A Definitive Ranking of Most Insane Things to Ever Take Place in Bachelor Nation
Bachelor Nation is quite the reality television powerhouse.
With three shows premiering per year, and countless contestants embarrassing themselves on national TV, there's quite a lot of content to sift through. Even though the show follows a specific formula season after season, the cast still manages to break the mold and genuinely shock viewers.
From the very first seasons to present-day stunts, keep scrolling for our definitive ranking of the most insane things to ever take place in Bachelor Nation.
8. Everything With Ashley S.
Ashley S. was quite the character on Chris Soules' season of The Bachelor. Known for her long, unintelligible rants, the girl made a name for herself as one of the craziest contestants to ever appear on the show. Her weird personality came through loud and clear on night one, when she compared the rest of the girls (or Chris?) to onions and then tried to interrupt a conversation by offering the girl Chris was speaking to a rose. She stands at the bottom of our list, mostly because she was nothing more than an amusing, if kooky, addition to the show.
7. Clare Tells Off Juan Pablo
Juan Pablo was easily the worst Bachelor in the entire history of the franchise. He was rude and cold throughout the entire season, but Clare and Nikki stuck it out anyway. When Juan Pablo sent Clare home instead of Nikki during the finale episode, she decided she'd had enough. She yelled at him about his inappropriate behavior, all while Juan Pablo stood there calmly and said "okay" about a billion times.
The lead is pretty much in charge in Bachelor Nation. They make the decisions, and it's not often that they're questioned or called out for their behavior. Clare's attack on Juan Pablo was an interesting moment, in part due to his lack of reaction and in part due to her scathing monologue.
6. Jake and Vienna Break Up
Jake and Vienna were far from the most beloved couple in Bachelor Nation. When their breakup was publicly announced, it was immediately followed by tons of backlash and vicious attacks, both from fans and from the couple themselves. They sat down with Chris Harrison to tell their story and potentially improve their situation, but they only managed to make everything worse.
In the interview, they yelled at each other, called each other names and completely threw out the normal script of good-natured, bittersweet splits that are characteristic of this franchise. It was shocking to see the pair attack each other so openly and so maliciously, making it a truly appalling moment and one of the most brutal public breakups ever seen in this franchise.
5. Brad Womack Chooses No One
The Bachelor and The Bachelorette both revolve around one key moment—the finale episode where the lead chooses the person he or she wants to marry. Most times the show ends in a proposal, but even if one or both people aren't ready for that commitment, every single season shows the lead confessing their affection for their final pick… except one.
In season 11, Bachelor Brad Womack said goodbye to both women, explaining that he wasn't in love with either of them. It was the first and only time that's ever happened on the show, and it was in complete contrast with the system of The Bachelor. It was brutal, completely unexpected and totally out of the norm, earning it the rank of No. 5 on this list.
4. Ben Higgins Tells Both Finalists He Loves Them
It's sort of an unspoken rule in Bachelor Nation that the lead doesn't say "I love you" until the very end, and only to the person he's decided to pick. Ben Higgins, however, threw that rule right out the window when he told both Lauren Bushnell and JoJo Fletcher that he loved them. It was definitely a shocking moment, but it made this list because it irrevocably changed Bachelor Nation's future. Since Ben's season, the lead has been much more open with how they're feeling, often saying they're in love with multiple people, even if they don't tell the contestants themselves.
3. Arie and Becca Break Up
During Arie's season of The Bachelor, he chose Becca Kufrin, sending runner-up Lauren Burnham home. A few weeks later, however, Arie confessed he couldn't stop thinking about Lauren. With the help of production, he decided to break up with Becca on camera during a "happy couple's weekend." Becca was filmed first, happy and excited to spend time with her fiancé. Then the cameras followed the pair around the house as Becca sobbed about the end of her relationship.
To take it one step further, Arie then proposed to Lauren during After the Final Rose, while the breakup footage was still fresh in everyone's mind. It wasn't the first time the lead changed their mind after the finale (see No.2), but it was a deeply personal and heartbreaking moment that was then televised to the world. It felt uncomfortable to watch, and it earned the franchise a lot of backlash for their ability to mess with contestants' emotions, seemingly without any remorse.
2. Jason Breaks Up With Melissa on Live TV
While there are plenty of on-air breakups over the course of a season, all that's supposed to end when the lead chooses their final person. For Jason Mesnick and Melissa Rycroft, however, that was not the case. Jason proposed to Melissa at the end of Season 13, sending his runner-up, Molly Malaney, home. However, on After the Final Rose, during their first appearance as an engaged couple, Jason blindsided Melissa with a breakup and confessed that he hadn't been able to stop thinking about Molly.
Not only did his confession interrupt the timeline of the series, it was also incredibly heartbreaking to watch. Melissa was clearly unaware that the breakup was coming, and her anger and frustration was almost palpable. In addition, she had to face a humiliating confession on live television, making it difficult for her to truly speak her mind.
1. The Fence Jump
We have no choice. We have to put this season's iconic fence jump at the top of the list. After his No. 1 choice left the show, Colton decided he'd had quite enough of being the Bachelor. He removed his mic, walked away from production, jumped a six-foot fence and disappeared into the Portuguese countryside.
It ranks at the very top because never in the history of the show have we seen a lead run away from production. In addition, while most "shocking" moments that are teased in trailers end up being less than exciting, this jump fully lived up to the hype. It was simultaneously the most satisfying and heartbreaking moment of the season, and we can't wait to see where things go from here.
Looking for more content about Colton? Click HERE to see which woman from Colton's season of The Bachelor you are, based on your zodiac sign!