The 7 Types of Contestants You See on Every Season of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette

While the current season of ABC's The Bachelorette may be like none we've seen before, the types of contestants we're seeing aren't quite so unique.

There's plenty to love about this rose-wielding show, but it's hard not to admit that it does draw in certain sorts of people who sign up to play along. Whether we're talking about The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, there are certain types of contestants that seem to crop up every season. Let's talk about each kind:

1. The Wannabe Musician

Whether they be the "guy who whips out his guitar at every party" type, the "writes jingles for a living" type or just the "one who finds a way to sing during every date challenge" type, it just wouldn't be a season of The Bachelor of The Bachelorette without a wannabe musician amidst the group of hopeful rose recipients.

 

2. The Southern Sweetheart

One part Southern drawl, another part intense focus on the importance of family and a final dash of an all-too-idyllic hometown is the recipe for this type of contestant we see every season, the Southern sweetheart. Whether they're a country gentleman or a Southern belle, this person has a way of finding their way into the heart of the lead. Bonus points if they make it to hometowns and have either 1. A stern Southern dad who never cracks a smile and practically threatens the lead or 2. A worried mother figure who uses the phrase "bless your heart."

 

Also read about: The Best Things to Come Out of Clayton's Season of The Bachelor

 

3. The One Trying Too Hard to Be the Villain

Some contestants that find their way into the role of the infamous "villain" each season seem like they're trying too hard to fall into that spot—but they aren't fooling us. It's almost like they know that they don't have an actual connection or chance with the leading lady or man, so instead they use strong manipulation tactics to stick around long enough to grow their following and make a name for themselves (even if it isn't such a good one).

 

4. The Actual Villain

And then there's the real bad guy. The actual villain of each season doesn't reveal him or herself so easily; rather, they take their time to develop into the role as drama starts to stir. Maybe they're the catalyst of a rumor that spreads around the mansion, maybe they take time with the lead away from other contestants or maybe they're just not "here for the right reasons," but no matter what, there's a good chance the real villain sticks around for longer than the wannabe version.

 

5. The Future Lead Hopeful

Speaking of wannabes, we couldn't make a list about the different types of contestants you see on each season without noting the wannabe future Bachelor or Bachelorette. There are a few criteria that this type of contestant usually meets: they make it pretty far into the final few, they seem to say all the right things (looking at your, "it's crazy, I've never met someone I connected like this with so easily before!"), they have some sort of sob story or strong feelings about family and they're just really good looking. Other than that, there isn't anything too special about this person. Sure, they have a connection with the lead, but we're always left wondering if it's purely based on physicality and nothing else. If this person is a true wannabe though, there's a good chance they'll reveal themselves via some gaslighting after too long (a la Greg Grippo from Katie Thurston's season).

 

6. The One You Didn't Even Notice Was There Until They Get a Rose at the Ceremony

Our thoughts when it comes to this type of contestant usually go something like: "Wait, who is that person? Did they just stick someone new in there to see if we'd notice? Oh well, they probably won't get a rose anyway—wait they actually got a rose? Whatever, they're probably not making it to hometowns anyway."

 

Also read about: Our Favorite Bachelorette Contestants From This Season So Far

 

7. The One Who's Only Here So They Can Go to Paradise

This person finds a way to coast along in the crowd with just enough attention that they've secured their spot on the beaches of paradise—Bachelor in Paradise, that is. We love this person. They tried their best. They made friends for life. They spent more time having fun with their competition than they did forming any kind of connection with the lead. They were just memorable enough that we hope they find their real love story (or at least some hilarious moments) in a much more tropical location when they return to our screens on our favorite Bachelor Nation spinoff.

 

Now that we're thinking about all the types of contestants we see on every season of our favorite reality television dating show, we can't help but think about how excited we are for the next episode of the current season! If you're in the same boat, click HERE to keep the excitement going and check out our list of things we're excited about seeing on Gabby and Rachel's season of The Bachelorette.