In 2020, Peter Weber was often called the worst Bachelor of all time.
After he proposed to Hannah Ann Sluss, ghosted her, dated Madison Prewett for like a day, and then finally wound up with Kelley Flanagan, who also got tired of him, he may have earned that title.
It’s not hard to see why the guy is so widely disliked – after all, he wasted everybody’s time, delivered a painfully anti-climactic conclusion, and broke quite a few hears with his indecisiveness.
But while it’s not often that you’ll find us defending Pilot Pete here at THG, we must push back against the idea that he’s the unequivocally the worst Bachelor of all time.
Sure, he’s the most recent to deliver a total letdown of a season – but he’s not the first, nor the last. In fact, Matt James’ season ended with many disappointments as well.
So join us on a trip down Fantasy Suite memory lane as we take a look at the rose master generals who were more thorn than blossom and determine who was really the biggest dud among studs.
Take a look:
The Front-Runner
You might hear the term “worst Bachelor of all-time” bandied about a lot in reference to Peter Weber. But as you’re about to find out, Pilot Pete actually has quite a bit of competition in that department.
Matt James
Matt James, the first Black Bachelor lead, came in with high expectations, for sure. While he personally didn’t do anything during his 2020 season that would be considered “Worst Ever” material, the franchise crumbling around him made for one of the ickiest seasons in franchise history.
He Chose Rachael Kirkconnell
Incredibly, Matt’s final rose winner was Rachael Kirkconnell, who made headlines during the season for all the wrong reasons – old photos of her at a racially insensitive Plantation party, and her tone-deaf response to that controversy. Rachael eventually apologized more sincerely, but not before Chris Harrison made the situation exponentially worse with an even more tone-deaf defense of Kirkconnell. By the time the final rose was handed out on TV, the couple had already gone their separate ways – and many fans had divorced the Bachelor itself.
Nick Viall
First on our list is Nick Viall. We know what you’re thinking — Nick’s not such a bad guy. In fact, he still hosts a wildly popular podcast about all things Bachelor Nation. But that’s exactly our point …
Viall Behavior
If you google the term “here for the wrong reasons,” Nick’s face should be the first to pop up. From the start, this guy made it perfectly clear that he loves the limelight more than he could ever love any romantic partner.
Not Taking the Hint
Nick won the first impression rose from lawyer Andi Dorfman and made it to her final round, where he lost to Josh Murray. He then weaseled his way into Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season. Next, he appeared on Bachelor In Paradise, before finally landing a role as The Bachelor in 2016.
More Interested in Someone (Thing) Else
Nick proposed to Vanessa Grimaldi at the conclusion of his season, but they broke up shortly thereafter. No great surprise, there. After all, this man is already in a committed relationship with the Bachelor franchise.
Jason Mesnick
Like Peter, Jason was undone by his inability to make a damn decision. He initially proposed to Melissa Rycroft, but later decided she wasn’t the one and dumped her on air.
Can’t Argue With That
“You are such a bastard,” she said him, post-dumping. “I wish more than anything on that last day you would have just let me go.” We’re pretty sure all of Bachelor Nation agreed with her assessment of the situation.
Happy Ending?
On the bright side, Jason is still married to his second choice, Molly Malaney. Of course, that’s probably not Melissa’s idea of a happy ending.
Brad Womack
Then there’s Brad Womack, who got two turns as Bachelor and didn’t propose to ANYONE his first time around!
Second Time’s Not the Charm
Fans didn’t love that decision, but at least the guy stuck to his guns. His second time around, he proposed to Emily Maynard. The two broke up shortly thereafter to the surprise of absolutely no one.
Ben Flajnik
You might be surprised to see Ben Flajnik on this list, as there’s really nothing to dislike about the guy.
Courting Robertson
But Ben proposed to Courtney Robertson, who was probably the most disliked woman in her cast. The move didn’t earn Flajnik many fans, and few were surprised when Courtney wrote a scathing tell-all after the two of them broke up.
Colton Underwood
Speaking of likable guys who were total duds as Bachelors, football-playing virgin Colton spent so much of his season shedding tears that we never got to see the fun-loving guy these women were supposed to be falling in love with.
On the Fence
Sure, he eventually delivered some dramatic fireworks when he infamously hopped that fence, but for the most part, it felt like Colt didn’t really want to be there (and he DEFINITELY didn’t want to be in the Fantasy Suite).
Quarantined With Cassie
He eventually proposed to Cassie Randolph, but given their lack of chemistry, it didn’t come as much of a surprise when these two went their separate ways during quarantine … or, honestly, that he came out as gay in April 2021.
Chris Soules
Like a reverse Jimmy Carter, Chris was just fine as Bachelor — but his life became an absolute mess after he left the show.
Big Yikes
In 2017, Chris killed an elderly man in a hit-and-run accident near his home in Iowa.
Quite a Duo
In 2020, he went on to date Victoria Fuller, another of the franchise’s most divisive figures. We assumed they were hatching a villainous scheme somewhere in farm country. We kid. They both seemed to mean well. They eventually went their separate ways as well.
Arie Luyendyk Jr.
Other contestants might have had a hard time making their final decision, but no one effed it up quite like Arie, who hemmed and hawed until the bitter end, eventually choosing Becca Kufrin over Lauren Burnham … then changing his mind in the ensuing months.
A Gross Beginning
After proposing to Becca, he sleazed his way into the DMs of some other contestants and eventually proposed to Lauren … IN FRONT OF BECCA! Really disgusting stuff, my guy! (Granted, he and Lauren got married and have a beautiful family together, but still.)
Peter Weber
That brings us to Peter Weber, who – as we already mentioned – also had a REALLY hard time choosing a winner. He really wanted Madison Prewett, but got engaged to Hannah Ann Sluss, only to ghost her and try to win back Prewett, who he also ended things with after like 12 hours. So yeah. Not the best.
Peter and Kelley
For a time, Peter was happily dating Chicago-based attorney Kelley Flanagan, an early castoff on his Bachelor season. But she, too, expressed frustration with his unwillingness to settle down as he apparently chose a relocation to N.Y. City over their relationship.
Be Careful!
Peter really made a strong run for the title of Worst Bachelor Ever, but one man still has him beat.
Juan Pablo Galavais
Topping our list, of course, is Juan Pablo Galavais, who’s not only the worst Bachelor of all time, but one of the worst men to ever appear on reality TV … which is really saying something.
What a Guy
Juan Pablo slut-shamed one of his contestants so brutally that ABC was forced to issue an apology. He made homophobic remarks about the possibility of a gay Bachelor and was removed from Dancing With the Stars as a result.
Just the Worst
He eventually proposed to Nikki Ferell, but refused to tell her he loved her on camera, even after Chris Harrison basically begged him to do so.
The Triumph of Clare
But hey, it wasn’t all bad. Clare Crawley putting Juan Pablo in his place is one of the great moments in Bachelor history. And as a reward, Clare went on to be the Bachelorette in 2020!