8 The Bachelor Franchise Alums With Major Career Updates After Leaving The Show (They Have New Jobs They're Successful At)

The Bachelor franchise has seen some of its most notable alumni move on from the series and become more successful, revealing their major career updates after leaving the franchise behind. Throughout the run of The Bachelor, the concept of being an influencer has become more relevant and less of a taboo thing to pursue post-show. In the early days of the franchise, there weren’t specific online influencers who were running the show and trying to make names for themselves. However, some Bachelor Nation alumni still went on to become tabloid sensations and entertainment industry darlings.

The Bachelor, which premiered in 2002 and pushed the boundaries of reality TV dating to a whole new level, spent its first several years laying the land of the franchise. From making it clear what the norms of the show were to expanding into The Bachelorette, the franchise spent some time creating its world before pushing into the realm of celebrity. As social media began to rise in popularity and Bachelor stars gained viewer interest outside the show, it became easier to access information about people from the franchise. Viewers excitedly gained new insight into the stars and the franchise.

With the rise of the traditional social media influencer in the 2010s, Bachelor Nation fandom began to appeal to viewers of every side of the franchise. While there have been scandals in Bachelor Nation no matter how fans chose to engage, social media made stars more accessible, more understandable, and more likely to pursue a career in connecting with Bachelor viewers. Contestants who appeared on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette were often called out for not appearing on the show for the “right reasons” throughout the early seasons, but as reality TV fame rose, the “right” reasons became more blurry.

In recent years it’s become a major part of Bachelor Nation to see the stars from the show and its spin-offs, now including The Golden Bachelor and Bachelorette as well as Bachelor In Paradise, to become social media influencers after their appearance on their show of origin. While some aren’t interested in the fame and return to their regular lives, others are drawn to the allure of social media fame. Despite knowing that The Bachelor franchise isn’t consistently supportive, many alumni have made moves to change their lives and careers post-show, whether they move into influencing, hosting, or something else.

8Rachael Kirkconnell

The Bachelor Season 25

As one of the most controversial Bachelor Nation figures in recent years, Rachael Kirkconnell led a fairly normal life before her time on as a Bachelor contestant. Originally from Georgia, Rachael graduated high school in 2015 and went on to pursue a degree in Marketing from Georgia College & State University. Working as a graphic designer when she joined Matt James’ season of The Bachelor, Rachael had a career waiting for her back at home when she fell for the Bachelor star.

After getting to know Matt and falling for him throughout the season, some of Rachael’s past actions and online posts resurfaced, revealing she’d had some racially insensitive moments in her life before The Bachelor. Though Matt and Rachel split up due to her behavior, the couple got back together a few months later and spent the next several years together working as influencers. Rachael’s content has been something Bachelor Nation has enjoyed seeing, and though her split with Matt is fresh in fans’ minds, her platform as an influencer may only be growing because of her breakup.

7Matt James

The Bachelor Season 25

As one of the first leads of The Bachelor who hadn’t competed on a previous season of The Bachelorette in the show’s modern era, Matt quickly became a Bachelor Nation darling when viewers got to know him. Prior to his time as the lead of The Bachelor season 25, Matt was working for a commercial real estate company as a research analyst. The former football player had been a college-level athlete and then moved into the NFL for a short stint as a wide receiver on the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints before leaving the sport.

Matt’s work as a research analyst wasn’t his only professional experience, as he also had a non-profit he worked for throughout his early 20s, but things have changed considerably for him since The Bachelor. After choosing Rachael at the end of the season, breaking up with her, and then taking her back, the couple went on to become influencers in their own right. Matt, focused on fitness and food, has been influencing for the last few years, even amid the drama of his strange breakup from Rachael in 2025.

6Rachel Lindsay

The Bachelorette Season 13

As one of the front-runners during The Bachelor season 21 with Nick Viall, Rachel Lindsay was one of the most interesting Bachelor contestants viewers had ever seen. Taking on the role of the first lead of color during The Bachelorette season 13, Rachel was clear that she wanted to choose someone on her season that would understand her fast-paced lifestyle. Working as a lawyer, Rachel was open about how much her job meant to her and how hard she’d worked to find her way in the legal system.

