Every ‘Bachelor’ Star Who Didn’t Propose on the Show

Credit: Rick Rowell/ABC via Getty Images

From Alex Michel to Clayton Echard: Every 'Bachelor' Star Who Didn’t Propose

Sorry, Neil Lane! Not every Bachelor decided to get down on one knee during their respective finales of the ABC dating series. Former host Chris Harrison addressed the pressure for the lead to propose during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in May 2018. “People need to know that nothing is guaranteed. There is no contract and there isn’t pressure from the cast or crew,” Harrison told the outlet. “I like the fact that the show promises nothing. We ask nothing and we promise nothing. It’s all up to you. It’s free will. It’s a scary way to produce a show. All shows have a beginning, middle and end. Well our show doesn’t promise that. You don’t have to. You can walk away.” The Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? host added that he personally doesn’t care if the season ends with a proposal. “I think in recent history, there have been a lot of proposals. I don’t mean this to be callous, but I don’t care. I really don’t. Because you may think, ‘Oh, you need that for TV.’ I don’t,” he explained. “That’s what we try to tell the Bachelors and Bachelorettes: ‘Don’t do anything for us. You going through this is what we need. The rest is up to you.’ And that’s what’s relatable.” [jwplayer hMvHSy4p-zhNYySv2] Even when the series does end an engagement, the commitment doesn’t always stick — and several former stars have spoken out about where their Neil Lane rock ended up. “[We were together for] 18 months and the reason I know that so well is because I remember they wanted to, like, take my engagement ring away. And I was like, ‘No, this is part of my history, like, this is mine, you cannot have it!’” Ali Fedotowsky recalled on Us Weekly’s “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast in 2020 about ex Roberto Martinez. “Per the contract, it was supposed to be two years, but they let me keep it. … I was like, ‘You’re not taking this from me, like, I’m keeping it.’ I put my foot down. And then they were fine with it. They understood when I, like, broke it down.” Becca Kufrin, meanwhile, debated what to do following her split from Garrett Yrigoyen — which went down right around the two-year mark. "Some people who have been in my position still have their rings because it's a great remembrance of their time and the memories on the show, which I understand," she told Insider in 2021. "For a hot second, I was like, do I sell it and donate all of the money to some charity? Do I sell it and put it toward a down payment on a house?" Scroll through to revisit every Bachelor who didn’t propose on the show:

Credit: Rick Rowell/ABC via Getty Images

From Alex Michel to Clayton Echard: Every 'Bachelor' Star Who Didn’t Propose

Sorry, Neil Lane! Not every Bachelor decided to get down on one knee during their respective finales of the ABC dating series. Former host Chris Harrison addressed the pressure for the lead to propose during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in May 2018. “People need to know that nothing is guaranteed. There is no contract and there isn’t pressure from the cast or crew,” Harrison told the outlet. “I like the fact that the show promises nothing. We ask nothing and we promise nothing. It’s all up to you. It’s free will. It’s a scary way to produce a show. All shows have a beginning, middle and end. Well our show doesn’t promise that. You don’t have to. You can walk away.” The Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? host added that he personally doesn’t care if the season ends with a proposal. “I think in recent history, there have been a lot of proposals. I don’t mean this to be callous, but I don’t care. I really don’t. Because you may think, ‘Oh, you need that for TV.’ I don’t,” he explained. “That’s what we try to tell the Bachelors and Bachelorettes: ‘Don’t do anything for us. You going through this is what we need. The rest is up to you.’ And that’s what’s relatable.” [jwplayer hMvHSy4p-zhNYySv2] Even when the series does end an engagement, the commitment doesn’t always stick — and several former stars have spoken out about where their Neil Lane rock ended up. “[We were together for] 18 months and the reason I know that so well is because I remember they wanted to, like, take my engagement ring away. And I was like, ‘No, this is part of my history, like, this is mine, you cannot have it!’” Ali Fedotowsky recalled on Us Weekly’s “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast in 2020 about ex Roberto Martinez. “Per the contract, it was supposed to be two years, but they let me keep it. … I was like, ‘You’re not taking this from me, like, I’m keeping it.’ I put my foot down. And then they were fine with it. They understood when I, like, broke it down.” Becca Kufrin, meanwhile, debated what to do following her split from Garrett Yrigoyen — which went down right around the two-year mark. "Some people who have been in my position still have their rings because it's a great remembrance of their time and the memories on the show, which I understand," she told Insider in 2021. "For a hot second, I was like, do I sell it and donate all of the money to some charity? Do I sell it and put it toward a down payment on a house?" Scroll through to revisit every Bachelor who didn’t propose on the show:

Credit: Ida Mae Astute/ABC via Getty Images

Alex Michel

The very first Bachelor opted not to pop the question during the April 2002 finale. Instead, Alex and winner Amanda Marsh started dating. The twosome split after several months together.