The Bachelor and The Bachelorette do not lack for gorgeous women, and they do not lack for confidence when it comes to their looks. Don't believe us? Take a look at some of their most tantalizing, beauitful swimwear photos. You're welcome, basically. 1. JoJo Fletcher in Black and White The Bachelorette leading lady of 2016, JoJo Fletcher, looks amazing in this halter top. Unfortunately, Jordan Rodgers also appears in this photo. Win some, lose some. 2. Desiree in a Bikini With photos like this, Desiree Hartsock will stop your heart. Or traffic. Chris Siegfried is a lucky man. Also, can you believe they are actually still together?! They’re one of a select few couples from the series that has actually made this work! 3. The (Michelle) Money Shot The aptly-named Michelle Money was gold for the franchise. As one of the most attractive women ever to appear on it, she defied convention by becoming more likable with every appearance on The Bachelor’s many summer spinoffs. That’s hard to pull off. 4. Kaitlyn Bristowe in a Pink Bikini Kaitlyn Bristowe looks gorgeous in this bikini, though she usually prefers one-pieces. She and fiance Shawn Booth still haven’t set the date yet, but she has frozen her eggs — with the help of fertility nurse Whitney Bischoff, to whom she lost in Season 19. Wild. 5. That’s So Raven (Gates) Raven Gates may have made waves with her revelation that she’d never had an orgasm, but she’s still happily dating Adam Gottschalk after the two met on Season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise. Maybe he’s doing something right. 6. Rachel Lindsay in a Black Top Rachel Lindsay was the franchise’s first-ever black Bachelorette, and she is as gorgeous as she is smart. Some question her wisdom, after she dumped Peter Kraus for Bryan Abasolo, but no one questions her smarts or hotness. View Slideshow
The Bachelor Winter Games is more than just a way to pass the time between Bachelor episodes and reading each of The Bachelor Spoilers that leaks. It's also a wild ride. This episode saw a very memorable Ghost homage on a surprisingly successful date. There was also an epic kissing contest with high stakes. But Ben Higgins realized that he was in the wrong place. After talking it over and crying over Lauren Bushnell, he decided that it was time to leave. For starters, it turns out that Dean and Lesley aren't just both beautiful — they're both pretty good with a pair of skis, blowing everyone away as they raced down the slopes. Josiah couldn't help shading Dean Unglert at little — referring to Dean having “so many women at his disposal.” It sounds like a compliment or perhaps even a neutral description, but it's to remind everyone of Dean's disastrous love triangle in Paradise . And Clare is much harsher about it. (Oh, Deanie Babies, the Bachelor Nation is still so disappointed in you) However, Dean and Lesley won two date cards and after a lot of soul-searching, decided to hand off one of them to Kevin and Ashley. Which is how we got this: That's right, folks. Kevin Wendt and Ashley Iaconetti did a full-on Ghost reenactment. You'd think that a date that includes Ashley confessing that she's a virgin would be spent awkwardly, but Kevin was totally understanding. (He is, after all, Canadian — politeness is kind of their brand) That didn't stop either of them from enjoying their spin pottery date. And Ashley said that she could really see herself falling for Kevin. A lot of folks are rooting for these two. After Tiffany realizes that it was time to say goodbye, Ben Higgins started questioning whether The Bachelor Winter Games was really best for him at the moment. This resulted in the tearful heart-to-heart that he had with Chris Harrison, which you can see in the video below. “Coming back to a place like this really brings up a lot of weird memories.” He says that he's haunted by the “ghosts” of his past, which means that this would have made a great Halloween episode. Alas. “And then, to try to engage in relationships here, and know that the last time that I did this was one of the best moments of my life. …” Sometimes, you don't know that you're in the wrong place until you're there. “But, right here, right now, it just doesn't feel right.” “My fear is not entering into a relationship, my fear is not pursuing somebody.” But he does know what his real fear is: “My fear is that if I [were] to be broken again, I'm not full enough right now to recover from that.” We can totally understand that. You need to feel secure in yourself, emotionally. Some wounds stay raw for longer than you would think. And perhaps being on The Bachelor Winter Games has