Men have come, and men have gone – but ‘The Bachelor’ has been raging a storm across the face of reality TV since 2002, airing nearly 25 seasons. Ever wonder who the oldest bachelor was? If you are just as curious as we are, this is a definite read for you.
‘The Bachelor‘ premiered on 25 March 2002 on ABC, with Chris Harrison as the presenter and 31-year-old Alex Michel as the first bachelor, courting 25 women. Season 24 of ‘The Bachelor’ concluded on 10 March 2020 with 28-year-old Delta Airlines pilot Peter Weber as the show’s new lead.
Highlights —
- Who was the oldest lead on ‘The Bachelorette’?
- Meet the oldest lead on ‘The Bachelor’
- Here are some of the older ‘The Bachelor’ leads
Who was the oldest lead on ‘The Bachelorette’?
When talking about the oldest bachelor, it’s unfair to not mention the woman who made history by being the oldest lead on ‘The Bachelorette’. 39-year-old Clare Crawley became the oldest bachelorette to lead the show. Her precursor Hannah Brown was only 24, 15 years younger than Crawley. Clare was first seen on ‘The Bachelor’ in 2014 which had Juan Pablo Galavis as the lead. Additionally, she also appeared on seasons 1 and 2 of ‘Bachelor In Paradise’ and reappeared in ‘The Bachelor Winter Games’.
Clare Crawley’s Cringeworthy Moments in ‘The Bachelorette’ Episode
Some of the older bachelorettes in the show’s history were Rachel Lindsay, who was 32 years old, Trista Rehn, who was 30 years old, and also the first-ever bachelorette, and Kaitlyn Bristowe who was 29. Crawley was truly an exception, as most of the past leads on the show were in their 20s. In fact, her appearance as the lead in ‘The Bachelorette’ Season 16 stirred quite a shocking reaction among the fans. It is safe to assume that it was exactly what the network was hoping for.
‘The Bachelorette’: Chris Harrison on Clare and Dale’s Whirlwind Romance
Meet the oldest lead on ‘The Bachelor’
It’s time for the ultimate reveal. Who was the oldest, yet one of the most coveted men in the history of ‘The Bachelor’? The title is owned by Byron Velvick, who was 40 years old when he appeared as the lead on ‘The Bachelor’ Season 6. Velvick, a two-time winner of the Bass U.S. Open Champion Fisherman, was also a commentator for an ESPN2 show named ‘Bass Center’ for two years. In 2004, in season 6, he finally offered the rose to Mary Delgado, a former NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleader. Before entering ‘The Bachelor’, Byron was married to Irene Gallegos from 1999 to 2002.
Former ‘Bachelorette’ Mary Delgado finally breaks silence, introduces the man who made her fairy tale come true
According to the “US Magazine”, the pair got engaged during the finale in 2004, but they headed for splitsville in December 2009. Delgado and Velvick had a rocky relationship and Mary was even arrested before their breakup for punching Byron in the face. A few years later, Byron found love again in Belinda Juarez and married her in March 2015. The happy couple has a daughter named Kamber.
Posing with Mike Fleiss, Byron Velvick looks stunning even at 54!
Here are some of the older ‘The Bachelor’ leads
Like ‘The Bachelorette’, ‘The Bachelor’ has mostly picked their leads from the age bracket of 20 to 30. The last two seasons featured 28-year-old Peter Weber (2020) and 26-year-old Colton Underwood (2019) as the show’s lead.
But, of course, there had to be exceptions. ‘The Bachelor’ Season 22 starred 36-year-old Arie Luyendyk Jr. as the lead, whereas season 21 had Nick Viall, also 36, taking the center stage. Season 9 featured 34-year-old Lorenzo Borghese as the lead. But, in 2007, 35-year-old Brad Womack created history as ‘America’s most hated man’ by rejecting both finalists Jenni Croft and DeAnna Pappas.
Watch 3 of the Best and Worst ‘Bachelors’ in the show’s history
That’s not all. Womack dared to appear again as the bachelor in 2011, but this time he salvaged his image by proposing to Emily Maynard in one of the most romantic ways in the history of ‘The Bachelor’. Unfortunately, the couple soon called it quits and Maynard was cast as the lead in ‘The Bachelorette’ in 2012.
It all works out! But now the question remains, will Velvick retain the title of the oldest bachelor in the history of the show, or will season 25 of ‘The Bachelor’ set a new record? Get your guessing game going in the comments below!
