The 20th season of The Bachelor premiered on January 4, 2016. The season featured 26-year-old Ben Higgins, a software salesman from Warsaw, Indiana.
The season re-aired in a shortened version on June 22, 2020, as a part of The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons - Ever!.
Higgins placed third on the 11th season of The Bachelorette featuring Kaitlyn Bristowe.
He ultimately chose to propose to Lauren Bushnell.
Filming and development[]
Casting and contestants[]
Casting began during the 19th season of the The Bachelor. On August 24, 2015, during the 1st season, episode four of Bachelor in Paradise: After Paradise, Ben Higgins was announced as the next Bachelor.
The cast includes season 19 runner-up Becca Tilley and fellow contestant Amber James, news anchor Olivia Caridi from WCYB-TV and Joelle "JoJo" Fletcher, who is a half-sister of Ready for Love star Ben Patton.
Production[]
The season traveled to many places including Las Vegas, Nevada, Mexico City, Mexico, Pig Island in The Bahamas and the state of Indiana. With appearances from rapper Ice Cube, comedian Kevin Hart, soccer players Alex Morgan, Kelley O'Hara, comedian Terry Fator and Indiana Pacers basketball player Paul George.
Contestants[]
The season began with 28 contestants, including a set of twins.
.png "Lauren B. (Bachelor 20).png (1.44 MB)")
.png "Joelle (Bachelor 20).png (1.58 MB)")
.png "Caila (Bachelor 20).png (1.38 MB)")
.png "Amanda S. (Bachelor 20).png (1.67 MB)")
.png "Becca (Bachelor 20).png (1.82 MB)")
.png "Emily (Bachelor 20).png (1.36 MB)")
.png "Lauren H. (Bachelor 20).png (1.51 MB)")
.png "Olivia (Bachelor 20).png (1.46 MB)")
.png "Leah (Bachelor 20).png (1.45 MB)")
.png "Jennifer (Bachelor 20).png (1.38 MB)")
.png "Jubilee (Bachelor 20).png (1.57 MB)")
.png "Amber (Bachelor 20).png (1.78 MB)")
.png "Rachel (Bachelor 20).png (1.43 MB)")
.png "Haley (Bachelor 20).png (1.4 MB)")
.png "Jami (Bachelor 20).png (1.68 MB)")
.png "Shushanna (Bachelor 20).png (1.61 MB)")
.png "Lace (Bachelor 20).png (1.21 MB)")
.png "Mandi (Bachelor 20).png (1.5 MB)")
.png "Jackie (Bachelor 20).png (1.5 MB)")
.png "Samantha (Bachelor 20).png (1.51 MB)")
.png "LB (Bachelor 20).png (1.36 MB)")
.png "Breanne (Bachelor 20).png (1.35 MB)")
.png "Isabel (Bachelor 20).png (1.36 MB)")
.png "Jessica (Bachelor 20).png (1.55 MB)")
.png "Laura (Bachelor 20).png (1.33 MB)")
.png "Lauren R. (Bachelor 20).png (1.34 MB)")
.png "Maegan (Bachelor 20).png (1.48 MB)")
.png "Tiara (Bachelor 20).png (1.54 MB)")
Future appearances[]
Caila Quinn was originally chosen to be the bachelorette for the 12th season of The Bachelorette, but the producers dropped her just days before the official announcement in favor of Joelle "JoJo" Fletcher instead.
Caila Quinn, Lauren Himle, Tiara Soleim, Jami Letain, Shushanna Mkrtychyan, Jennifer Saviano, Isabel "Izzy" Goodkind, Lace Morris, Jubilee Sharpe, Leah Block, Haley Ferguson, Emily Ferguson and Amanda Stanton were all chosen to compete in the 3rd season of Bachelor in Paradise.
Amanda Stanton returned for the 4th season of Bachelor in Paradise.
Jennifer Saviano and Haley Ferguson returned for the 6th season of Bachelor in Paradise.
