The twenty-sixth season of '' The Bachelor'' premiered on January 3, 2022, with

Jesse Palmer Jesse James Palmer (born October 5, 1978) is a Canadian television personality, sports commentator, actor, and former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons in the early 2000s. ...

as host. This season featured 28-year-old

Clayton Echard Clayton Ray Echard (born April 29, 1993) is an American television personality best known for his appearances as a contestant on season 18 of '' The Bachelorette'', and as the star of season 26 of '' The Bachelor''. He played college football f ...

, a medical sales representative from

Eureka, Missouri Eureka is a city located in St. Louis County, Missouri, St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, adjacent to the cities of Wildwood, Missouri, Wildwood and Pacific, Missouri, Pacific, along Interstate 44 in Missouri, Interstate 44. It is in ...

. Echard finished in eighth place on the eighteenth season of ''

The Bachelorette A bachelorette is an unmarried woman. Bachelorette may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Bachelorette'', a reality television dating show part of ''The Bachelor'' franchise with numerous versions: ** ''The Bachelorette'' (American TV ser ...

'' featuring Michelle Young. The season concluded on March 15, 2022, with Echard's final choice, 28-year-old wedding videographer

Susie Evans Susan Christine Evans (born August 19, 1993) is an American television personality and former beauty pageant titleholder, who is best known for being the winner of The Bachelor (American season 26), season 26 of ''The Bachelor (American TV series ...

, rejecting him. Evans was the first person in the show's history to reject the lead's proposal. However, during the live ''After the Final Rose'' special, it was revealed that they had since gotten back together, and they moved in together in

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

in April 2022. They announced their breakup on September 23, 2022.

Production

Casting and contestants

In August 2021, it was reported that men from ''The Bachelorette'' who had been considered for the lead role were

Tyler Cameron Tyler Cameron (born January 31, 1993) is an American television personality, model and general contractor. Cameron received national attention as a contestant on season fifteen of ''The Bachelorette'', starring Hannah Brown, in which Cameron was ...

and Mike Johnson from season 15; Ben Smith from season 16; and Greg Grippo, Andrew Spencer and Michael Allio from

season 17 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...

. Spencer and Allio eventually went on to compete in

season 8 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In tempera ...

of '' Bachelor in Paradise''. On September 15, 2021, media outlets reported that Clayton Echard was named the Bachelor. The next day, the production crew was reported in his hometown of

filming footage for this upcoming season, just one week after the filming of season 18 had concluded. Echard was officially announced as ''The Bachelor'' on November 30, 2021. On September 28, 2021, it was announced that season five bachelor

would host the season, replacing former host

Chris Harrison Christopher Bryan Harrison (born July 26, 1971) is an American television and game show host, best known for his role as the host of the ABC reality television dating show '' The Bachelor'' from 2002 to 2021. He also hosted its spin-offs ''The ...

. Harrison departed the franchise in June following backlash after his

support Support may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Supporting character Business and finance * Support (technical analysis) * Child support * Customer support * Income Support Construction * Support (structure), or lateral support, a ...

for

Rachael Kirkconnell Rachael Kirkconnell (born September 26, 1996) is an American television personality, who is best known as the winner of season 25 of '' The Bachelor''. Early life and education Kirkconnell was born and raised in Cumming, Georgia to parents Da ...

, the winner of the previous season, whose photos resurfaced of her attending an

Antebellum South In History of the Southern United States, the history of the Southern United States, the Antebellum Period (from la, ante bellum, lit=Status quo ante bellum, before the war) spanned the Treaty of Ghent, end of the War of 1812 to the start of ...

-themed party. Notable contestants include

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...

survivor Daria Rose; Denver Broncos cheerleader

Gabby Windey Gabriela Maria Windey (born January 2, 1991) is an American television personality who appeared on season 26 of '' The Bachelor'', and co-starred in season 19 of '' The Bachelorette'' alongside Rachel Recchia. Early life and education Winde ...

