Having just wrapped season 26, The Bachelor has been on the air for two decades now and has had hundreds of contestants compete against one another to find true love. The show has remained popular and beloved by viewers mostly thanks to the personalities of the contestants that are chosen to appear on the series. Faces of the franchise like JoJo Fletcher, Rachel Lindsay, and Kaitlyn Bristowe have largely contributed to the success of the show year after year.
While some fans love the drama stirred by the season’s villains, most viewers prefer to watch the contestants that are relatable, kind, and seem genuinely interested in finding love. These contestants are the ones most often cited by Reddit as fan favorites who they never get tired of hearing about.
Sarah Herron (Season 17)
Sarah Herron appeared on Sean Lowe’s season of The Bachelor, where she was praised for her openness and vulnerability. She revealed early on that she was born without one of her arms, and has continuously advocated for those in similar situations to hers. She also competed on two seasons of Bachelor In Paradise and got engaged to her boyfriend in 2021.
Reddit user westsideasses wrote about Sarah being their favorite contestant, “I think she’s used her fame effectively and parlayed it into something she is truly passionate about that also helps others. Plus I think she is gorgeous and truly genuine and down to earth and hasn’t let the exposure go to her head.”
Ashley Spivey (Season 15)
Ashley Spivey competed in Brad Womack’s season, though she was eliminated in week five of the competition. Ashley’s fanbase grew post-show, as she took to social media to build a following and post not only about the Bachelor franchise, but also used her voice to promote social and political events and issues.
Redditor alamogirl21 cited Ashley as their favorite contestant to grace the show, “Ashley Spivey, such a breath of fresh air, loved her book and skincare content.” Most recently, Ashley has been candid on her Instagram about her multiple miscarriages while trying to welcome a child with her husband Steven Hunsberger.
Jubilee Sharpe (Season 20)
Jubilee Sharpe’s first appearance in Bachelor Nation was competing for the heart of Ben Higgins. Though she didn’t make it past week five, she went on to compete on two seasons of Bachelor In Paradise, where fans came to love her charming and outgoing personality.
Reddit user calowyn contributed to a thread about favorite contestants by writing, “Jubilee. I related so much to her obvious anxiety, and yet she refused to let the environment make her do things she didn’t want to in BiP. I respected the hell out of it.”
Emily Maynard (Season 15)
Emily Maynard won the heart of Brad Womack on season 15 of The Bachelor, only for their relationship to end shortly after the season finished airing. She was then named the eighth Bachelorette. Emily was known for her sweet demeanor and heartbreaking backstory, sharing on the show that her fiance had died before the birth of their daughter.
Redditor worldfamouspickles wrote, “Listen this might be unpopular but honestly Emily Maynard, I remember just loving her and my mom and I crying when Jef proposed to her and now she has her van full of kids with her husband.” Though Emily split with her Jef Holm after her season, she has since gotten married and welcomed more children with her now-husband.
Ashley Hebert (Season 15)
Ashley Hebert first competed for the heart of Brad Womack on the 15th season of The Bachelor before being named the 7th overall Bachelorette. She placed third on Brad’s season and was liked by fans for her kind, humble personality that she carried with her into her own season as a lead.
Reddit user BurtonCat commented on a thread that Ashley was their favorite contestant, “she was so kind, caring, and gracious with her guys.” Ashley ended up marrying her final rose recipient JP Rosenbaum, and had two children with him. Despite being a fan-favorite couple in Bachelor Nation, they announced their separation last year.
Kaitlyn Bristowe (Season 19)
Kaitlyn Bristowe was such a fan-favorite on Chris Soules’ season of The Bachelor that the contestants on season 11 of The Bachelorette actually voted for her to be their Bachelorette. Fans adored her honesty and vulnerability both on Chris’s season and her own, and have continued to follow her journey post-show.
Redditor cantbemanaged cited Kaitlyn as their favorite contestant by writing, “Kaitlyn, for being hilarious and unfiltered and giving us a very groundbreaking season.” Kaitlyn was open and candid on her season about her connections with the men, as well as the intimate relationships she had with them.
Catherine Guicidi (Season 17)
Catherine Guicidi was praised on her season of The Bachelor for her relatable, down-to-Earth personality and her fairytale romance with season 17 lead Sean Lowe. They have gone down in history as being one of The Bachelor‘s most popular, beloved couples to come out of the franchise, and are known for sharing sarcastic, self-deprecating humor on their Instagrams.
Reddit user RandomNewGirl mentioned Catherine as their favorite contestant from The Bachelor, stating, “She showed that quirky girls can find love on the show.” Not only did Sean and Catherine get engaged on the show, but they also had a televised wedding and have returned to the show several times to give advice and share updates on their growing family.
Sharleen Joynt (Season 18)
Sharleen Joynt first appeared on television screens in 2014, competing for the heart of Bachelor Juan-Pablo. After seven weeks of the competition, the opera singer opted out of the series due to not feeling like her connection with Juan-Pablo was sustainable long-term.
Redditor justoneplz praised Sharleen in comments on a thread of favorite contestants, “Sharleen – she has amazing style and just knows exactly who she is and never let the show/producers goad her into doing something stupid. She was just all class. I also love how she shines a light on the behind the scenes shenanigans that happen on the show on her blog.” Post-show, she found love and got married and began a blog and Youtube channel.
JoJo Fletcher (Season 20)
JoJo Fletcher was a frontrunner on season 20 of The Bachelor, vying for Ben Higgins’ heart and being one of two women he confessed to being in love with. JoJo was so adored by fans, most of whom were heartbroken by Ben’s rejection of her at the end, that they were elated that she was announced as the next Bachelorette.
A Reddit user wrote of JoJo being their favorite contestant ever, “Jojo – light and fun (still laugh watching her and Becca find Indiana) but is still vulnerable. She’s quietly a boss b**** – look at her follower count, clothing line, new reality/interview show, paid partnerships with legit brands, and girl side hustles by house flipping!” Today, JoJo is planning her wedding to her fiance Jordan Rodgers, with whom she stars on multiple HGTV shows.
Rachel Lindsay (Season 21)
Back in 2017, Rachel Lindsay made her Bachelor Nation debut on Nick Viall’s season of The Bachelor. She was beloved by fans for her likable personality and connection with Nick, who chose to eliminate her after Fantasy Suites. Rachel went on to be named the next Bachelorette and made history by being the first Black lead in franchise history.
Redditor wafflehousepoet commented on a thread discussing all-time favorite contestants by saying, “I love how strong-willed she is and unafraid to share her opinions. I love seeing her success and how hard she has worked to get where she is.” After her season, Rachel married her final rose recipient Bryan Abasolo, began a podcast called Higher Learning, and most recently released a memoir titled, Miss Me With That.
