The Bachelorette follows a formula and presents slight variations each season to keep things interesting for fans. When viewers tune into the show, they know they’ll be watching one-on-one dates, rose ceremonies, family introductions, and several group dates.
Contestants on The Bachelorette don’t love to share their prospective wife on group dates. If they want to be one of The Bachelorette couples that are still going strong, they need one-on-one time. As such, the cast can get pretty competitive when vying for the affection of a bachelorette like Hannah Brown or JoJo Fletcher. As a result, group dates can end up disastrous and messy.
Desiree Hartsock’s Rap Video
![The Bachelorette: 10 Messiest And Most Disastrous Group Dates](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Desiree-Soulja-Boy-Bachelorette-Cropped.jpg)
There doesn’t seem to be a less appropriate place for rap music than on The Bachelorette. Hip-hop star Soulja Boy made a guest appearance on Desiree’s season to help her and the contestants make a rap video on a group date. The result was messy.
The cast does their best to pull off the video with Soulja Boy’s help. However, the contestants make their experience known on the track as they stumble through their lines. Considering The Bachelorette’s criticism for lack of representation, the rap date came across as messy and almost mocking of the genre.
Emily Johnson’s “Brave” Games
![Men from Emily's season of The Bachelorette plkay tug of war with a wooden pole.](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/tumblr-m5zce2Ltw01qdkcrio1-1280-Cropped.jpg)
There have been a few instances of Bachelorette contestants wearing kilts and playing outdoor games like archery. Hannah Brown took her men ax throwing in Scotland in the signature bottom wear, but nothing was like Emily’s outdoor games date.
Despite being in Croatia, the men wore Scottish kilts and competed in feats of strength to gain Emily’s affection. The theme was meant to promote Disney’s Brave, which the group all watches before the games begin. The men get a little too competitive during the date, but the transparent sponsorship makes it feel staged and disastrous.
Michelle Young’s Farm Date
![Michelle Young on The Bachelorette season 18 photoshoot](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Michelle-Young-on-The-Bachelorette-season-18-photoshoot.jpg)
Michelle takes her prospective partners on a group date to the farm on her recent season of The Bachelorette. The men were willing to do their best, but fans might think they weren’t prepared for their activities on the farm. Michelle and the contestants milked cows together, and it was easier for some more than others.
Joe revealed that his folks owned a dairy farm, and he made quick work of the job. However, Rodney had a tougher time, and the cow he milks nearly knocked the camera out of the crew’s hands. When the men started shoveling manure, fans knew they were watching one of the show’s messiest group dates.
Ashley Hebert’s Roast
![Ashley Hebert claps during he roast group date in The Bachelorette](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ashley-Hebert-Roast-Bachelor-Cropped.jpg)
Ashley’s roast date is perhaps the most notorious group date in Bachelorette history. Some fans called it one of the worst betrayals to happen on The Bachelorette. The idea didn’t sound good on paper, as fans are more used to seeing contestants give a rigorous stream of compliments to their prospective partners than ever giving them any playful ribbing.
Switching things up and having contestants roast the bachelorette turned out to be a disaster. When William compared Ashley to “another man’s trash,” and took digs at her body, it was hard for audiences to stomach. Ashley broke down in tears soon after the roast, and fans couldn’t blame her.
Rachel Lindsay’s Mud Wrestling Date
![Rachel and her friends cheering in The Bachelorette during the Mud Wrestling group date.](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Rachel-Bachelorette-Mud-Wresling-Date-Cropped.jpg)
It doesn’t get much messier than Rachel Lindsay’s mud wrestling group date. Dates are meant to showcase suitors’ talents and help the bachelorette and the contestants get to know each other better. However, Rachel’s mudwrestling group date didn’t do much of either.
Rachel sat on the sidelines in a clear raincoat as the men from her season duked it out in a blowup pool filled with mud. She was joined by a crowd of screaming women as the cast did their best to pin each other in the wet dirt. The result was a date that was hard for fans to watch, but probably not as uncomfortable to watch as it was for the men to perform.
JoJo Fletcher’s Firefighting Date
![JoJo dressed as a Firefighter during a group date on the Bachelorette.](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/JoJo-Firefighter-Bachelorette-Cropped.jpg)
JoJo takes contestants on one of the most impractical group dates in Bachelorette history on her season. The cast was tasked with a mock firefighting situation, and all suited up in real helmets and heavy protective gear before competing for some alone time with JoJo.
Grant had an upper hand as the cast’s only real firefighter. However, most of the suitors struggled under pounds of equipment, and Wells was disqualified because the crew feared he would faint. Wells got more alone time with JoJo, while the rest of the cast looked on with envy. The date certainly was messier than the production must have planned.
Rachel Lindsay’s Spelling Bee
![Rachel sits with young judges during the spelling bee group date on The Bachelorette](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/9a5fcb5562edec8ad20ae3621cf905e3cb-20-the-bachelorette-spelling-bee-Cropped.jpg)
Rachel surprised the cast of her season when a spelling bee group date was announced to the men competing for her hand in marriage. Chris Harrison hosted, three pre-teen girls judged, and a crowd of onlookers watched the memorable date unfold.
Perhaps the competition was meant to appear cute and wholesome, but the result missed the mark. Men cussed over the microphone when they missed words, and it wasn’t long before Harrison instructed the judges to put their “earmuffs” on for words like “coitus.” The loser’s circle filled up fast, and the date appeared uncomfortable and disorganized.
Becca Kufrin’s Football Date
![Becca and contestants play football on a group date in The Bachelorette.](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Becca-Football-Date-Bachelorette-Cropped.jpg)
A game of football seems like a wholesome and easy group date idea. However, things didn’t go as planned for Becca and her men when they hit the field on her season. During Becca’s group date, things started strong as the contestants began a friendly game of football.
Considering contestants Clay Harbor and Colton Underwood had NFL experience, fans thought the date would go off without a hitch. However, the men get a little too invested in the game, leaving Clay with an injured wrist, requiring an ambulance ride to the ER.
Kaitlyn Bristowe’s Mock Wake
![Kaitlyn in a coffin during the mock wake group date in The Bachelorette.](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Mock-Wake-Bachelorette-Cropped.jpg)
Kaitlyn Bristowe gave fans one of the most bizarre group dates in Bachelorette history on her season. While most bachelorettes bring their men on group dates to play sports or perform on stage, Kaitlyn had them honor her in a mock wake.
Kaitlyn lied down in a casket, pretending to be dead, while the contestants of the show spoke on her behalf. The date came across as strange and awkward, and Kaitlyn couldn’t keep quiet and still. Things got messy when Ben was reminded of his mother’s recent passing thanks to the date’s strange premise.
Clare Crawley’s Cocktail Party
![Clare from The Bachelorette in a blue dress.](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Clare-Bachelorette-Blue-Dress-Cropped.jpg)
Clare’s season of The Bachelorette was less than perfect. Her time on the show was a landmark moment, as she leaves with a fiancé in Dale Moss after just a few short weeks. However, her first group cocktail party foreshadowed her difficult time on the show.
When Clare had the cocktail party portion of her first group date, she excused herself after no one tried to pull her aside for alone time. She was hurt by the lack of enthusiasm and even asks if anyone was going to step up and take charge. Luckily for her, the disastrous date was only followed by a few after she got attached to Dale, even if they did have one of the shortest Bachelorette engagements.