Forget 'The Bachelorette'! Love is where you least expect it on reality TV
Another season of “The Bachelorette” is over, and once again, true love -- or a reasonable facsimile -- prevailed. Yes, after weeks of cycling through suitors, (spoiler alert!) Emily Maynard gave her final rose to Jef Holm and he gave her a proposal (and a great big diamond too). And of course, she said yes.
Now they’ll live happily ever.... OK, who are we kidding? If Emily and Jef go the way the vast majority of couples from the “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” reality TV franchise have, they’re far more likely to say “I don’t” than “I do” to each other.
In fact, with 24 seasons and 24 potential pairings between the two shows, only two season-ending couples ever swapped vows.
Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter, from the first season of “The Bachelorette,” were married on an ABC special (aptly titled “Trista and Ryan’s Wedding”) in 2003. Today they’re still together and have two children.
And while Jason Mesnick gave his final rose to Melissa Rycroft on “The Bachelor’s” 13th season finale, he married his last-minute switcheroo pick, Molly Malaney. They too were married on an ABC special (aptly titled “Jason and Molly’s Wedding”) in 2010.
Two other couples can kind-of-sort-of chalk up their marriages to the shows, but they didn’t actually share any on-screen time together. Jesse Csincsak, of “The Bachelorette’s” fourth season and Ann Leuders of season 13 of “The Bachelor” walked down the aisle after meeting as show alums. It was much the same story “Bachelor 10’s” Petyon Wright and her now-husband “Bachelorette 6’s” Chris Lambton.
But that’s it!
Now don’t let those results lead you to lose faith in finding real love on the boob tube. Just because the shows that aim for a happily-ever-after often fail to find it, that doesn’t mean reality TV is lacking in love. You just have to know where to look.
“Survivor”
Somewhere in between their attempts to outwit, outplay and outlast their tribemates, a few “Survivor” castaways managed to out-romance the competition and walk away from the game with the ultimate reality TV alliance -- marriage.
The first and probably best known “Survivor” union is the one between “Boston Rob” Mariano and Amber Brkich, two past players who found love during the “All-Stars” season, got engaged on finale night and made it official months later. They’re now the proud parents of three children.
Jaime Dugan and Erik Huffman met during “Survivor: China” and tied the knot less than two years later. Alex Bell and Kim Powers, of the “Amazon” and “Africa” editions of the show respectively, also found love on “Survivor.”
Now they’ll live happily ever.... OK, who are we kidding? If Emily and Jef go the way the vast majority of couples from the “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” reality TV franchise have, they’re far more likely to say “I don’t” than “I do” to each other.
In fact, with 24 seasons and 24 potential pairings between the two shows, only two season-ending couples ever swapped vows.
Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter, from the first season of “The Bachelorette,” were married on an ABC special (aptly titled “Trista and Ryan’s Wedding”) in 2003. Today they’re still together and have two children.
And while Jason Mesnick gave his final rose to Melissa Rycroft on “The Bachelor’s” 13th season finale, he married his last-minute switcheroo pick, Molly Malaney. They too were married on an ABC special (aptly titled “Jason and Molly’s Wedding”) in 2010.
Two other couples can kind-of-sort-of chalk up their marriages to the shows, but they didn’t actually share any on-screen time together. Jesse Csincsak, of “The Bachelorette’s” fourth season and Ann Leuders of season 13 of “The Bachelor” walked down the aisle after meeting as show alums. It was much the same story “Bachelor 10’s” Petyon Wright and her now-husband “Bachelorette 6’s” Chris Lambton.
But that’s it!
Now don’t let those results lead you to lose faith in finding real love on the boob tube. Just because the shows that aim for a happily-ever-after often fail to find it, that doesn’t mean reality TV is lacking in love. You just have to know where to look.
“Survivor”
Somewhere in between their attempts to outwit, outplay and outlast their tribemates, a few “Survivor” castaways managed to out-romance the competition and walk away from the game with the ultimate reality TV alliance -- marriage.
The first and probably best known “Survivor” union is the one between “Boston Rob” Mariano and Amber Brkich, two past players who found love during the “All-Stars” season, got engaged on finale night and made it official months later. They’re now the proud parents of three children.
Jaime Dugan and Erik Huffman met during “Survivor: China” and tied the knot less than two years later. Alex Bell and Kim Powers, of the “Amazon” and “Africa” editions of the show respectively, also found love on “Survivor.”