exacerbated that. And then he talks about what sounds like being deeply impacted by comments and fan speculation — and not only that which was hurtful or intentionally hurtful. By leaving, Ben Higgins (and Michael and Yuki) missed out on the kissing contest, which was judged by Rachel Lindsay, JoJo Fletcher, and Arie Luyendyk Jr. Which means that Dean, Luke, Josiah, and Bibiana were engaging in a makeout contest … in front of their exes. Awkward beyond reason. The best kissing was definitely Ashley and Kevin — they got a standing ovation. The worst? Josiah and Ally. Ally threw up right beforehand, and that's just not a recipe to a good kiss. Take a look at Ben's tearful conversation and decide for yourself if he was right to leave:
In speaking about his recent break-up from Lauren Bushnell , Ben Higgins went ahead this week and channeled his inner Boyz II Men. Despite constant chatter over the state of his relationship with his chosen suitor, the ex-Bachelor said on a podcast Wednesday that it’s so very hard to say goodbye to yesterday. In a clip from the podcast obtained by People Magazine, Higgins delved into the end of his romance with Bushnell and explained that both sides simply knew it was time to call it quits. “Just to be as politically correct as possible but to also be as truthful as possible, Lauren will always be one of my best friends,” said Higgins. He continued: “It’s tough. “It’s hard to say goodbye to somebody that you spent so much time with and it’s hard to say goodbye to somebody that you really did believe was the one for you.” Just how strongly did Higgins believe Bushnell was the one for him? He called off the couple’s relationship engagement during an episode of their Freeform reality show last summer. Higgins made Bushnell cry at the time, but insisted he was still dedicated to her in the long run. But this is no longer the case. “I’m sad. I’m a little confused, a little lost, but I’m doing alright,” Higgins told fellow Bachelor alumnus Ashley Iaconetti on the podcast. Throughout the past few months, the couple had been plagued by breakup rumors. Where did it all go wrong for Bushnell and Higgins ? Why did the end finally arrive? Bushnell moved to Denver to be with Higgins and many insiders have said she lost her identity in doing so. She doesn’t really have a job and hasn’t had a direction in life since uprooting everything for her now-ex-fiance. “I know that they have struggled with the show and then kind of continuing on and doing their reality show and kind of where the show stopped and then where life began,” Chris Harrison told People in his remarks about the split. Our favorite host human being added: “They were fighting through a bunch of stuff. But I don’t know. I’ll reach out to them. I’m very sorry to hear that because I do care about them very much.” What does Higgins have to say about the past several weeks? “I think, mutually, Lauren and I saw that life was getting more difficult,” he tried to explain on the podcast, expounding as follows: “I would say the joy that we felt toward our relationship at the beginning was – for some reason – slipping away, and we were both working very hard to bring that joy back. “And it just never seemed to get there. So it was a long time coming , but it wasn’t necessarily like we dragged it out.” View Slideshow: The Bachelor and Bachelorette Couples: Are They Still Together? Here is what Higgins and Bushnell said in a joint statement upon confirming their split: It is with heavy hearts that we announce our decision to go our separate ways. We feel fortunate for all the time that we had together, and we will remain friends with much love and respect for one another. We wish nothing but the best for each other, and ask for your support and understanding at this time. In conclusion, however, Higgins sees a positive future for both himself and his former lover. “I believe that Lauren and I both will come out of this with a whole new season that is going to be very good for the both of us,” he said on the podcast.
Lauren Bushnell and Ben Higgins are still together … for now. As with any couple in Bachelor Nation, there have been conflicting reports about the state of their relationship for quite some time. Some fans even thought they were finished with one another. Now, Bushnell has taken to Instagram to wish Ben a happy birthday in a somewhat revealing post. “Happy birthday babe!!!!!” she captioned the below picture. “I’m so thankful for this life together. Although sometimes rocky you always hold my hand and support me through it, always with a smile on your face. You deserve the world, especially today.
On Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After? Season 1 Episode 7 , the couple and friends hit Vegas for bachelor and bachelorette parties. Together, yet not together forever … yet. If you watch Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After? online , you know that they have a long way to go … and this week was no exception. Going to Vegas was always going to be a testing time for Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell. They have had a whirlwind few weeks, with a lot of arguing. That was all put to the side after they helped someone fix their home up last week, but did it was away all of their pain? We kicked off with the couple heading to Vegas for their bachelor and bachelorette parties. The odd thing about the party was that barely anyone knew about the pair calling off their wedding. When Ben met up with his bros, he informed them that he and Lauren had been undergoing couple’s therapy to try and get back to the great couple they once were. Lauren didn’t cave to her gal pals. Instead, the twins did it for her. This made Lauren happy because she did not have to run through everything yet again. Basically, the whole point of the episode was to bring Ben and Lauren back together in a big way. It was pathetic and blatantly scripted, but we’re a sucker for a happy ending. When their Vegas trip was coming to a close, their close friends and family surprised them with a display of the couple in happier times to show just how far they have come together. This paved the way for Ben to reveal the wedding was very much back on and a huge party kicked off. There was loads of alcohol, drunken chats. It was a true Hollywood ending. “I think we’re going to plan a wedding,” Ben said. Lauren added, “I think we’ll live happily ever after.” Now, we don’t know what’s next for the couple, but there could be a second season of the show. That would probably involve kicking the cheesy post-show tagline. It’s pointless and adds nothing to the show. There will need to be a lot of changes to keep viewers interested in another season of the show. The twins can stay, but can we please ditch the consistent Bachelor alumni from showing up? Do these people not have friends outside of that circle? Another season could be good, but only if producers dial back how goofy the show is. We love you, Ben and Lauren, but we hate how manufactured your show is. What did you think of the finale? Sound off below! View Slideshow: Lauren Bushnell: Ben Higgins’ Bachelor Bride-to-Be!
Well, that escalated quickly. In the course of just a few weeks, we went from wondering whether Lauren Bushnell and Ben Higgins would get married on TV to wondering whether Lauren Bushnell and Ben Higgins were even together. That’s what happens when you call off your wedding on an episode of your reality show. On Tuesday night’s installment of the pair’s Freeform program, Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After? , we learned why there’s a question mark at the end of this title. During a counseling session for Higgins and Bushnell, the former broke down and confessed to his fiancee that he loves her and he wants to spend the rest of his life with her and everything, but… … he doesn’t want to marry her. Not yet at least. “You’re the woman of my dreams,” Higgins said as Bushnell cried. “The last thing I want to do is for us to rush that.” It’s almost as if Ben was only saying this because producers were looking to create drama between the couple in order to increase ratings. You can watch the episode online below in order to see this exchange take place: Watch Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After? Season 1 Episode 5 Online “This thing sped up real fast, and we haven’t had a second to breathe,” Ben explained. “Now it’s time not to rush anything else.” It’s true. The pair met and supposedly fell in love on The Bachelor and then agreed to star in their very own reality show. But getting married? That would really be rushing things! With rumors swirling of a full-fledged breakup, Higgins spoke to Entertainment Tonight on Wednesday and clarified the couple’s status. “That’s one of the things that’s great about doing a show post-Bachelor, it really does highlight the confusion that life is and trying to get to know each other post-show, and trying to figure out how to get married and make everything work in everybody’s best interest,” Higgins said . “We are together, happier than ever – no plans to break up!” Nope. Just to drag out this romance for as long as Freeform keeps signing their checks! View Slideshow: 20 Hottest Bachelors in ABC History: Who’s #1?! Does Higgins regret his decision to end the engagement? Does he wish he could take back anything he said to Bushnell? Nope and nope. “We’re in one of the best places we’ve ever been in our relationship – probably the best place,” the 28-year old claims. “We’re feeling less stressed. We’re feeling less pressured. We’re able to laugh and smile more. … That decision at that point led us to every decision we’ve made to get to today.” But does Bushnell feel the same way? Just two weeks ago, she shared the following picture on Instagram, writing as a caption to it: “So thankful I get to spend life with you.” But now there is no legal ceremony on tap in which they actually vow to spend the rest of their lives with each other. Having just returned home from a trip to Turks and Caicos, though, Lauren seems okay with that. “We both came back just clearly refreshed, at ease and we really needed it,” Bushnell told ET. “Sometimes you have to listen to your relationship, listen to each other and yourself, and know — hey, we need some time here. Thankfully we’re blessed enough that we get to take a vacation. … It was exactly what we needed. “The adventure aspect of it all and doing things together, paddling, snorkeling — we kind of hit the reset button.”
