It may be hard to believe, but back in March of 2002, the world had yet to be introduced to what would soon become the most-watched dating show out there: The Bachelor. Now, 14 years and 20 seasons later, The Bachelor has been a farmer and a football player, an airline pilot and an account executive, and an actor and a doctor. This year's bachelor, 26-year-old software salesman Ben Higgins from Indiana, has even caught the eye of Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco.
The eponymous dating show has spawned may a spin-off, including, of course, The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, one hilarious parody, and one surprisingly well-written homage in the form of UnREAL. It's also spawned a few marriages.
While the show is ostensibly about love and marriage, it's also about showcasing the craziness that ensues when you cut a group of adults off from the rest of the world, drop them in a fishbowl, ply them with plenty of alcohol, and tell them to date each other on camera. It's insane, addictive, and we can't stop watching.
In honor of the show's 20th season,let us take you on a stroll down memory lane to revisit a dozen of the most delightfully insane moments in the series’ sensational history. They are never disappointing, but sometimes shocking.
Jesse Palmer Can't Play The Name Game
Season 5 bachelor Jesse Palmer may now be a former New York Giants quarterback turned ESPN announcer and Good Morning America contributor, but that didn't stop him from fumbling his first rose ceremony back in 2004. After handing out 15 roses, Palmer had to admit that he misspoke and accidentally gave a rose to Katie instead of Karen. (So many Ks, so few roses?) Both ladies made it through that first night, but neither went away with Palmer in the end.
Brad Womack Pulls A Kelly Taylor
Sure, most finales of The Bachelor end with a proposal — unless, that is, you're Brad Womack. Instead of getting down on one knee, the bar owner essentially said "thanks, but no thanks" to finalists DeAnna Pappas and Jenni Croft, opting instead to go it alone.
For a little bit, anyway: Womack would return for a round two as The Bachelor four seasons later and up proposing to Emily Maynard. That, it seems, wasn't destined to work out either, though. Maynard would later go on to become The Bachelorette. Ouch.
Jason Mesnick's Awkward On-Air Backtrack
In the mind of season 13 bachelor Jason Mesnick, it's never too little, too late. Mesnick may have proposed to sales rep Melissa Rycroft in the season finale, but that didn't stop him from changing his mind on-air during one hell of an awkward After the Final Rose special. Oh, no. He broke up with Rycroft by saying that he had been "in love with two women at the same time" and the second of the two — department store buyer Molly Malaney — was the one he needed to be with after all.
Behind-The-Scenes Banging?
In season 14 of the eponymous dating show, makeup artist Rozlyn Papa is kicked out of the competition for an alleged physical relationship with one of the show's producers. Rozlyn denied that anything happened, but the other ladies...well, they begged to differ.
Jake & Vienna Implode On Camera
Later on in season 14, bachelor Jake Pavelka and contestant Vienna Girardi rode off into the sunset together at the end of the season, so to speak, only to breakup off-screen just in time to convince ABC and show host Chris Harrison to have them back for a postmortem (also known as the most awkward breakup conversation you've ever seen).
Fang To Meet You
When Brad Womack returned to The Bachelor for a second time in season 15, contestant Madison Garton chose a one-of-a-kind accessory for their first meeting: fangs. (It was 2011, so...blame the Twi-hards?)
Brad's reaction? "She has a very sexy, unique look. But at the same time, the girl has fangs...if that's a joke, get rid of it."
Ben Flajnik's Seaside Skinny-Dip
Reality TV contestants are certainly not known for their modesty, which may help to explain the bold behavior of season 16 bachelor Ben Flajnik. While in Puerto Rico, the winemaker went skinny-dipping in the ocean with contestant Courtney Robertson and the pair proceeded to have sex for the first time while the cameras zoomed in on their heads bobbing up and down in the water.
Wedding Dress — Wait, What?
The ladies of The Bachelor always try to make a memorable impression on their potential paramour, but sometimes that can go entirely too far. Like, Miss Havisham too far. In the premiere of the 17th season, contestant Lindsay Yenter rolled out of the limo for her first meet and greet wearing a full-on wedding dress, complete with veil. She then proceeded to awkwardly kiss bachelor Sean Lowe before going on to get rather obviously wasted and attempt to slow dance with him to no music later in the evening. Too much too soon, girl!
Juan Pablo Is All Sorts Of Sexually Inappropriate
Turns out, soccer star turned bachelor Juan Pablo can ruin a romantic moment like it's nobody's business. When Pablo tells contestant Clare Crawley that she isn't the one for him during the finale of The Bachelor's 18th season, Crawley angrily responds, "I would never want my children having a father like you," before storming away.
She later revealed to producers during a confessional that Juan Pablo had whispered some extremely unwelcome lewd nothings into her ear during their supposedly picture-perfect helicopter date. Not cool, Juan Pablo.
Ashley Is An Onion
In season 19, contestant Ashley Salter unintentionally made us all crack up with her emphatic explanation that all people are like onions, with many, many layers. First, she repeatedly encouraged the camera to look at the completely imaginary onion in her hands while explaining this. Then, she announced that there is an onion growing from the tree behind her, only to discover upon further investigation that it is, instead, a pomegranate. Okay.
Amy Schumer's One-Of-A-Kind Congratulations
Amy Schumer follows up her boss appearance on The Bacheloretteby calling this season's bachelor, Ben Higgins, to welcome him to the 20th season...and solicit phone sex: “Ben, I am so excited for you. I hope you find love. Do you want to have phone sex right now?”
Thank you for making us all feel better about our reality TV addiction, Amy.
A Black Bachelor Is Cast — Sort Of
Lifetime's UnReal beat the ABC dating drama to the punch when it comes to diversity, announcing earlier this year that it will cast a Black bachelor on Everlasting, the show's spoof of The Bachelor. And what's insane about this moment isn't that UnReal is welcoming a Black bachelor — it's that The Bachelor itself still hasn't. Come on Chris Harrison, you know it's time!
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