The Bachelor and The Bachelorette fans have found comfort throughout the many different seasons of the shows in the ever-present and always welcoming host Chris Harrison. While it may seem like Harrison is friendly with every cast member that graces the show, that's not necessarily the case. After 24 seasons of The Bachelor, 16 seasons of The Bachelorette, and a handful spinoffs, it's a shock that Harrison only clashed with one Bachelor, Charlie O'Connell. Keep reading to see what Harrison had to say about O'Connell, and for more host hang-ups, discover The One Guest Anderson Cooper Banned From His Show.
Although some pretty controversial people have passed through the franchise's mansion, Harrison said O'Connell was the only Bachelor or Bachelorette he ever had an issue with. "Really, the only one I think I had a hard time getting along with was Charlie O’Connell back in the day," Harrison told Us Weekly in a January interview. O'Connell, the brother of actor Jerry O'Connell, was on the seventh season of The Bachelor in 2005. He ended up choosing Sarah Brice, but the couple split in 2010.
"He admitted he was going through some issues with himself at the time," Harrison said. "We didn’t dislike each other at all. It just didn’t blend. That’s bound to happen after 18 [years] and dozens of people. You get along with some better than others."
Harrison's distaste for his time with O'Connell is nothing new. Back in 2017, when Kelly Ripa had Harrison in the hot seat while he co-hosted Live With Kelly, she broached the topic. "So here’s the thing, after 15 years, 30-some odd people that have been through this show, there are people I get along with better than others," Harrison said, before confessing that O'Connell was his least favorite Bachelor. "Charlie and I, he was just East Coast, me, Southern kid, it was like oil and water. We just didn’t get along."
Harrison once again cited personal challenges O'Connell was facing as the potential cause of the friction between the two. "He was, now self-admittedly, in a difficult time in his life, a little tumultuous," the host noted. "He’s come back from that, thankfully, but we just didn’t really spend any time together."
Harrison's preferences aside, there are plenty of contentious figures who have appeared on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Read on for five other controversial stars from the franchise, and for more secrets from TV hosts, Oprah Says This Was the Worst Guest She Ever Had.
1 | Wes Hayden
Kevin Foley/ABCSeason 5 Bachelorette Jillian Harris sent Wes Hayden home after she began believing the rumors that he had come on the show to gain traction on his music career. Once the limo pulled out of the mansion's driveway, Hayden admitted he had a girlfriend at home.
"The first guy ever on The Bachelorette to ever make it to the top four with a girlfriend," Hayden said in a confessional on the show. "My acting days are over. I’ve definitely gone as far as I could possibly go with Jillian. I mean I’ve already done everything I needed to do." And for more fun content delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
2 | Justin Rego
Craig Sjodin/ABCOn Season 6 of The Bachelorette, Ali Fedotowsky sent Justin Rego packing after his girlfriend from home contacted her. After Fedotowsky called out Rego in front of the other contestants, he wobbled away in his foot cast.
"Jessica told me you had been planning this from day one. She told me you came here to become famous, and then you would be with her," Fedotowsky said when confronting Rego. "The girl who I just talked to on the phone was bawling her eyes out."
Fedotowsky cited the sacrifices she and Rego's fellow contestants had made to be there, while he wasted an opportunity. "I gave up my job. I gave up my apartment. I gave up everything to be here," the Bachelorette said. "For you to do this—it's awful. It's unspeakable what you've done, not only to me but to her."
3 | Victoria Fuller
Maarten de Boer/ABCThe Bachelor fans rejoiced online when Peter Weber sent Victoria Fuller home during the show's 24th season. Weber was approached by his ex-girlfriend during the show's signature hometown episode, and she informed him Fuller had allegedly broken up four marriages. Following the show's filming, Fuller was offered a spot on Cosmopolitan's cover. However, once the magazine found out that she had posed for a clothing company that sold "White Lives Matter" merchandise, Cosmo broke off the deal. And for more maligned reality personalities, check out The 18 Most Hated People in Reality TV History.
4 | Olivia Caridi
Craig Sjodin/ABCAlthough Olivia Caridi's "villain" status has been somewhat reversed, her controversial moments are worth discussing. Caridi infamously insulted the other women's intelligence and claimed they were only interested in "painting their nails" and "doing their hair." She told Season 20 Bachelor Ben Higgins, "I want to talk smart things,"and therefore was uninterested in becoming friends with the other contestants.
She also told Higgins to ditch Amanda Stanton due to the contestant's single mother status. "I feel like it’s an episode of Teen Mom," said Caridi, although Stanton was 22 when she had her first daughter.
And we can't forget the time Caridi cried about her "cankles" and described talking about it as "so hard," moments after Higgins told the women two of his dear family friends had just passed away. And for behind-the-scenes controversy on another ABC series, ABC Sitcom Star Quits, Calling Show a "Toxic Environment."
5 | Kalon McMahon
Craig Sjodin/ABCIt seems things are often rough for single mothers on the show. During the eighth season of The Bachelorette, Kalon McMahon referred to Bachelorette Emily Maynard's daughter as "baggage," which certainly did not make him a fan favorite. The fallout from this carried over into Season 1 of Bachelor in Paradise, leading McMahon to go on a date alone. And for more TV types who haven't been embraced, find out The One Type of Jeopardy! Contestant Alex Trebek Hated the Most.