Call-Out Order[]
| Order | Bachelorettes | Episode | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ||
| 1 | Lauren B. | Olivia | JoJo | Lauren B. | JoJo | Amanda | Caila | Amanda | Lauren B. | JoJo | Lauren B. |
| 2 | Caila | Lauren B. | Caila | Amber | Lauren B. | Olivia | Amanda | Lauren B. | Caila | Lauren B. | JoJo |
| 3 | Jennifer | JoJo | Olivia | Jubilee | Becca | Lauren H. | Emily | JoJo | JoJo | Caila | |
| 4 | Jami | Caila | Amanda | Lauren H. | Amanda | Caila | Becca | Caila | Amanda | ||
| 5 | Samantha | Amber | Jubilee | Amanda | Lauren H. | Lauren B. | JoJo | Becca | |||
| 6 | Jubilee | Jami | Lauren B. | Becca | Jubilee | JoJo | Lauren B. | Emily | |||
| 7 | Amanda | Jennifer | Leah | Haley | Emily | Becca | Lauren H. | ||||
| 8 | Lace | Jubilee | Becca | Emily | Caila | Leah | Olivia | ||||
| 9 | Lauren R. | Amanda | Rachel | Rachel | Jennifer | Emily | Leah | ||||
| 10 | Shushanna | JoJo | Lace | Caila | Leah | Jennifer | |||||
| 11 | Leah | Leah | Jennifer | JoJo | Olivia | Jubilee | |||||
| 12 | JoJo | Rachel | Emily | Jennifer | Amber | ||||||
| 13 | Lauren H. | Samantha | Jami | Leah | Rachel | ||||||
| 14 | Laura | Jackie | Lauren H. | Olivia | Haley | ||||||
| 15 | Mandi | Haley | Shushanna | Jami | |||||||
| 16 | Emily Haley |
Emily | Haley | Shushanna | |||||||
| 17 | Shushanna | Amber | Lace | ||||||||
| 18 | Maegan | Lauren H. | Jackie | ||||||||
| 19 | Breanne | Becca | Mandi | ||||||||
| 20 | Izzy | Mandi | Samantha | ||||||||
| 21 | Rachel | Lace | LB | ||||||||
| 22 | Jessica | Breanne | |||||||||
| 23 | Tiara | Izzy | |||||||||
| 24 | LB | Jessica | |||||||||
| 25 | Jackie | Laura | |||||||||
| 26 | Olivia | Lauren R. | |||||||||
| 27 | Amber Becca |
Maegan | |||||||||
| 28 | Tiara | ||||||||||
| The contestant received a first impression rose. | |
| The contestant received a rose during the date. | |
| The contestant was eliminated. | |
| The contestant was eliminated during the date. | |
| The contestant was eliminated outside the rose ceremony. | |
| The contestant quit the competition. | |
| The contestant won the competition. |
Episodes[]
| No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Week 1: Limo Arrivals" | January 4, 2016 |
| In the season premiere, a trio of former Bachelors arrive at the mansion to offer Ben some words of wisdom before he starts his journey to find the love of his life. Then the 28 bachelorettes arrive, one by one, to start their journey to win Ben's heart. After an exciting but long and stressful first night winds down, it's time for the first rose ceremony of the season. Twenty-one lucky women will continue their journey to win Ben's heart. But one brazen bachelorette pulls the Bachelor aside and chastises him for something he didn't do. What was it? | ||
| 2 | "Week 2" | January 11, 2016 |
| Ben greets 10 ladies at a local Los Angeles high school where he invites them to take a trip down memory lane with him, but Lace is desperate to redeem herself after her erratic behavior at the first rose ceremony. Chris Harrison gets the first one-on-one date off to an exciting start when he introduces ICE CUBE and KEVIN HART. The actors, fresh from the set of feature film Ride Along 2, have some ideas for Ben and his date, and they are soon off on a rollicking, unconventional rendezvous, which will end with a special performance by popular singer-songwriter AMOS LEE. Finally, a visit to the Love Lab will test six bachelorettes to see who among them has the best connection to Ben. The week culminates when the drama-filled rose ceremony has one lady making a stunning decision. | ||
| 3 | "Week 3" | January 18, 2016 |
| After the stunning departure of Lauren (LB), who refused Ben's rose, the Bachelor is monetarily set back on his heels, but there are still 17 women who are anxious to spend time with him. Lauren B. and Ben soar in a biplane to a secluded spot where a hot tub awaits; they also enjoy a romantic dinner followed by a private performance by LUCY ANGEL, one of the Bachelor's favorite music groups. Twelve ladies are involved in an intense soccer competition, coached by ALEX MORGAN and KELLEY O'HARA of the World Cup Champion U.S. Women's National Soccer Team. Jubilee is in for a real treat as she and Ben share a romantic tryst at an exclusive spa. However, real-life events intercede, and Ben gets tragic news from home. Can he overcome both the real-life drama and the women's emotional confrontations with each other to pick the right bachelorettes to continue with him? | ||
