December 19, 2019 • bachelor insider
Bachelor Nation's Biggest Moments of 2019
Sure, 2019 flew by faster than you can say “Fantasy Suite” four times, but it certainly wasn’t without its memorable moments.
One year in Bachelor Nation translates into three seasons of drama-filled shows, plus engagements, weddings, babies, and breakups. We witnessed Colton Underwood’s gut-wrenching but ultimately successful journey on “The Bachelor,” felt empowered alongside Hannah Brown on “The Bachelorette,” and rode the wild waves of “Bachelor in Paradise.”
As we head into 2020 and Peter Weber’s season of “The Bachelor,” let’s take a moment to revisit some of the biggest Bachelor Nation moments of 2019.
Colton jumps the fence
Was anything more highly anticipated on Colton’s season of “The Bachelor” than his fence jump? Most likely not. The show teased the clip of Colton catapulting himself over a white fence on a dark night, but the context remained a mystery until the end of the season.
Heartbroken over Cassie telling him she loved him but she wasn’t “in love” with him and she wanted to leave the show, former pro football player Colton ripped off his mic and disappeared into the Portuguese night for a few hours. Chris Harrison, shocked at what happened, said, “He just jumped the f—king fence.”
Hannah holds her own against Luke P. — including moving the rose stand
Hannah, smitten with Luke Parker, saw her feelings take a 180-degree turn during their Fantasy Suite date in Greece when he asked her to “talk about sex.” He said, “Sex is an incredible thing. It’s a beautiful thing only when it’s within the guidelines of marriage.”
After a tense back-and-forth about sex and Hannah’s decision to sleep with other men on her Fantasy Suite dates, she told Luke, “I don’t owe you anything. Do you not understand that? I have bent over backwards for this relationship. I don’t owe you anything… My husband would never say what you’ve said to me.” She told him to leave, and after ushering him into the van, said, “I have had sex and Jesus still loves me. From how you feel about me f—king in a windmill, you probably want to leave.”
Luke returned during the Rose Ceremony and, after he refused to leave, Hannah up and moved the rose stand to emphasize that she didn’t want him there.
Hannah & Jed Wyatt break off their engagement
Hannah handed her final rose to Jed Wyatt, but their engagement ended before the live season finale aired. The Bachelorette learned that Jed allegedly had a girlfriend and she asked him about it during one of their private weekends together. Jed apologized and tried to explain his side of the story, but Hannah did not relent. She left viewers hanging over their relationship status, but later confirmed they were officially over.
Hannah told Jed onstage after the finale, “When that trust was broken, my feelings really just were broken with that. I don’t love you like that anymore… I know you’ve hurt me and I’m not trying to hurt you. No one needs to start a relationship on lies. I want to feel confident in my forever.”
Demi Burnett makes history on ‘Bachelor in Paradise’
Self-proclaimed “queer queen” Demi Burnett forever changed the Bachelor Nation landscape. She revealed to Hannah before the show that she was dating a woman in Los Angeles, but she still wanted to give “Paradise” a try. After dating Derek Peth for a few weeks, she came out to him and explained that her feelings for Kristian Haggerty were stronger.
Kristian surprised Demi in Mexico and the two continued their relationship on the beach. Demi proposed to her girlfriend on the last day of “Paradise,” and Kristian reciprocated the moment during the “Bachelor in Paradise” Reunion show.
On October 31, Demi and Kristian announced they were taking “a step back from our relationship.”
Jade Roper gives birth to her second child in her closet
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Jade Roper Tolbert takes the cake for what Chris Harrison calls “the most dramatic birth in Bachelor Nation history.” The “Bachelor in Paradise” alumna went into labor at home and realized she would not make it to the hospital in time to give birth. Jade, her husband Tanner Tolbert, their mothers, and a team of paramedics helped deliver Brooks Easton Tolbert on July 29 in their master bedroom closet.
Blake Horstmann & Caelynn Miller-Keyes’ Stagecoach drama takes over ‘Paradise’
Blake and Caelynn’s relationship pre-“Paradise” became one of the most talked-about relationships on “Paradise.” On August 6, Blake released text messages sent from Caelynn that he hoped would explain his side of the story and “get the truth out.” He ultimately deleted the text messages later that night, but their impact reverberated throughout Bachelor Nation. Kristina Schulman also had a hand in the drama, as she revealed that she slept with Blake the night before Caelynn.
