Your Bachelorette Watch Party Got Canceled: What to Watch Instead

Well, in an unprecedented turn of events, ABC canceled Season 22 of The Bachelorette just days before the premiere. If you, like me, were looking forward to a season of rose-filled drama (and hopefully some happily ever after), never fear — you can still salvage your watch party plans.

Wondering what to watch instead? Don’t worry. Bachelor Nation has been around for decades, and honestly, many of the earlier seasons were some of the best.

This is the perfect opportunity to host a throwback Bachelor franchise watch party. If you want more detailed ideas for food, drinks, and decor, I’ve put together a full Bachelor Nation watch party guide you can reference alongside these themes.

Now, here are my top recommendations for putting a creative spin on your viewing party!

1. Falling for Everyone

Some of the most dramatic seasons in Bachelor Nation history involve leads who have declared love to multiple people (surprise, surprise — it’s mostly men).

The Bachelors (and Bachelorette) who have officially done this to date include:

• Ben Higgins (The Bachelor, Season 20)
• Arie Luyendyk Jr. (The Bachelor, Season 22) 
• Clayton Echard (The Bachelor, Season 26)
• Rachel Recchia (The Bachelorette, Season 19)

You can zero in on one of these seasons, or put together a highlight reel of episodes where leads profess their undying love to multiple people… along with all the resulting chaos.

For food and drinks, try serving “Love Triangle” snacks — cut sandwiches, desserts, or cookies into triangle shapes. You could also create “love triangle” (or even square) pairings, featuring multiple foods with one drink and seeing which combination works best.

For a fun activity, create “Love Level” rating cards and have everyone rank which contestant they think the Bachelor or Bachelorette actually loves the most.

This theme brings plenty of drama, but also a few happy endings, making it an especially entertaining watch party.

2. Rose Regrets

For a “Rose Regrets” theme, highlight the leads who pulled a switcheroo after the final rose and went back to their runner-up.

There are only two leads (both Bachelors) who have done this so far. To be fair, they’re also two of the rare Bachelor Nation couples who are still happily married:

• Jason Mesnick (The Bachelor, Season 13)
• Arie Luyendyk Jr. (The Bachelor, Season 22) 

Still, while we’re glad they eventually figured it out, it would have been so much better for everyone involved if they’d gotten their act together a tiny bit sooner, right? You can only imagine the uproar these seasons caused (which, of course, makes for great TV).

For a fun way to bring this theme to life, try creating two signature cocktails or mocktails — one representing the final rose and one for the runner-up. Have guests guess which is which.

You could also have everyone make “Final Rose Predictions”: who they think the Bachelor will pick vs. who they’ll actually end up with.

3. Worst Bachelor Ever

No Bachelorette has been perfect, but some of the Bachelors seriously fumbled.

My personal vote for the worst Bachelor is Juan Pablo (The Bachelor, Season 18), since he treated everyone pretty poorly (even Chris Harrison had no mercy for him). But many people would argue that Clayton Echard (The Bachelor, Season 26) or Arie Luyendyk Jr. (The Bachelor, Season 22) messed up badly enough to deserve the title.

For a watch party, you could pick your personal “worst Bachelor ever,” or put together a montage of multiple Bachelors’ messiest moments and have everyone vote on who really is the worst.

4. Champagne-Gate Drama

The notorious Champagne-Gate has gone down in Bachelor Nation history as some of the pettiest drama to ever take center stage.

But petty drama is, for better or worse, a core part of the Bachelor franchise. So why not lean into it and create a champagne-themed evening devoted to all things drama?

You can queue up your favorite petty moments from Bachelor history, or rewatch the early episodes featuring the original Champagne-Gate from Peter Weber’s season (The Bachelor, Season 24).

Host a champagne or mimosa bar, and decorate with plenty of balloons and “bubbly” details for a fun, drama-filled evening.

5. Best of Wells

Wells Adams is one of the most popular figures in Bachelor Nation. He first appeared as a contestant on JoJo’s season (The Bachelorette, Season 12), and later became the beloved bartender on Bachelor in Paradise, starting in Season 4.

A watch party dedicated to all things Wells — especially his facial reactions, commentary, and bartender role — is guaranteed to be a good time. One of the best Bachelor in Paradise seasons featuring Wells is Season 6, which is especially chaotic and full of memorable narration and drama.

For a Wells-themed Paradise party, you’ll want a well-stocked bar, along with tropical fruits and fun, beachy snacks.

6. Season Stealers

Every season needs a villain, and some contestants truly end up carrying the entire show.

Some of the most memorable include:

• Courtney Robertson (The Bachelor, Season 16, Ben Flajnik)
• Luke Parker (The Bachelorette, Season 15, Hannah Brown)
• Chad Johnson (The Bachelorette, Season 12, JoJo Fletcher)
• Shanae Ankney (The Bachelor, Season 26, Clayton Echard)
• “Queen” Victoria Larson (The Bachelor, Season 25, Matt James)

Some of these villains have gone on to Bachelor in Paradise and redeemed themselves, while others have only doubled down on their villain status.

Either way, many have become fan favorites in their own right. For a watch party, you could have guests share their favorite villain and explain why.

7. For the Right Reasons

Last but certainly not least, some of the most heartwarming seasons feature couples who actually made it to happily ever after and are still married to this day.

While these seasons may not have peak drama, if you’re looking for a great love story, they’re well worth a watch.

Some of the Bachelor/Bachelorette seasons that featured contestants truly there for the right reasons include:

• Trista Sutter (The “OG” Bachelorette, Season 1)
• JoJo Fletcher (The Bachelorette, Season 12)
• Desiree Hartsock (The Bachelorette, Season 9)
• Sean Lowe (The Bachelor, Season 17)

Normally in Bachelor Nation, you spend a lot of time calling out red flags — but for this watch party, try looking for the green ones. You could also lean into a wedding-inspired setup with a cake and ring-themed decor.

Where to Watch Bachelor Nation Reruns

Now that you have a few ideas for your Bachelor Nation watch party, you might be wondering where to actually watch reruns.

Availability varies quite a bit due to rights and changes frequently. Some recent seasons are available on Hulu, while others can be purchased on Amazon.

I’ve also found a lot of older seasons on the free streaming service Xumo Play. They’re available with ads — which, honestly, can work well for a watch party since they naturally build in time for snacks, bathroom breaks, and chatting.

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