| 4 | "Week 4: Las Vegas" | January 25, 2016 |
| Ben and his bachelorettes all are willing to gamble on love in "Sin City," as he escorts the remaining 14 women to Las Vegas. JoJo, whose chemistry with Ben is off the charts, joins the Bachelor for a tour of the glittering Las Vegas strip by helicopter. Versatile singer, comedian, ventriloquist and celebrity impersonator TERRY FATOR invites 12 of the ladies to be his opening act. What special talents will they display? Becca is thrown off guard when her date card is accompanied by a wedding dress. Her arrival at the "Little White Wedding Chapel" is met with an intriguing proposal from Ben. The twins, Haley and Emily, get a special date with the Bachelor. Olivia continues to irritate the other women, but will her annoying habits get her a rose? At the end of the episode, 11 women remain, hoping to get a proposal from Ben and everlasting love. | ||
| 5 | "Week 5: Mexico City" | February 1, 2016 |
| The first international stop of the season finds Ben and the 11 remaining bachelorettes traveling to Mexico City, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. Amanda has a thrillingly romantic one-on-one date with Ben, soaring over ancient ruins in a hot-air balloon. The women will attempt to learn Spanish with Ben, and they immediately need to use their new-found knowledge to go shopping for a cooking competition. Lauren H. has a spring in her step as she and Ben walk the runway with top models during Mexico City's Fashion Week. Plus, one heart-wrenching confrontation between Ben and an unhappy bachelorette changes the course of Ben's journey to find love, and the women decide to take matters into their own hands and corner Ben about Olivia's bad behavior. Will the Bachelor decide it is time for her to pack her bags? | ||
| 6 | "Week 6: Bahamas" | February 8, 2016 |
| The tension is palpable as Ben faces off with Olivia about her bad behavior. The other women are relieved, but will Ben give her a rose or send her home? After the rose ceremony, the remaining women are off to the tropical, romantic Bahamas. The lucky bachelorette on the one-on-one date is reticent to open up with Ben, confusing him even more about their potential future together. Six women on a deserted island sounds like a dream date - until some unexpected guests show up. The last date of the week is the dreaded two-on-one date, which always ends with at least one shell-shocked woman on her way home. Surprises continue to change the course of Ben's - and the women's - search for love as they move toward another rose ceremony, but Ben still believes his future wife might be in the remaining group of women. | ||
| N/A | "Bachelor at 20: Celebration of Love" | February 14, 2016 |
| In this two-hour Bachelor special, entitled Bachelor at 20: Celebration of Love, we revisit past seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, see bloopers we've never seen before and get updates on some of Bachelor Nations couples (Trista & Ryan Sutter, Ashley & JP Rosenbaum, Sean & Catherine Lowe, Jason & Molly Mesnick and Kaitlyn Bristowe & Shawn Booth). Plus the wedding of Tanner Tolbert and Jade Roper, with past contestants in attendance. | ||
| 7 | "Week 7: Warsaw, Indiana" | February 15, 2016 |
| Ben's hometown of Warsaw, Indiana, will roll out the red carpet for him and the remaining six women. This visit will give the ladies a little insight into who Ben is and what a future with the Bachelor might be like. A special one-on-one date with Lauren B. is based at the youth center where Ben volunteered as a teenager. Surprise guests, including Indiana Pacers superstar Paul George, make this a memorable date for both the kids and the bachelorette. Then, it's off to Chicago with JoJo to legendary Wrigley Field - home of Ben's favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs - where the couple has the whole stadium to themselves. A high-stakes group date pits three women against one another, with the winner of the rose automatically getting a hometown date. Emily gets a huge surprise when her date with Ben includes a visit with his parents. Ben faces his most difficult decision yet, leaving four women to move on and have Ben visit their hometowns. | ||