It’s been a tough election season for voters of an evangelical stripe. Usually, the GOP serves up some Corinthians-quoting loaf of sentient Wonder Bread to ensure the support of non-millionaires who are kept up nights by the thought of married gay couples barging into their homes, confiscating their guns, and using the weapons to force pregnant women into abortion clinics. This year, however, Republicans threw their base a big orange curveball that wants to grope every part of your strike zone: Soon after it became apparent that he had a real chance to shock the world (and himself) by securing his party’s nomination, Donald Trump began to court evangelicals by paying lip service to traditional conservative Christian beliefs. It was a tough sell from the start, and it became even more difficult to convince voters that this foulmouthed, thrice-married billionaire is a champion of family values once his ” grab ’em by the p–sy ” policy became public knowledge. One family who seems a bit torn by the conflict between Trump’s campaign promises and every single other thing about the man is reality TV’s Duggar clan. You might know them from 19 Kids and Counting , the Josh Duggar sex scandals, or their ongoing post-scandal replacement series, the bafflingly-titled, Counting On . No one who has anything other than 1,700 versions of the Bible on their Kindle has ever had that many kids (fact, we looked it up), so needless to say, the Duggars are quite conservative on social matters. But Donald Trump has been accused of groping a porn star and he tweets about sex tapes at 3 am . Endorsing him isn’t exactly a great look for a family that’s still coping with the fallout of its own recent sex scandal. But if you thought that would stop the Dugz from throwing support behind the Cheeto-fingered predator their party nominated, you don’t know the American political climate in 2016. We already knew that Duggar son-in-law Derick Dillard would be voting for Trump . Now, it seems the rest of the family has also reluctantly decided to back the Donald – but they’ve decided to continue to let Der do the talking. The Duggars have close ties to both Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz, both of whom previously opposed Trump’s run for office, but have since expressed their support for the human throbbing forehead vein of American politics. Insiders say the Duggars have followed suit, but will continue to have Derick do the talking, so as not to alienate members of their ever-shrinking audience who actually hold the beliefs that the Duggars adhere to when it’s convenient. “Voting for Trump doesn’t = condoning his lifestyle. It just means agreeing with more of his policies than Clinton’s,” Derick tweeted earlier this week… …as though we’ve suddenly been plunged into the heart of a bizarro land where evangelical voters suddenly don’t care about the perceived moral failings of their elected officials. Sources say the other Duggars have privately echoed Derick’s sentiments, but their beliefs have more to do with maintaining hard-earned political alliances than with their belief in Trump as a candidate. However, there’s one member of the extended Duggar clan who seems more than a bit troubled by the possibility of a Trump presidency: Jessa Duggar’s husband, Ben Seewald. In recent weeks, Seewald has expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement , told white Christians to “wake up” with regard to racial injustice in America, and publicly shared his doubts about Trump’s fitness to hold the highest office in the land: “Trump’s 2005 remarks about women is completely contrary to everything that we believe in as Christians,” Seewald recently tweeted, demonstrating both a willingness to think for himself and a poor understanding of subject-verb agreement. He later added: “Evangelicals don’t trust Clinton with SCOTUS or executive orders and Trump with nuclear codes or our wives.” View Slideshow: 17 Celebrities Who Actually Support Donald Trump So it remains unclear who Seewald will vote for, but he’s clearly no great fan of Trump’s. Reached for comment, we imagine Trump would say that he’s happy to have the Duggars’ support. Not because they’re influential conservative Christians, but because Omarosa convinced him he had the reality star bloc locked up, but he has his doubts since losing the Kimye vote.
