There have been a handful of The Bachelor final rose winners over the years that may have won over the heart of the lead but who didn’t get the same support from viewers who watch their love story play out at home each week.
While it’s easy to compile a list of most-loved or most-hated Bachelor leads, we decided to take on the challenge of listing the worst of the worst when it comes to the winners — the women who took home that final rose.
Most of the time fans get angry, frustrated, or exasperated at The Bachelor because he chooses the wrong girl, changes his mind, or tells too many girls he loves them.
The winner is typically the innocent bystander who has just been vying to win the heart of The Bachelor and trying to ignore the fact that he has been dating twenty-plus women throughout the process.
Sometimes, though, viewers are largely in favor of the runner-up and may or may not have a good reason to hate the girl who took home that final rose and, in most cases, a huge, sparkly, Neil Lane engagement ring.
Here are the eight worst final rose winners in The Bachelor history.
8. Cassie Randolph from Colton Underwood’s season
Now you might be thinking…Cassie? Why is she on the Top 8 list? People loved her. This is also true.
However, it’s important to put Cassie on the list because she did, in fact, cause “the most dramatic moment yet” in The Bachelor’s history.
Cassie left the show, causing Colton’s unraveling. Heck, he even went off script, pulled out his wires and microphone, and jumped over a wall.
He asserted that he was done filming because Cassie had left the show and caused him unbelievable hurt, embarrassment, and heartache.
Even though we now know that Colton has come out as a gay man, and had some stalker-like issues with Cassie after their break-up, Cassie did cause fans and viewers to hate her, at that moment, for leaving him hanging.
Even if it was only for minutes, fans were truly in an uproar. How dare she do this to All-American Colton, whom America was rooting hard for.
7. Madison Prewett, runner-up turned winner from Peter Weber’s season
Ok, so technically Madison wasn’t the winner…at first. Hannah Ann Sluss received the final rose, but Pilot Pete broke it off with her because he was really in love with Madi. Therefore, by default, she makes it fair game for this list.
He had tried to make himself fall in love with Hannah since Madi self-eliminated herself from the show and Peter’s heart…even though both still had feelings for each other. Insert sigh.
Again, this might take you by surprise, much like Cassie being on this list. However, Madison earns a spot on this list for two reasons.
The first is the fact that she left Peter’s season instead of confronting her feelings and working through them with Peter. She kind of walked away from Peter and fans, and left us all hanging. First mistake.
The second reason Madi is on this list is that she did not defend herself to Peter’s mom in the After the Final Rose. It was no secret that Peter Weber’s mom disliked Madison, and fans went from loving Mama Weber, to having animosity toward her for her antagonistic behavior toward Madi.
While we should maybe put Peter’s mom, Barbara, on this list instead, Madi disappointed viewers when she let Barbara insult her and degrade her on National television without advocating for herself. Second mistake.
Not that Peter deserved Madison in the end, though, because she really is a good person, with a strong faith, sense of humanity, and kind heart.
However, the #7 spot will remain hers for walking away and for allowing herself to be bullied by an adult woman and not standing up for herself and her beliefs.
6. Vanessa Grimaldi from Nick Viall’s season
Vanessa Grimaldi won Nick Viall’s season of The Bachelor in Season 21. Not that there’s much on the positive side to say about Nick either, but Vanessa had her own issues.
Throughout the show, Vanessa would get jealous…a lot, especially around the mansion and on group dates. Some fans found this annoying about Vanessa because she just wasn’t confident in herself.
Also, she felt that he was oblivious to her and what she said and did. The envious look did not fare well for Vanessa, and the two eventually parted ways.
According to Us Weekly, Vanessa admitted that after filming she would, “lock myself in the bathroom, just turn the shower on and cry for hours. I’m pretty sure I went through states of depression…while we were living together in downtown L.A., while you were filming Dancing With the Stars.”
Holding grudges about Nick going on Dancing With the Stars and following his own dreams instead of being with her definitely earns Vanessa a spot on this list.