Blake opened up about the consequences of his actions on an emotional and candid episode of “Bachelor Happy Hour” where he addresses receiving death threats and going to a “dark place” after the show.
Peter Weber becomes the next Bachelor
After getting sent home in the final three after his infamous Fantasy Suite date, he was chosen to be the next leading man handing out the roses. Pilot Pete called his time on “The Bachelor” “the most insane journey ever,” so get ready to “expect turbulence” when his season starts on January 6 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
You can read exclusive fun facts about the 30 women vying for his heart here.
Big Bachelor Nation announcements
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This year brought drama to the Bachelor Nation table and beyond. New ventures made their way into the Bachelor realm, including “The Bachelor Live On Stage” and the launch of “Bachelor Happy Hour.”
Rachel Lindsay and Ali Fedotowsky-Manno kicked off the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast in July. Since then, Rachel and multiple guest co-hosts have interviewed many of the most sought-after members of Bachelor Nation. You can check out their top five “Bachelor Happy Hour” moments here.
Becca Kufrin joins Season 20 Bachelor Ben Higgins as co-host of “Live on Stage,” which will travel to 66 cities across the United States to help locals find a potential romantic interest in their city. Becca and Ben kick off their tour just in time for Valentine’s Day, on February 13, in Mesa, Arizona. You can buy tickets for “The Bachelor Live On Stage” here.
Engagements
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Bachelor Nation has several weddings to look forward to, thanks to all the couples who became betrothed this year. Dylan Barbour and Hannah Godwin got engaged at the end of “Paradise” and are still looking as in love as ever. Two other couples, Chris Bukowski and Katie Morton, and Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty, both split after their engagements on “Paradise” this season.
“Paradise” bartender Wells Adams proposed to his girlfriend, “Modern Family” star Sarah Hyland, in July. Adam Gottschalk asked Raven Gates to marry him in May, and Astrid Loch and Kevin Wendt got engaged in August.
Weddings
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Wedding bells were a-ringing all across Bachelor Nation this year! Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham tied the knot January 12 in Maui, which Chris Harrison officiated. They even held a second ceremony in Las Vegas in September. Their first wedding took place four months before Lauren gave birth to their daughter, Alessi Ren Luyendyk.
“Bachelor in Paradise” Season 5 lovebirds Chris Randone and Krystal Nielson returned to the location of their first date for their big day. They got married June 16 at Vidanta Resort in Nueva Vallarta, Mexico, and the ceremony aired on this season of “Paradise.”
Jared Haibon and Ashley Iaconetti exchanged vows August 11 in Newport, Rhode Island. Many of their Bachelor Nation friends attended the ceremony, including Chris and Krystal, Carly Waddell and Evan Bass, Ben Higgins, Dean Unglert, Jason Tartick and Kaitlyn Bristowe, and many more.
Two weeks later, Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo wed in Cancun. The “Bachelor Happy Hour” host said the ceremony and all the festivities were “everything that I wanted.”
Lauren Bushnell married country singer Chris Lane October 25 in Nashville in a romantic ceremony with “secret garden” aesthetics. Chris has his own connections to the “Bachelor” shows: He performed on Nick Viall’s season, just one year after Lauren got engaged to Ben Higgins on Season 20.
Babies
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The Bachelor Nation family grew this year, as several couples welcomed babies. In addition to Jade’s dramatic closet delivery, her best friend Carly Waddell gave birth to Charles Wolfe Bass on November 12. Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried welcomed son Zander Cruz Siegfried January 12; they also have a son named Asher.
“Bachelor Pad” couple Holly Durst and Blake Julian welcomed a daughter named Poppy via adoption. Holly announced the news on September 24. A few weeks later, she explained the meaning behind her daughter’s name on Instagram: “There is a very old poem that was written during WWI about the barren battlefields and how the only flower that would grow there were the poppy flowers. She is our Poppy that grew on our barren battlefields.”
Sean and Catherine Lowe are awaiting their third child any day now, while “The Bachelor” Season 19 alumna Britt Nilsson revealed that she and her husband Jeremy Byrne are expecting their first child together.
Well, Bachelor Nation, it’s been quite a ride. What will 2020 have in store for us?