The Bachelors finale recap: The good, the bad and the ugly

😃 The Good: Bachelors pick their winners

😔 The Bad: Lowest-rated finale ever

😢 The Ugly: Two shock break-ups post-show

After one of the most chaotic seasons yet, The Bachelors officially came to an end on Sunday night with a very dramatic final episode.

Not only did the three leading men Felix Von Hofe, Thomas Malucelli and Jed McIntosh each choose a partner, but there were also two proposals and a surprise appearance from Jessica Navin’s boyfriend Damien.

The Bachelors pick their winners

Thomas was first to make his decision and chose to say goodbye to Lauren Whybird and get down on one knee for Leah Cummings, who gave him a resounding ‘yes’.

“Leah, I’m absolutely in love with you,” he said during his proposal. “I literally love every single thing about you, and I never thought I would be proposing to someone after just a few weeks, but I know that you’re the one.”

Meanwhile, Jed broke Angela Ferdinands' heart and left her “in complete shock” when he told her she wasn’t his winner. He then decided to propose to Alésia Delaney but quickly turned it into a ‘promise ring’ when she told him she didn’t want to get engaged so soon.

Lastly, Felix had to decide between Abigail Harley and Jessica Navin, who has had a boyfriend on the outside throughout the entire experience. He ultimately ended things with Abigail to pursue a relationship with Jessica after learning she had broken up with her partner Damien earlier that morning.

“You make me feel so special, you really do,” he told her. “Love is all about taking a risk, and there is no one else I’d rather take that risk with than you. I wish I knew exactly what it’s going to look like moving forward, but you know what, part of me loves that I don’t.”

MORE GOOD:

• The Bachelors' Felix 'couldn't care less' about online backlash: 'I'm fine'

• Bachelors 'villain' Tash reveals next reality show she wants to go on

• The Bachelors' Jasmine reveals surprising unseen moment: 'Bombshell'

Season ten delivers the series' lowest ratings

Despite being arguably the most drama-filled season of the dating show, the tenth iteration ended up being the least-watched.

The season premiere only managed to attract 309,000 viewers compared to last year’s season, which had 482,000. Meanwhile, the highest-rated premiere of all time was Nick 'The Honey Badger' Cummins’ in 2018 where he had an audience of 940,000.

As for the finale, Sunday night’s episode had 372,000 viewers compared to 629,000 last year.

Bachelor couple Locky Gilbert and Irena Srbinovska, who found love on the show in 2020, tell Yahoo Lifestyle that they believe Channel 10 should give the series a break.

“I think they need to give The Bachelor a rest for like three years and then bring it back because people are expecting the love story but getting ruined with it trying to be dramatised,” Locky says.

“They're gonna have so much drama with MAFS and stuff, and in two to three years they're gonna go, ‘We just want to watch a girl and a guy fall in love’. So instead of trying to beat a dead horse in trying to make this love story work, cut it for a little bit, build up the anticipation and then bam, bring in Thomas again maybe!”

“Or bring Bachelor in Paradise back for one season now, then give the whole show a break and think about it in a couple of years' time,” Irena adds. “But I think we need a send-off with Paradise.”

MORE BAD:

• Bachelors' Tilly says the show 'sexualised' her relationship with Felix

• Brutal blow for The Bachelors cast ahead of finale: 'Upset'

• The Bachelors' Tash slams 'villain' edit: 'I haven't done anything'

Two shock break-ups after filming wraps

Shortly after the finale aired on TV it was announced that two of this year’s couples had decided to call it quits in the six months between filming ended and now.

Felix and Jessica told 10 Play that it was a combination of the long distance and the fact that they could hardly see each other before the finale aired that caused things to “naturally fizzle out”.

“As someone who really values communication and who loves a good D&M, I felt like Felix and I had very different perspectives on what that would look like, and we just kind of lacked that communication,” she said. “We were on different levels in that sense.

“I still care for him and I truly want the best for him and I will always want to be there for him as a friend,” she continued, while Felix added, “We’re still on great terms, we’re still incredibly close and we’ve chatted throughout the process”.

Thomas and Leah, who appeared to have one of the strongest connections on the show, have also since parted ways.

“We had an amazing time together and we spent incredible moments together on the show and also after the show,” Thomas told 10 Play. “But we realised, spending time together, we had lots of love and care for each other but we weren’t compatible and compatibility is so important.

“We made the decision to stay friends, to still support one another but obviously go our different routes finding love.”

Leah added: “I’m devastated to this day I didn’t get what I wanted from it, but I also found so much more from it… I love who I am now, I can look at myself in the mirror like damn Leah you should be so proud of yourself. I gave something a go and I didn’t hold anything back.”

As for Jed and Alésia, the couple “aren’t putting labels on their relationship currently but are excited to see how their connection can now evolve outside the Bachie bubble”.

MORE UGLY:

• The Bachelors' Krystal says Jessica 'lied her way' to the finale: 'Fraud'

• Osher Günsberg's cheeky clapback after fans slam The Bachelors

• The Bachelors star responds to wild behind-the-scenes theory: 'Actors'

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