Love Blooms and Wilts on Reality TV: A Bachelor's Tale

Roses – some flourish, some flounder. And while engagement rings might take their time to get resized, not all love stories follow the same pace.

Remember when TV romance was a timid flower just waiting to bloom? It was March 2002 when ABC unleashed "The Bachelor," starring Alex Michel, the world's most sought-after single guy. Cue the fluttering hearts as over 20 women vied for his affection, and just like that, reality TV's powerhouse was born. Fast forward, and "The Bachelorette" stepped into the spotlight the next year. Love had found its game show.

From that first rose ceremony in 2002, a whopping 47 folks have been crowned Bachelor or Bachelorette. Noteworthy mention: Brad Womack was the double-take leader, starring twice. But hold onto your roses, 'cause 2020 was a wild one. The show's producers played the ultimate switcheroo card, tossing Tayshia Adams into the arena to replace Clare Crawley during season 16 of "The Bachelorette."

Imagine the producers' frenzy when Clare swooned for contestant Dale Moss. In the blink of an eye, just shy of two weeks into filming, Clare and Dale were riding off into the engagement sunset, leaving Tayshia to juggle the remaining contenders.

And yes, you guessed it right, Tayshia said yes to Zac Clark’s proposal. But the script flipped in November 2021, as they called it quits. Meanwhile, Clare and Dale? Well, they had their own rollercoaster, breaking up briefly in January 2021, and then definitively saying "game over" to their engagement by September the same year.

But wait, there's more! Two decades on the air, and it's not just love stories that go topsy-turvy. The Bachelors and Bachelorettes themselves have their own tales to tell. What are they up to now? Keep scrolling to find out. 🌹