, who is the ex-girlfriend of ''

'' and '' Bachelor in Paradise'' contestant

Dean Unglert The thirteenth season of ''The Bachelorette'' premiered on May 22, 2017. This season featured Rachel Lindsay, a 32-year-old attorney from Dallas, Texas. Lindsay attended the University of Texas at Austin where she graduated with a bachelor's de ...

;

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

sprinter

Marlena Wesh Marlena Hilari Wesh (born February 16, 1991) is a Haitian-American sprinter who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics for Haiti in the women's 200-meter and 400-meter sprints. Biography She was born and raised in Virginia, but is eligible to ...

, who represented

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

at the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

; Miss Virginia USA 2020 and

Miss USA 2020 Miss USA 2020 was the 69th Miss USA pageant. It was held at the Exhibition Centre and the Soundstage at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 9, 2020. Akbar Gbaja-Biamila and Allie LaForce served as hosts, while Cheslie Kryst and Christian ...

competitor

; Miss South Carolina Teen 2015 and top 10 finalist at Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2016 Sarah Hamrick;

Miss Teen America Miss Teen America is an American Beauty Contest, beauty contest that serves as a training ground for many young American girls, many of whom go on to win other titles. Winners have had ongoing columns in Supermodels Unlimited and Pageantry magazine ...

2013 Lindsay Dobbs; and Oppenheim Group realtor Kate Gallivan, who appeared in the series ''

Selling Sunset ''Selling Sunset'' is an American reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reali ...

''.

Filming and development

Filming began on September 29, 2021, in

Agoura Hills, California Agoura Hills () is a city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 20,330 at the 2010 census, which decreased to 20,299 in 2020. It is in the eastern Conejo Valley between the S ...

. Filming was reported in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

NRG Stadium NRG Stadium, formerly Reliant Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. Construction was completed in 2002, at a cost of $352 million and has a seating capacity of 72,220. It was the first NFL facility to have a retrac ...

; in October 2021 in

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

in November 2021; at Harpa Concert Hall in

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

; and at Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant in

Ölfus Ölfus () is a municipality located in Iceland. The major town is called Þorlákshöfn. The bottled water brand Icelandic Glacial is manufactured in this area, at the Ölfus spring. Geography In Ölfus several lava tubes can be visited. ''Raufa ...

. Additionally, the season includes visits to

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

and

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. Actresses

Hilary Duff Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She began her act ...

and

Nicole Eggert Nicole Elizabeth Eggert (born January 13, 1972) is an American actress. Her notable roles include Jamie Powell on the situation comedy ''Charles in Charge'' and Summer Quinn on the television series ''Baywatch''. She guest-starred in ''The Super ...

, comedians

Ziwe Fumudoh Ziwerekoru "Ziwe" Fumudoh is an American comedian and writer known for her satirical commentary on politics, race relations, and young adulthood. She created the YouTube comedy show ''Baited with Ziwe'' and its later Instagram Live iteration, she ...

and

Russell Peters Russell Dominic Peters (born September 29, 1970) is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, and producer. He began performing in Toronto in 1989 and won a Gemini Award in 2008. In 2013, he was number three on ''Forbes'' list of the world's highe ...

, former Bachelorettes

Kaitlyn Bristowe Kaitlyn Dawn Bristowe (born June 19, 1985) is a Canadian television personality best known for being a contestant on the nineteenth season of ABC's '' The Bachelor,'' and as the lead on the eleventh season of '' The Bachelorette''. She compete ...

and

Becca Kufrin Rebecca Jill Kufrin (born April 3, 1990) is an American television personality, best known for her role as the winner on the 22nd season of ABC's '' The Bachelor'' and the lead of the 14th season of ''The Bachelorette''. Early life and educat ...

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

players

Jonathan Greenard Jonathan Raymond Greenard (born May 25, 1997) is an American football defensive end for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Louisville and Florida. Early life and high school career Greenard g ...

and Kamu Grugier-Hill, and musicians Restless Road and Chris de Burgh made guest appearances this season.

Contestants

33 potential contestants were revealed on September 25, 2021. The final cast of 31 women was announced on December 15, 2021. However, one of the contestants, Salley Carson, a 26-year-old spine-surgery robot operator from

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...

, made the decision to drop out of the show just hours before the limo arrived. As a result, only 30 women participated in the show.

