Contestants who appear on The Bachelor [1], The Bachelorette [2], and the numerous spinoff shows live in what is referred to as "The Bachelor Bubble" while filming. Once they've been dumped by the lead (or, in some cases, say buh-bye to the lead on their own terms), these above-average-looking men and women are free to date whomever they like.
Interestingly, a handful of them opt to date within the Bachelor pool — ahem, Ashley and Jared [3] — and many find someone who's never been in the TV spotlight. However, some actually go on to date celebrities. In some cases, they might have even dated a celebrity before appearing on the show. Out of a deep fascination (obsession?) with the Bachelor franchise, we've rounded up some of the most notable examples of a former contestant dating a famous person.
Wells Adams and Sarah Hyland
Let's start with perhaps one of the most successful Bachelor Nation-meets-celebrity relationships: Wells Adams (JoJo Fletcher's season) and Sarah Hyland (acclaimed Modern Family actress). The two began dating roughly a year ago after Adams's stint on Bachelor in Paradise, and they made it official around Halloween [8] of 2017.
The duo have been going strong ever since, providing Bachelor fans with plenty of canoodling Instagram pictures [9] and a whole lot of "aww" moments. They're clearly in it for the long haul, and we are rooting hard for them — and a potential televised wedding . . . Hey, we can dream!
Colton Underwood and Aly Raisman
Though the storyline [10] between Colton Underwood (Becca Kufrin's season) and Tia Booth [11] (Arie Luyendyk's season) stole headlines on The Bachelorette [12] this past Spring, the virgin football player has dated another notable figure: Aly Raisman [13], the gorgeous, two-time gymnastics Olympian. They met in mid-to-late 2016 after being set up by a friend on a blind date and continued their relationship through June 2017. Their breakup was caused busy schedules.
On an episode of The Bachelorette, Colton revealed that he'd only fallen in love once before, and while he didn't name names, we're guessing that his former love was none other than Aly.
Ben Flajnik and Jennifer Love Hewitt
Remember when Ben Flajnik was devastatingly dumped midproposal on Ashley Hebert's season of The Bachelorette [14]? Well, it apparently pulled at the heartstrings of Jennifer Love Hewitt [15]. Flajnik and Hewitt only had one date [16], as he was purportedly in the midst of finalizing his deal as the next Bachelor.
He didn't go on to date Hewitt again, but following his season (where he chose Courtney Robertson and the relationship began fizzling even before the finale), there was a flash of romance between him and Kris Jenner [17]. Yes, that Kris Jenner. They apparently hit it off after the two met wine-tasting, and there are paparazzi shots to prove it. Alas, as far as we know, he's super single right now.
Courtney Robertson and Jesse Metcalf
Flajnik wasn't the only one to get around when it comes to dating celebrities. His final choice, Courtney Robertson, apparently had a fling with Jesse Metcalfe (from Desperate Housewives and John Tucker Must Die) before she ever appeared on The Bachelor [18]. According to her juicy memoir — I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends: Confessions of a Reality Show Villain [19] — she's also dated Adrian Grenier [20] and Gerard Butler [21] and even had a steamy fling with the most recent Bachelor, Arie Luyendyk Jr [22].
Chase McNary and Chelsea Lynn Pezzola
Yet another contestant from JoJo's season, Chase McNary, went on to date not one but two celebrities. The runner-up found himself in a two-week fling with professional golfer Chelsea Lynn Pezzola (pictured), but the two parted ways because they weren't on the same page. He's apparently got a thing for blondes, as he also dated [23] conservative political commentator Tomi Lahren of The Blaze fame. Like the relationship with Pezzola, it was short-lived.
Nick Viall and January Jones
Arguably one of the most buzzed-about Bachelor-related relationships was the under-the-radar fling between Nick Viall and January Jones [24] (former star of AMC's Mad Men [25]). The two actually tried their best to keep the relationship under wraps, but a source revealed some steamy deets to Page Six [26] in early 2018.
The source said, "They've been dating for about two months. She went on The Late Show in mid-November and said Nick had reached out to her and tried to get her to lip-sync battle with him. She declined, but then he asked her out to a drink and she accepted. They've been seeing each other since."
Based on posts by both Viall and Jones, we're guessing the two split back in February.