
The Bachelorette premiered in 2003 with Bachelor runner-up Trista Sutter (née Rehn) as the first woman to lead the Bachelor spinoff and find love with one of 25 male suitors. During filming, the men live together in a Los Angeles-area mansion and go on a series of dates — alone or in groups — hoping to form a connection with the Bachelorette. Following the dates, a rose ceremony takes place eliminating one or more men.
The series aired consistently for three years in a row, going on a three-year hiatus in 2005. The show picked back up in May 2008 and has been a constant presence on ABC ever since.
History was made in 2017 when Rachel Lindsay was named the season 13 Bachelorette, becoming the first Black lead of the franchise.
Leads are typically selected from the previous season of The Bachelor, but that changed in 2020 when Clare Crawley — who appeared on The Bachelor six years prior — returned as the season 16 Bachelorette. The shakeups continued that season when Tayshia Adams stepped in as the lead two weeks into filming. (Crawley left the series early with contestant Dale Moss, but the pair later called it quits.)
Similarly to The Bachelor, Chris Harrison hosted the first 16 seasons of the show before stepping away from the franchise in 2021. Seasons 17 and 18 featured former Bachelorettes Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe as cohosts. Season 19, which aired in 2022, marked the first season led by two Bachelorettes — Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia — and was hosted by Jesse Palmer. Palmer returned for season 20 starring Bachelorette Charity Lawson.
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