Though ABC loves to claim that every season of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette is the most dramatic ever, there have been a few seasons that actually have been exceptionally messy. Whether it’s an indecisive lead, explosive ending, or contestants who make waves, these Bachelors and Bachelorettes had seasons that viewers considered to be complete train wrecks.
The Bachelor franchise places leads and contestants in an extremely unconventional dating environment, and it’s no surprise that the result is often heartbreak and hurt feelings. Things like the fantasy suites and falling in love with multiple people are common in the franchise, but in the real world, it would be grounds for a breakup.
While these leads weren’t dating in the real world, they were dating in Bachelor Nation, which means their relationships often came to much messier ends. On their seasons, these Bachelors and Bachelorettes stunned viewers with just how reckless they were with their and other people’s hearts, and their time as leads are seen as some of the most dramatic in Bachelor Nation history.
Jason Mesnick
In 2008 when single dad Jason Mesnick was The Bachelor, it seemed like he was going to be a typical lead, but on his "After the Final Rose" special, everything went to hell. In his finale, Jason got engaged to Melissa Rycroft and sent Molly Malaney home. However, On "ATFR," Jason sent shockwaves through Bachelor Nation when he broke up with Melissa and professed his love for Molly. Today, Jason and Molly are happily married, but at the time, fans were furious.
Clare Crawley
Clare Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette fell apart as soon as contestant Dale Moss stepped out of the limo, and Clare was completely smitten. It only took a few days for Clare to decide she wanted to scrap her season, and she eagerly got engaged to Dale. Thankfully, Tayshia Adams was waiting in the wings, ready to take up the mantle of The Bachelorette. Unfortunately for Clare, her relationship with Dale was a complete roller coaster and ended in heartbreak.
Peter Weber
In retrospect, Peter Weber wasn’t ready to get engaged and settle down, and it led to an exceptionally messy season. Producers had an easy time manipulating Peter, who often made his female contestants furious. At the end of the season, Peter’s first choice, Madison Prewett, decided to go home, so Peter proposed to his second choice, Hannah Ann Sluss, instead. Of course, Hannah Ann didn’t enjoy being Peter’s consolation prize and broke off their engagement. Madison and Peter briefly dated afterward, but messy Pete is now single.
Juan Pablo Galavis
Though he’d be inclined to say “it’s okay,” Juan Pablo’s season of The Bachelor was one of the most disliked ever. Multiple women weren’t feeling him and decided to leave the show, including Sharleen Joynt, who many viewers believed was Juan Pablo’s top choice. As The Bachelor, Juan Pablo didn’t seem to care that much about finding love, and his attitude was frustratingly blasé. Clare cussed Juan Pablo out when he broke up with her in the finale, and his relationship with “winner” Nikki Ferrell barely made it past the show.
Ben Higgins
Though Ben’s season of The Bachelor was pretty cookie-cutter, he’s the lead responsible for opening the “I love you” floodgates. When it was down to his final two women, JoJo Fletcher and Lauren Bushnell (now Lane), he told both that he was in love with them—something that had never been done on the show before. The two women were shocked when they found out Ben had fallen in love with both of them, and it led to the end of his relationship with Lauren. There’s a reason why previous leads never said "I love you" to contestants until they got engaged.
Desiree Hartsock
Desiree’s season of The Bachelorette had a lot of mess in it, though it wasn’t exactly Desiree’s fault. From the start of the season, Desiree developed strong feelings for contestant Brooks Forester, but ultimately those feelings weren’t reciprocated. Brooks came clean to Desiree and quit the show in week 9, and Desiree was heartbroken. She almost didn’t continue on the show, but it’s a good thing she did because Desiree is still married to her final rose recipient Chris Siegfried..
Brad Womack
When Brad was The Bachelor in season 11, he made franchise history. Brad whittled his contestants down to two—DeAnna Pappas and Jenni Croft. However, in the finale, Brad shocked viewers and his final two women when he broke up with both of them. Not only did he not propose to either of them, but Brad also didn’t want to pursue a relationship with either. It was a messy ending that was loaded with heartbreak, and, amazingly, Brad was given another chance to be The Bachelor in season 15.
Arie Luyendyk
Many fans consider Arie to be a Jason Mesnick 2.0 because he also changed his mind after getting engaged. However, when he broke up with Becca Kufrin after he realized how strong his feelings for Lauren Burnham still were, it was even more dramatic. Viewers watched Arie break Becca’s heart in real-time and excruciating detail. Though Arie is still with Lauren, and the couple is very happy, many fans considered his season to be the messiest, at least until now.
Clayton Echard
Clayton’s finale recently shocked fans with its excessive messiness. Though at the fantasy suites, it was clear Clayton had the strongest bond with Susie Evans, after she decided to leave, Clayton quickly pivoted to his remaining women, Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia. He revealed to them that he was in love with both of them and had been intimate with them as well. The two women considered leaving, but Clayton begged and pleaded for them to remain on the show, so they did. However, when Clayton decided to pursue Susie anyway, he dumped Gabby and Rachel at the same time. Clayton may have ended up with Susie after the show, but fans won’t forget how careless he was with Gabby and Rachel’s feelings.
Though these leads from The Bachelor franchise may have tried their best to be fair and considerate to their contestants, they, in the immortal words of Clayton’s father, “screwed the pooch.” Instead, their seasons were some of the absolute messiest that Bachelor Nation has ever seen, and they’ll always be remembered by fans for being epic dumpster fires.