The 2nd season of The Bachelor premiered on September 25, 2002. The show featured 28-year-old Aaron Buerge, a vice president of a chain of family-owned banks.
He ultimately chose to propose to Helene Eksterowicz.
Contestants
The season started with 25 contestants.
| Name | Age | Hometown | Occupation | Eliminated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helene Eksterowicz | 27 | Gloucester, New Jersey | School Psychologist | Winner |
| Brooke Smith | 22 | Albertville, Alabama | College Student | Runner-Up |
| Gwen Gioia | 31 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Executive Recruiter | Week 6 |
| Angela | 27 | Kansas City, Missouri | Registered Nurse | Week 5 |
| Hayley | 28 | Lake Oswego, Oregon | Retail Manager | Week 4 |
| Heather Crawford | 30 | Dallas, Texas | Flight Attendant | Week 4 |
| Christi | 23 | Boise, Idaho | Assistant Financial Advisor | Week 3 |
| Heather | 24 | Walnut Creek, California | Marriage Therapy Trainee | Week 3 |
| Kyla | 22 | Midvale, Utah | Airline Supervisor | Week 3 |
| Shannon | 26 | Long Island, New York | Graphic Artist | Week 3 |
| Dana | 24 | Beverly Hills, California | Radio Sales | Week 2 |
| Erin | 25 | Westchester, Pennsylvania | Publications Quality Control | Week 2 |
| Suzanne | 33 | Redondo Beach, California | Flight Attendant | Week 2 |
| Frances | 30 | San Francisco, California | Strategic Planning Analyst | Week 2 (Quit) |
| Anindita | 27 | New York, New York | Attorney | Week 2 (Quit) |
| Amber | 26 | Chapel Hill, North Carolina | Psychologist | Week 1 |
| Camille | 29 | Los Angeles, California | Actress | Week 1 |
| Cari | 29 | Granite City, Illinois | 3rd Grade Teacher | Week 1 |
| Christy | 24 | Avondale, Arizona | Radiological Technologist | Week 1 |
| Erin | 24 | Houston, Texas | Interior Designer | Week 1 |
| Fatima | 22 | Long Beach, California | College Student | Week 1 |
| Liangy | 30 | Coral Gables, Florida | Paralegal | Week 1 |
| Lori | 26 | Dallas, Texas | Former NBA Cheerleader | Week 1 |
| Merrilee | 28 | Forked River, New Jersey | 1st Grade Teacher | Week 1 |
| Suzi | 28 | Richmond, Virginia | Communications Specialist | Week 1 |
Future appearances
Heather Crawford returned for the sixth season of The Bachelor along with season four contestant, Mary Delgado, where she placed 9th/12th after having been eliminated the week she arrived.
Gwen Gioia competed in the first season of Bachelor Pad, placing 9th/11th.
Episodes
| No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Week 1" | September 25, 2002 |
| A look at the casting of the second season's bachelor, including segments on the four finalists. Also: an interview with original bachelor Alex Michel and his chosen one, Amanda Marsh. | ||
| 2 | "Week 2" | October 2, 2002 |
| The 25 ladies vying for a spot in the Bachelor's heart - and the beachfront mansion - gather for a reception, where 10 of them will be sent home. | ||
| 3 | "Week 3" | Ocotber 9, 2002 |
| The 15 women who made the cut from the Bachelor's dinner party move into a new Ladies Villa in Malibu. Also: the group dates begin! | ||
| 4 | "Week 4" | October 16, 2002 |
| A pair of Aaron's friends move into Ladies Villa to grill his 10 choices, who find themselves cut down to six by the end of the episode. Also: the individual dates begin! | ||
| 5 | "Week 5" | October 23, 2002 |
| A personality test dictates the three ladies Aaron takes on individual dates, while the others enjoy a day out with him on his yacht. After that, though, only four of the remaining six get to stay following an intense rose ceremony. | ||
| 6 | "Week 6" | October 30, 2002 |
| Aaron's final four picks take him home to meet the parents. Also, it's time to leave Ladies Villa as the women move into their own hotel rooms. | ||
| 7 | "Week 7" | November 6, 2002 |
| With only three ladies left, Aaron gets to spend some crucial “alone” time with them on individual dates to Aspen, Hawaii and San Francisco. After that, though, one of the women will be heading home. | ||
| 8 | "The Women Tell All" | November 13, 2002 |
| The 23 women who didn't make the cut reunite to dish the dirt on the two finalists, the in-fighting and their favorite experiences with Aaron. | ||
| 9 | "Finale" | November 20, 2002 |
| Aaron takes his final two choices home to Missouri to meet the folks before giving out his last rose. Then there's the matter of picking out a ring. | ||
Where are they now?
Aaron and Helene broke up after several weeks.
Aaron became engaged to Angye McIntosh and married in 2009. They have a daughter named Aven.
In 2013, Helene married senior technology consultant Andrew Goodman.
The Ring
*replica*
A 2.75-carat Harry Winston engagement ring
A 2.75-carat Harry Winston engagement ring