5. Amanda Marsh from Alex Michel’s season
Amanda Marsh was the winner of the first ever final rose, given to her by Alex Michel, the first ever named Bachelor.
Again, not too much craziness awaits when it comes to this The Bachelor winner, but like with Vanessa, jealousy destroyed her relationship with Alex.
Alex did not propose to Amanda in the first season of The Bachelor, either. There was a lot going on in Amanda’s head throughout the season and after, though.
She could not get over Alex’s runner-up, Trista Rehn, and the fact that they had slept together on the show. She accused Alex of never getting over Trista and still having feelings for her while they were together after the show.
In fact, Amanda told Entertainment Weekly, in response to finding out that Alex and Trista had been intimate, “And so I had to get over that and then…everything just kept eating at me.”
She continued to explain that even though Alex had picked her over Trista, he still carried a torch for her.
Amanda was not setting an example at the start of how producers and the Bachelor Franchise had wanted this show to go. Because of her insecurities eating away at her relationship, Amanda joins the list.
4. Nikki Ferrell from Juan Pablo Galavis’ season
Nikki Ferrell, the fans were so rooting for you. A nurse from Kansas City, the heart of America. They wanted to love you—they really did.
Let’s be honest, Juan Pablo was unquestionably one of the worst Bachelor leads in the history of The Bachelor, so keep that in mind as this dish on Nikki happens.
Fans were dismayed when Ferrell was quoted saying to Daily Mail, “I knew I was never going to be the number one priority. He has a daughter.”
Of course, you will never come between a father and his daughter, Nikki. That is a bond and unconditional love that can never be second best.
While Nikki lived in Kansas City, and her life was there, she didn’t seem to make an effort to fit into Juan Pablo’s life in Miami. While this can also be true the other way around, this is about the worst Bachelor winners right now, not the worst Bachelors.
3. Mary Delgado from Byron Velvick’s season
Byron Velvick, from season 6 of The Bachelor, chose and proposed to Mary Delgado.
Even though they dated and stayed together for five years, they broke up due to domestic violence.
Yes, that’s right. Mary Delgado was intoxicated and punched her boyfriend, Byron Velvick in the face. More specifically, she punched him int the mouth.
Therefore, enough said on why Mary Delgado has received a spot on our list.
2. Courtney Robertson from Ben Flajnik’s season
While beautiful and witty, Courtney Robertson definitely rubbed fans the wrong way during Ben Flajnik’s season of The Bachelor.
Instead of using her sense of humor for good, she instead used her sarcasm to put down other girls during her season. She was known for her cackle that she broke out with when making fun of the girls or talking smack on camera or in private interviews with producers.
When it comes down to it, you could, in fact, call Courtney Robertson just plain rude and a mean girl.
Really, the only reason she didn’t get the top spot was because of her famous skinny dipping scene with Ben Flajnik, that season’s Bachelor lead.
1. Vienna Girardi from Jake Pavelka’s season
Every season has its villain, and that was no exception when it came to Jake Pavelka’s season of The Bachelor.
Contestants on The Bachelor should know by now that Bachelor Nation is not into villainous behavior, nor do they have any room in their hearts for bullying.
Vienna, herself, knows she is no angel; however she prefers to look at it a bit different than fans did. She was heard on Entertainment Tonight as saying, “I’m just someone that tells the truth sometimes a little too much…I wasn’t the girly girl I don’t know how to sugar coat things; I don’t know how to be that Miss Proper.”
Well, Vienna, here’s some news. You don’t have to be a girly girl or proper to show kindness. Sorry, but there’s that old saying, “If you don’t have something nice to say, maybe you shouldn’t say it.”
Maybe you should have taken grandma’s advice, Vienna, and bit your tongue a time or two. Had you done that, maybe you wouldn’t be sitting here as #1 on the worst winners in The Bachelor history. Just a thought.
The Bachelor returns Monday, January 24, 2022, at 8/7c on ABC.