’s death. After picking fights with the women in the house and faking a panic attack on a group date, Soules sent her packing when he was clued into the controversy.
Bentley Williams
Bentley Williams is the worse kind of contestant. For the cameras, he said and did the right things to win Bachelorette Ashley Hebert’s heart. However, in front of producers, he told an entirely different story.
Williams was upset that Ashley was The Bachelorette, as he was not interested in her, proclaiming that he would rather “swim in pee” than plan a wedding with her. In front of Hebert, he still tried to gain her favor, and succeeded in doing so before eliminating himself from the competition. He showed back up again to manipulate Hebert, but thankfully that effort ended up going nowhere.