Although Rachel went on to be an incredible Bachelorette, reshaping the franchise in a lot of ways, her return to work after the show and her engagement to Bryan Abasolo wasn’t something she stuck to for the long run. Rachel’s time as The Bachelorette opened some new doors for her, making it clear that she could work within the entertainment industry a bit more freely after her turn as the lead. Going into podcasting and hosting, Rachel has sustained herself in a whole new career for years post-show.

5Becca Tilley

The Bachelor Season 19 & 20

Throughout some of the seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette in the 2010s, viewers got the opportunity to get to know contestants through new methods of casting, gimmicks, and some different styles that the franchise tried to employ. One tactic, bringing contestants back from season to season, wasn’t something that was long for The Bachelor, but did introduce people to alumni like Becca Tilley, who appeared on The Bachelor season 19 and season 20.

Throughout her time on the series, Becca was known as a funny, cheerful contestant who’d left her life as a chiropractic assistant behind to try to find love on The Bachelor. While she didn’t find the love a lifetime with Chris Soules or Ben Higgins, Becca was able to establish herself as a member of Bachelor Nation during her back-to-back appearances on the show. Becca went on to become a successful influencer and podcast host, and shares more about her relationship with singer and actress Hayley Kiyoko online.

4Clayton Echard

The Bachelor Season 26

Although he wasn’t successful in finding love with Michelle Young on The Bachelorette season 18, Clayton Echard began his own journey as The Bachelor shortly after his elimination from the previous season. The medical sales representative went on a whirlwind journey as the star of The Bachelor season 26. Clayton was known for his chaotic behavior throughout his time on the show. Between telling several women he was in love with them, making it clear that he was only interested in Susie Evans despite keeping other women around, and ultimately winding up alone, Clayton had a tough time.

Though Clayton wasn’t successful despite having a relationship with Susie after the end of his chaotic season, he was able to move away from The Bachelor with some semblance of success. Clayton left the show knowing he needed to reevaluate what he was doing with his life, and after some time away, he found a new passion. Now working as a real estate agent, Clayton has settled down a lot in his life and seems focused on his business.

3Maria Georgas

The Bachelor Season 28

Maria Georgas was one of the more controversial stars of The Bachelor season 28, initially seeming like she’d be one of the season’s villains. Maria, originally from Kleinburg, Ontario in Canada, Maria was working as an office assistant before she applied to be part of The Bachelor franchise. Though Maria was doing well in her role, she decided to take a chance at love and applied to be on the show, hopeful she’d meet Joey Graziadei in the process.

Maria made it clear from early on in her time on The Bachelor that she wasn’t a forgettable person, and she took making her mark on the franchise seriously. Though she was called out for some villainous behavior, Maria quickly became a Bachelor Nation favorite and was able to move away from returning to her job back at home. Becoming an influencer after The Bachelor, Maria appears to have more to come within the franchise.

2Joey Graziadei

The Bachelor Season 28

As the runner-up on The Bachelorette season 20, viewers got the chance to know Joey well before he became The Bachelor. A tennis pro who had gone from living with his family in Pennsylvania to working as a tennis instructor in Hawaii, Joey was open to change any way he could find it. The sweet, spontaneous contestant didn’t find love with Charity Lawson, but he wound up getting the opportunity to become the lead of his very own season.

As the lead of The Bachelor season 28, Joey was able to meet and get to know his own cast of women. Joey’s decision to leave his tennis roots behind after the show have allowed him to find a plethora of new opportunities. From his win on Dancing With The Stars season 33 pushing him into performing for live audiences to the interviews and hosting jobs he’s found after the series, Joey has been able to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry while working as an influencer on the side.

1Kelsey Anderson

The Bachelor Season 28

After meeting and falling in love with Joey during The Bachelor season 28, Kelsey Anderson knew that her life would never be the same. Prior to the series, Kelsey had been living and working in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a Louisiana native, she was happy to be settling into her life in the city. Working as a project manager before her time on the show, Kelsey was excited at the opportunity to apply for The Bachelor and have the opportunity to find love on reality TV.

Once she got to meet Joey and grew to know him better, it was clear that their relationship was something that would change her life for the better. After accepting his proposal, Kelsey and Joey headed to her native New Orleans where they hunkered down and waited for the show to finish airing so they could live their lives publicly. Although she was still working as a project manager for some time, Kelsey ultimately quit her job to continue expanding her brand as an influencer, which has been incredibly successful for The Bachelor star.