We're likely going to learn the identity of the next Bachelorette on Monday night's Bachelor finale, but for those placing bets — this season might be a tough call. There are a lot of memorable women who would make an excellent Bachelorette in the running. As for the final two, how often is The Bachelor runner-up the next Bachelorette ? Contestants don't daisy-chain themselves from one competition to the next as often as you think.
In fact, technically only one Bachelor runner-up has become the Bachelorette — Trista Sutter from Season 1 of the spin-off. She was the runner-up on The Bachelor Season 1. This definitely did not set a precedent. DeAnna Pappas could also be considered a runner-up since no winner was chosen her Bachelor year, so that's two total. Conversely, there have been two Bachelorette runners-up who became the Bachelor — Jason Mesnick and Ben Flajnik. Other Bachelorette stars have been the second runner-up, a contestant who left the show of their own accord or without being eliminated, or in Emily Maynard's case, the winner.
It seems like it would be more common for the runner-up to automatically go on to the next season of their respective spin-off — and true, shows like Bachelor Pad and Bachelor in Paradise certainly help to shuffle the contestants around and keep Bachelor Nation thriving. However, I'm kind of glad that The Bachelorette is its own competition and not just a guaranteed consolation prize for the runner-up. It's healthy that they don't follow too strict of a formula. Plus, this is a competition of the heart. The closer you get to the top, the less willing you may be to move on in public. Nobody wants to spend an entire season of The Bachelorette preoccupied with what might have been on The Bachelor.
So, whether Lauren or JoJo ends up the winner on Monday night, it's not too likely that we'll see whoever is left with a broken heart back on The Bachelorette for Season 12 — unfortunately for those of you who are on their teams. This is better news for those on Team Jubilee or Team Caila for Bachelorette. Still, after the whirlwind that is being in love with Ben Higgins, they all deserve a break!
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