| 8 | "Week 8: Hometowns" | February 22, 2016 |
| Ben travels to the girls hometowns to meet their families. | ||
| 9 | "Week 9: Jamaica" | February 29, 2016 |
| Romantic adventures await Ben and the final three bachelorettes - Caila, JoJo and Lauren B. - as they travel to beautiful Jamaica. From a rafting trip down a jungle river to a romantic dinner on a beach, from rescuing a nest of endangered baby sea turtles to a dip at a magical waterfall deep in the jungle, the dates are filled with passion and excitement as Ben continues to explore what his future might be like with each of these potential mates. At the end of the evening, Ben will present each bachelorette with an invitation to spend an intimate night together in the "fantasy suite," with the hope that she will accept. But will she? More torn than ever, Ben acknowledges that he is in love with two incredible women, and he has professed his love to both. How will that affect his final decision? | ||
| 10 | "The Women Tell All" | March 7, 2016 |
| Tempers flare, and there are plenty of fireworks, as the most memorable women this season are back to confront Ben and tell their side of the story. There were highs and lows during Ben's unforgettable season - and then there was Olivia, one of the most controversial bachelorettes of the group. The very self-confident Olivia, who has been the woman viewers and the other bachelorettes have loved to hate, returns to have her chance to defend herself. Caila shares the devastating ending to her love story with Ben. Jubilee and Amanda attempt to get some closure to their heart-wrenching breakups. Then, take a sneak peek at the season finale and Ben's final two women - JoJo and Lauren B. - both of whom he declared his love to. | ||
| 11 | "Finale" | March 14, 2016 |
| America watches along with a live studio audience as Ben Higgin's journey to find love comes to its astonishing conclusion. The Bachelor prepares to make one of the most difficult choices of his life. He has narrowed down the field to two women - JoJo and Lauren B. - and has told both of them that he loves them. After much soul-searching, who does Ben see as his future wife? | ||
| 12 | "After The Final Rose" | March 14, 2016 |
| Immediately following the dramatic season finale, emotions run high as Ben sits down with Chris Harrison - live - to discuss the final two women of the season: JoJo, the beautiful real estate developer, and Lauren B., the stunning flight attendant. The Bachelor takes us back to Jamaica, where he spent the emotional last days of his journey, telling both women that he loved them - a Bachelor first. Both ladies are back to sit with Ben and talk about the sensational outcome. It's the live, unpredictable ending to this adventure to find everlasting true love. Does Chris Harrison have a trick up his sleeve? Anything could happen! In addition, the new Bachelorette will be revealed. | ||
Where are they now?[]
Ben and Lauren remained engaged and have moved in together in Denver. In October 2016, they starred in their own spin-off Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After?. The couple ended their relationship in May 2017.
Lauren Bushnell began dating country singer Chris Lane in late 2018. They live together in Nashville, Tennessee. They got engaged on June 16, 2019. They were married in Nashville on October 25, 2019.
JoJo is now engaged to Jordan Rodgers whom she met on The Bachelorette.
Amanda Stanton got engaged to Josh Murray from the 10th season of The Bachelorette. They met on the 3rd season of Bachelor in Paradise. They have since ended their relationship.
Becca Tilley briefly dated Robert Graham from the 9th season of The Bachelorette.
Emily Ferguson is currently dating Swedish hockey player William Karlsson.
Lace Morris got engaged to Grant Kemp whom she met on the 3rd season of Bachelor in Paradise. They have since ended their relationship.
Haley Ferguson is currently dating Finnish hockey player Oula Palve.
The Ring[]
