All of ‘The Bachelor’ Contestants Who Also Competed on ‘Dancing With the Stars’
ABC Reading Time: 5 minutes
Looking for love on The Bachelor is one thing, but how well do contestants do when they are thrust into the spotlight on Dancing with the Stars? Over the years, so many members of Bachelor Nation have made their way over to the ballroom for a chance at the Mirrorball Trophy. Some of them have even won the show and shocked us with their moves.
1. Trista Sutter
Trista Sutter found love on The Bachelorette with her husband Ryan in 2003. She was chosen to compete on the very first season of Dancing with the Stars with Louis Van Amstel in 2005. Unfortunately, Trista did not get the love from the voters who sent her packing in the first week. She deserves props though for being the very first member of Bachelor Nation to strap on her dancing shoes.
2. Melissa Rycroft
Former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Melissa Rycroft caught the eye of Jason Mesnick on Season 13 of The Bachelor. After the pair got engaged, Jason realized he had feelings for runner-up Molly Malaney. Melissa and Jason’s breakup was heartbreaking, but she got the ultimate redemption when she placed third on Season 8 of Dancing with the Stars. She was such a force in the ballroom that she was invited back to join the all stars version for Season 15. She ended up winning the season with Tony Dovolani.
3. Jake Pavelka
Pilot Jake Pavelka starred as The Bachelor in Season 14. His relationship with Vienna Girardi did not work out, but ladies loved seeing him flaunt his abs on Season 10 of Dancing with the Stars. Viewers also got to see a different side of Jake when he tensed up during rehearsals because he pushed himself very hard. Jake was the fifth contestant eliminated along with his partner Chelsie Hightower.
4. Sean Lowe
Bachelor Nation fell in Sean Lowe when Emily Maynard sent him home on Season 8 of The Bachelorette. It was a no-brainer when Sean was chosen as The Bachelor and fell in love with Catherine Giudici. Sean competed on Season 16 of Dancing with the Stars with Peta Murgatroyd. He finished in sixth place. He later came forward saying he should’ve skipped the experience because long hours in the studio meant spending less time with Catherine.
5. Chris Soules
Farmer Chris Soules tried to find love on Andi Dorfman’s season of The Bachelorette. Chris was chosen to be the leading man on The Bachelor the following season. Chris partnered with Witney Carson on Season 20 of Dancing with the Stars. He injured his calf during the competition and finished in fifth place. He made headlines in 2019 when he was sentenced to two years of probation for a 2017 traffic crash that killed a man.
6. Nick Viall
Nick Viall has been on so many different seasons of The Bachelor franchise it’s hard to count. He even joined the spin-off Bachelor in Paradise. He headed to the ballroom for Season 24 and honestly shocked a lot of people with his moves. Nick was the sixth contestant eliminated but is the real winner due to the success of his podcast, The Viall Files.
7. Joe Amabile
“Grocery Store Joe” became a global sensation when he was sent home on the very first night of Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette. He met Kendall Long on Bachelor in Paradise and the world got to fall in love with him even more. He joined the cast of Season 27 of Dancing with the Stars. Joe was the eighth contestant eliminated with his partner Jenna Johnson. He is currently back on Bachelor in Paradise looking for love yet again.
8. Hannah Brown
Bachelor Nation was buzzing when it was announced that beauty queen Hannah Brown was chosen as The Bachelorette for Season 15. She didn’t get her fairytale ending on the show but definitely got it on Dancing with the Stars. The Alabama native walked away with the Mirrorball Trophy in Season 28 with Alan Bersten.
9. Kaitlyn Bristowe
The Bachelorette Season 11 star Kaitlyn Bristowe actually dated both Nick and Chris who appeared on Dancing with the Stars before her. She longed for a chance to be on the show and exposed Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss for telling her to decline in 2015. It was revealed in 2020 that Kaitlyn would finally be competing on Season 29. With the love of Bachelor Nation on her side, she took home the Mirrorball Trophy with Artem Chigvintsev. She now serves as a co-host of The Bachelorette.
10. Pro Dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy was on ‘The Bachelor’
Yes, you read that right! Dancing with the Stars Pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy has ties to The Bachelor franchise too. He’s happily married now to Peta and the pair are parents to son Shai. But before he found love in the ballroom, Maks led the Ukranian version of the show. He has some major regrets about the experience.
“The fact that I had to choose people was something else,” Chmerkovskiy said. “People should never be lined up and chosen. We’re not objects and we’re not supposed to be lined up like that. It’s terrible and it’s like I was back in high school.”
When it comes to Season 30 of Dancing with the Stars, it would be a complete shock if there wasn’t at least one person from The Bachelor franchise on the cast. Former host Chris Harrison, current co-host Tayshia Adams and her fiancé Zac Clark have all been rumored to be considered for the cast.
