As fans of “Bachelor Nation” know all too well, going on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette is a far-from-traditional way to find love. But, with more than a handful of couples from the show still going strong today, the reality show proves that no matter who you are or where you come from, love might be just around the corner.
And, over the years, some of the most fan-favorite contestants, from Michael Allio and Amanda Stanton to The Golden Bachelorette‘s Joan Vassos, have gone on the show as single parents. Whether they have young kids from former relationships to full adult kids like Vassos who are encouraging her to put herself out there, we’ve seen all kinds of brave single dads and moms taking a step back from parenting duties for a bit and dipping their toes back in the dating pool.
But while the adventure might sound fun, being a single parent contestant (or lead!) on the show is no easy feat. Just ask Emily Maynard, The Bachelorette’s lead back in 2012 who once went off on a contestant for calling her daughter, Ricki, “baggage.”
“I want to go out there and rip his limbs off and beat him with them,” Maynard said, per Us Weekly. “I will never as long as I live let anyone speak ill of Ricki or any other kids I may have or husband I may have. I want to go West Virginia, hood rat, backwoods on his ass. That’s how much I love my daughter.”
To check out more single parents like Maynard who went on the show, scroll below!
Juan Pablo Galavis
Juan Pablo Galavis was the star of The Bachelor in 2014. In 2009, he and ex-girlfriend Carla Rodriguez welcomed daughter Camila, who was around five years old while Juan Pablo was filming.
Emily Maynard
Emily Maynard’s daughter Ricki was around five years old when she was a contestant on Brad Womack’s season of The Bachelor, and around seven years old when she was filming her own season of The Bachelorette in 2012. For The Bachelorette, Emily insisted that the season be filmed in Charlotte, North Carolina (instead of Los Angeles) so Maynard could be close to her daughter and father-in-law.
Since The Bachelorette, she’s had three more kids with husband Tyler Johnson: Gatlin Avery, Gibson Kyle, and Jennings Tyler.
Jason Mesnick
When Jason Mesnick was a contestant on DeAnna Pappas’s season of The Bachelorette, his son Tyler was around three years old. A year later, Jason filmed his own Bachelor season. Mesnick has since welcomed a second child with new wife Molly (who, yes, he met on The Bachelor): daughter Riley Anne.
Amanda Stanton
Amanda Stanton was a contestant on Ben Higgins’s season of The Bachelor and introduced her daughters Charlie and Kinsley to Ben before being sent home. She then appeared on Season 3 and Season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise, briefly getting engaged to Josh Murray.
In January 2024, she welcomed her third daughter Rosie with her husband Michael Fogel.
Evan Bass
Evan Bass had three sons when he went on JoJo Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette: Ensley, Liam and Nathan. He later went on Bachelor in Paradise where he met his ex-wife Carly Waddell. Together, they welcomed two more kids: son Charlie Wolf and daughter Bella. The pair split in 2020.
Kenny King
Wrestler Kenny King won over fans’ hearts on Rachel Lindsay’s season of The Bachelorette, ultimately leaving the show early to go see his daughter Makenzi’s dance recital. He went on Bachelor in Paradise too, but left early again to be with his daughter.
Juelia Kinney
Juelia Kinney went on Chris Soules’s season of The Bachelorette as a single mom to daughter Ireland. She’s since gone on Bachelor in Paradise, which she left early, and then gotten married to Aaron Bass — the brother of Bachelor Nation’s Evan Bass!
In 2021, they welcomed their first child together, son Van Hayes Bass.
Michael Allio
Michael Allio stole hearts by sharing his story as a single dad to son James when he was a contestant in Katie Thurston’s season of The Bachelorette in 2021. After quitting on week 7 of Katie’s season, Allio then returned to reality TV in the 8th season of Bachelor in Paradise. There, he met and immediately bonded with Danielle Maltby. The two were together for quite a while before calling it quits on September 2023.
Christina Mandrell
Christina Mandrell surprised Zach Shallcross when she revealed she was divorced and a single mom to daughter Blakely in his season of The Bachelor. Following her stint on the show, she met Brayden Bowers, a recent contestant on Charity Lawson’s season of The Bachelorette and the following season of Bachelor in Paradise. The two hit it off right away and have been together ever since.
In January 2024, Bowers proposed to Mandrell at the live show of The Golden Wedding.
Gerry Turner
Much like most of the contestants on his season, Gerry Turner was a single parent when he made history as the first-ever season of The Golden Bachelor. In addition to two daughters, Angie and Jenny, with his late wife Toni, Gerry’s also a granddad to his granddaughters, Charlee and Payton.
Joan Vassos
Much like Gerry, The Golden Bachelorette star Joan Vassos has a full family back home. She has four adult children named Nicholas, Erica, Allison and Luke with her late husband, John Vassos.
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