Chad Johnson just can’t seem to stay away from The Bachelor franchise. He’s the dude who makes every other contestant quake in their boots. He has no filter and that’s what ultimately led to him being booted off Bachelor in Paradise after allegedly pooping his pants. Watch Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After? Season 1 Episode 3 Online Yes, he had a whole lot to drink, but it’s somewhat surprising he would ever be allowed anywhere near the franchise again. It’s not like he’s ever going to be able to repair his reputation. It was the big camping excursion we had been waiting for on Bachelor In Paradise Season 1 Episode 3 and it didn’t quite go the way Ben and Lauren wanted it to. View Slideshow: 10 Craziest Things Chad Johnson Has Ever Said The camping excursion only came about in the first place because of the intense wedding planning. Seriously, it had nothing to do with the producers wanting more content for the show. The shocking thing about all of it was that Ben was friends with Chad. View Slideshow: 20 Hottest Bachelors in ABC History: Who’s #1?! The two of them have very different personalities, so it boggles the mind about what these two have in common. As you can probably guess, not everyone was happy that Chad was in attendance on the big trip. To be fair, everyone was probably wondering who he would target first. Lace made her feelings about the villain pretty clear after she revealed that he was taunting her on Bachelor Live during a commercial break. She claimed her relationship with Grant was in tatters because of him. He wants to ruin their relationship. When Chad did inevitably stumble onto the camp site, he was anything but apologetic. He knew the only reason he was there was to cause drama and that’s exactly what he was going to do. Say what you want about Chad, but the dude is a breath of fresh air. He just does not care what anyone has to say to him and that’s part of why he’s so funny. When Ben and Lauren tried to play peacemaker, Lace let rip about how much Chad has ruined her life, but he was all too happy to reveal that was his plan and he was not over. When Grant felt the need to bring Chad’s mother up, he revealed that his mother had passed away, before leaving the camp site. We have no idea whether he’ll return to stir the pot up once again next week, but we’ll need to tune in to find out. What did you think of the episode? Hit the comments below! View Slideshow: Lauren Bushnell: Ben Higgins’ Bachelor Bride-to-Be!
