Here's The Bachelorette Seasons That Racked Up The Most Views
When "The Bachelor" premiered in 2002, fans instantly became hooked as they watched as one man dated multiple women in hopes of finding his true love. So, when the franchise created "The Bachelorette" in 2003, viewers were equally intrigued to see a woman weed through a group of men in hopes of finding her future husband (via Pure Wow). Since that time, both shows have become a staple of reality television and have created some of the biggest pop culture moments over the past two decades.
Since the very first season of "The Bachelorette," there have been hits and misses when it comes to the ratings, and everyone seems to have their favorite "Bachelorette" season. According to TV Insider, there are a handful of seasons that fans just flocked to. Unfortunately for recent "Bachelorette" Katie Thurston, her season currently holds the record for the least-watched in the show's history through the first eight episodes. The season was the first without longtime host Chris Harrison and earned a 0.85 rating. Meanwhile, other recent stars of the show such as Becca Kufrin and Hannah Brown also scored low on the list with a 1.5 rating for their seasons.
Meanwhile, there are a few Bachelorettes that knocked it out of the park when it came to the ratings game.
DeAnna Pappas, Jillian Harris, and Ali Fedotowsky had strong ratings
"Bachelorette" viewers tuned in large groups to watch Season 4 star DeAnna Pappas embark in her journey to find love. Pappas season was the first after the show took a three-year break from the airwaves, per TV Insider. During the season Pappas was torn between Jesse Csincsak and Jason Mesnick (via Entertainment Weekly). She eventually chose Csincsak, leaving Mesnick broken-hearted and opening him up to eventually become the star of "The Bachelor." Pappas season earned a ratings score of 2.5.
Meanwhile, Season 5 of the show also scored plenty of viewers when Jillian Harris took over the leading lady position. Harris served as the first-ever non-American lead of the franchise, hailing from Canada. Harris eventually narrowed her group down to Ed Swiderski, Kiptyn Locke, and Reid Rosenthal. However, she eventually accepted a proposal from Swiderski (Via EW). She also earned a 2.6 rating.
Following Harris, Season 6 "Bachelorette" Ali Fedotowsky became an instant fan favorite when she began her stint on the show. Fedotowsky eventually accepted a gorgeous engagement ring from the show's first-ever Latino contestant, Roberto Martinez, and earned a 3.0 in the ratings. Sadly, the pair never made it down the aisle as they split in 2011.
Trista Sutter still holds the record
TV Insider reports that the earlier seasons of "The Bachelorette" were ratings gold. Jennifer Schefft, who served as the leading lady in Season 3 of the franchise raked in a solid 4.0 in the ratings, making it the third most-watch season in the show's history. During the Season 3 finale, Schefft opted to postpone Jerry Ferris' marriage proposal. Later, the first-ever "After the Final Rose" ceremony aired, and Schefft declined Ferris' proposal during the show.
Meredith Philips was named the "Bachelorette" in the show's sophomore season and earned the season a score of 5.2 in the ratings. During the season, Phillips accepted a proposal from contestant Ian Mckee. However, the two called it quits one year later. The reality star later went on to marry her high school sweetheart, Michael Broady, per Us Weekly.
Of course, the most popular and one of the most beloved seasons of "The Bachelorette" was the very first season. Fans watched Trista Rehn debuted as the first star of the franchise in 2003, and earned the highest ratings of any "Bachelorette" season with a 7.9 score. Fans first met Trista on Alex Michel's season of "The Bachelor," and eagerly watched as she fell madly in love with Ryan Sutter. The two married in a televised ceremony in December 2003. The pair are still married and share two children together.
While viewers all have their opinions about who is the best Bachelorette, it seems that the ratings don't lie.