Future appearances

''The Bachelorette''

Rachel Recchia Rachel Joanne Recchia (born March 8, 1996) is an American television personality who appeared on season 26 of '' The Bachelor'', and co-starred in season 19 of '' The Bachelorette'' alongside Gabby Windey. Early life and education Recchia ...

and

were chosen as co-leads for season 19 of ''

''.

''Bachelor in Paradise''

Season 8 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In tempera ...

Eliza Isichei, Ency Abedin, Genevieve Parisi, Hailey Malles, Hunter Haag, Jill Chin, Kate Gallivan, Kira Mengistu, Lyndsey Windham, Mara Agreat, Salley Carson, Sarah Hamrick, Serene Russell, Shanae Ankney, Sierra Jackson, and Teddi Wright returned for season 8 of '' Bachelor in Paradise''. Haag, Malles, and Mengistu were eliminated in week 1. Wright, Jackson, and Carson quit in week 2. Mengistu returned in week 2 and left in a relationship with Romeo Alexander later that day. Chin and Hamrick quit in week 3, the latter had to leave due to the death of a family member. Abedin, Windham, and Agrait quit in week 5. Isichei and Gallivan split from Rodney Mathews and Logan Palmer, respectively, in week 5. Ankney and Parisi split from Joey Young and Aaron Clancy, respectively, in week 6. Russell got engaged to Brandon Jones in week 6.

Season 9 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...

Isichei, Recchia, and Samantha Jeffries returned for season 9 of '' Bachelor in Paradise''. Jeffries was medically removed in week 2. Recchia quit in week 4. Isichei got engaged to Aaron Bryant in week 5.

''Bachelor in Paradise Canada''

Season 2 Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * '' 2econd Season'' See also

* {{disambig ...

Rianna Hockaday and Tessa Tookes returned for the second season of ''

Bachelor in Paradise Canada ''Bachelor in Paradise Canada'' is a Canadian reality competition television series, which premiered on October 10, 2021, on Citytv. It is a spin-off of the American reality television shows '' Bachelor in Paradise'', '' The Bachelor'', '' The Bac ...

''. Hockaday was eliminated in week 1. Tookes got engaged to Joey Kirchner in week 6.

''Dancing with the Stars''

Gabby Windey was chosen to participate in season 31 of ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...

'' partnering with

Val Chmerkovskiy Valentin Aleksandrovich "Val" Chmerkovskiy ( uk, Валентин Олександрович "Вал" Чмерковський; born March 24, 1986) is a Ukrainian-American professional dancer, best known for his appearances on the U.S. version ...

. They finished the competition as the runner-up.

''The Voice''

Claire Heilig competed on the 24th season of ''

The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...

''. She was a member of Team Gwen, and was eliminated in the Battle Rounds.

Call-out order

: The contestant received the first impression rose : The contestant received a rose during the date : The contestant was eliminated : The contestant was eliminated outside the rose ceremony : The contestant was eliminated during the date : The contestant initially received a rose during the date, but was eliminated : The contestant initially rejected a rose, but later accepted it : The contestant quit the competition

Episodes

Controversy

Shanae Ankney came under fire for alleged ableist comments to Elizabeth Corrigan, who has ADHD. When Corrigan claimed she could not process things as well due to her condition, Ankney mocked her and even accused her of staging her condition. Corrigan responded by posting a

TikTok TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok is an international version ...

video about mental health after the airing of the episode. During the airing of the season, Echard released a public apology to Corrigan, stating that he would have sent Ankney home immediately had he known about her comments. However, contestants Lyndsey Windham and Sierra Jackson disputed Echard's claims stating that he knew Ankney mocked Corrigan and kept Ankney anyway.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bachelor (American season 26), The 2022 American television seasons The Bachelor (American TV series) seasons Television shows filmed in California Television shows filmed in Texas Television shows filmed in Toronto Television shows filmed in Croatia Television shows filmed in Austria Television shows filmed in Virginia Television shows filmed in Colorado Television shows filmed in Oklahoma Television shows filmed in Florida Television shows filmed in Iceland