For the first time ever, we're being treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the next season of The Bachelorette – and its gorgeous star JoJo Fletcher. All courtesy of the executive producer himself. Mike Fleiss has been lighting up Twitter hyping up the new season, and clearly it's working. For us. Will the process work for Fletcher? “JoJo just told me that her biggest fear is being rejected again and ending up alone. But most of the guys seem to be falling for her.” Not surprising, given who we're talking about. Filming is still underway, with eight guys left, so if you're seeking The Bachelorette spoilers to tell you who wins … slow your roll. We can tell you that Aaron Rodgers' brother, Jordan Rodgers, will be one of the dudes vying for JoJo's heart. Juan Pablo? Not so much. For her part, JoJo tells Mike that she “sees marriage material in 6 or 7 of the guys,” so it looks like Mike & Co. did a great casting job. No wonder Lauren Bushnell wants to trade lives . We kid – mostly – although there have been tabloid reports suggesting exactly that since Ben Higgins rejected JoJo in favor of Lauren. In any case, what's done is done, and his loss is our gain. Check out these behind the scenes shots and more JoJo Fletcher photos ! 1. JoJo Fletcher: Lady in Red JoJo Fletcher looking ravishing in red. The signature color for The Bachelorette, one might say, and perfect for the woman of the hour doling out the roses. 2. Jo Jo Fletcher: Life’s a Beach Life is just beachin’ when you’re The Bachelorette. Or you look like this. If both are the case … you pretty much have it made in the shade. Or sunlight as the case may be. 3. JoJo Fletcher: No Baggage Here! Suitcases in the literal sense of baggage, check. Unwanted advances from exes or other lasting emotional hangups from previous relationships? She’s (mostly) free and clear of that as far as we know. 4. JoJo Fletcher: Breathtaking Beauty The Bachelorette star JoJo Fletcher stares into the distance in a breathtaking photo posted by none other than executive producer Mike Fleiss. Dude knows how to hype his own show. Another dozen pictures like this and ratings will shoot through the roof. 5. JoJo Fletcher: The Girl Next Door There’s something about her. Whatever “it” is, she’s got it. She’s got a certain girl next door charm, JoJo Fletcher does. Those 25 guys are going to be fighting tooth and nail. 6. JoJo Fletcher: Chairwoman of the Board The Bachelorette will see you now. JoJo Fletcher may have had her heart broken by Ben Higgins, but she’s in the boss’ chair now. So to speak. View Slideshow
For card-carrying members of Bachelor Nation, it has all come down to this. At last, Ben Higgins’ final rose was on the line this evening. Months of rumors, tears, heartbreak and The Bachelor spoilers have led us to this moment in time. But how would this fairy tale end? All will be revealed and all rumors will be put to rest at last. Those who watch The Bachelor online or LIVE on ABC know the routine well. Two hours building up to Season 20’s epic conclusion, followed by one hour of analysis, make for one compelling three-hour EVENT. For JoJo Fletcher and Lauren Bushnell, both of whom Higgins admits he is so in love with, hopes and emotions ran very high coming in. You can’t blame them, considering all they’ve been through. Either could make the case that they should be who Ben Higgins picks . Only one can wear the Neil Lane ring, of course. Ben breaking Bachelor tradition by professing love to not one but two women has been the big storyline in the back half of the season. Is that all it is, though? A compelling storyline? We don’t doubt Ben’s professions of love, but these producers, editors and writers are good at pushing our buttons in all the right ways. Just saying. Simply because there were some emotional declarations doesn’t mean there’s an epic, unprecedented twist in the offing. There could be, sure. But not necessarily. Who did Higgins decide on? And would there be a live, unpredictable ending to Ben’s journey to find everlasting love on reality TV? Well, let’s get right into it and find out! After romantic, last-chance dates with both women, one dramatic phone call , and a whole lot of tears, Ben gave his final rose of 2016 to … View Slideshow: The Bachelor Couples: Are They Still Together? Lauren Bushnell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The spoilers and editors were both correct in a sense. There was no real jaw-dropper or last-minute switcheroo a la Jason Mesnick. Jojo Fletcher was left out in the cold, despite Ben being all over her (and gushing over her) as much as was Lauren all episode long. Could Ben have been prodded to openly profess his love for both women and to say that he’s “struggling” countless times? Of course. Nevertheless, dude looked genuinely torn at times, and more upset than most Bachelors in his position when he had to cut her loose. “I didn’t know if I could find love … I did find it with you. It was real. I just found it with somebody else more. I don’t want to say goodbye.” Brutal. Dragging it out like that for effect. Anyway, it was pretty romantic from then on (if you’re #TeamLauren) as Ben got down on one knee and asked her to spend a lifetime with him. As for the After the Final Rose special … Despite reports that Caila Quinn The Bachelorette … Jojo got the job! And the crowd goes wild! Ultimate win-win for tonight’s final two?! Think she’s a good choice? And it will last for Ben and Lauren?! Will everyone involved experience their happily ever after?! View Slideshow: The Bachelor & Bachelorette: 27 Most Stunning Exits
