- Has a contender discovers their romantic interest?
Stella Shoemaker (27) becomes the initial bisexual "Bachelorette". Broadcasting begins on August 26, where she encounters a group of singles on RTL+. Will she discover the perfect partner amongst the men and women? Many of her predecessors found love within the TV series, although happiness in the long term was elusive for most.
Monica Masters
Monica Masters (47), at the age of 27, was the first "Bachelorette" in 2004. She selected police officer Marc Quinkenstein from 25 contestants as her ideal "Mr. Right". Regrettably, their relationship concluded three weeks after filming, even before the show aired. Subsequently, Masters reentered the limelight with her love life, dating comedian Oliver Pocher from 2005 to 2009. After experiencing two unsuccessful public relationships, Masters discovered enduring happiness: she has been partnered with financier Christian Masters since 2012, and they married in June 2015. They are blessed with two children, daughter Rosa born in May 2013 and son Anton in April 2016.
Anna Harper
For quite some time, Anna Harper (36) and the winner of the second "Bachelorette" season, Marvin Albrecht, were believed to be evidence that couples could forge lasting relationships following the conclusion of matchmaking shows. In 2014, the second "Bachelorette" fell for Marvin Albrecht in Portugal and awarded him the final rose. Their romance ended shortly after nearly three years together, and Harper announced their separation in February 2017. Both found new love subsequently. Harper is with former "Forbidden Love" actor Marc Barthel (34) since fall 2017. They live together in Berlin, have a son Leo born in 2019, and tied the knot in 2020. Their second child was born in 2022. Marvin Albrecht has been with model Simone Voss since 2018.
Alisa Parks
In 2015, teacher Alisa Parks (36) chose personal trainer Patrick Cuninka from 20 men as her "Bachelorette". Their relationship did not last long, and they announced their separation in March 2016 on their respective Instagram channels. In 2017, Parks took a break from social media and refrained from public appearances. Unexpectedly, Parks shocked her followers by announcing her engagement on Instagram in August 2020. She revealed her baby bump and a picture of her holding her newborn in December 2022, but did not disclose any details about the child's birth or name or gender.
Following Jessica Jones - born Witherspoon (34) failing to find love on "The Bachelor" in 2014, she opted to participate in "The Bachelorette" in 2017. In Marbella, Spain, she met 20 men and ultimately chose Electric-Callboy-vocalist David Freeman (34) in the finale, instead of runner-up Johannes Jones (36). Unfortunately, their relationship lasted less than six months. Freeman announced their separation on Instagram in September 2017. Jones, her almost-chosen one, later confirmed their relationship at the beginning of October 2020, after they were photographed kissing on Ibiza. Jones revealed his pregnant girlfriend in mid-December 2020, followed by a ring and an announcement of their daughter's birth on May 6, 2021. In December 2021, they officially married.
Nadine King
Another former "Bachelor" contestant, Nadine King (38), was given an opportunity to find love on TV in 2018, after Daniel Volz (39) sent her home in the fifth episode of the same year. On the fifth season of "The Bachelorette", she presented the roses herself, ultimately awarding the final one to personal trainer Alexander Hindersmann (36). Their relationship ended in November 2018. In May 2019, King publicly acknowledged a new man in her life on Instagram. He hailed from Berlin, just like King. They married in September 2021, but keep their relationship largely private. Hindersmann is now in a relationship with sports presenter Laura Petersock (35).
Gerda Stone
Influencer and former "Germany's Next Topmodel" candidate Gerda Stone (31) served as the sixth "Bachelorette". In 2019, she sought her ideal partner within the RTL format. Project engineer Keno Rus took home the final rose from the model. Unfortunately, their union was short-lived, as the "Bachelorette" and the East Frisian parted ways just six weeks after the finale aired in September. At the end of 2020, she made her relationship with Melvin Pelzer public, sharing a kiss picture. However, they announced their separation in July 2021. Despite admitting that her ex-boyfriend Rus played a role in her split from Pelzer, there was no possibility of a reconciliation between the "Bachelorette" couple. Stone is now in a relationship with influencer Jannik Kontalis.**
Similarly to Paszka and Klein, Melissa Damilia (28) had dating show experience in 2020, but not as a previous "Bachelor" contestant. Damilia was part of RTLzwei's dating show "Love Island" in 2019, but romance didn't work out for her there. Consequently, she embarked on a journey to find love as the leading lady in "The Bachelorette". She found her happy ending with the winner, Leander Sacher. In March 2022, she announced her separation from the entrepreneur. "I'm a content single woman," she declared during a chat with RTL.
Following her stint on "Bachelor" with Daniel Völz in 2018 and her broken relationship with David Friedrich in 2021, Maxime Herbord (29) continued her search for love as "The Bachelorette" in 2021. Out of the 20 eligible bachelors, she chose the Austrian Raphael Fasching. Despite their finale, she expressed hope for further meetings between them. In October 2021, Fasching announced via Instagram that their paths would diverge in the future. Meanwhile, Herbord found love elsewhere, with rumors swirling between Leander Sacher and her. In December 2022, she acknowledged her feelings for Sacher on Instagram.
In June 2022, Sharon Battiste (32) sought her ideal mate as "The Bachelorette". Winner Jan Hoffmann, who also received the initial season's kiss, stood by her side for an extended period. Post-finale, they shared their joy on social media. However, in May 2024, they announced their separation with a heavy heart. Despite their shared memories, they decided to part ways after countless discussions, tears, and efforts to find what was best for both. But separation rumors persisted, and in mid-August, they announced their reunion on social media.
Jennifer Saro (28), who followed Battiste in 2023, also embarked on a quest to find her dream man. It appeared that she found it with Fynn Kunz, as they seemed to be heading towards a happy ending after the finale in August. He moved in with Saro and her son "Keksi" in October, but they announced their separation in an Instagram Story in December, citing moving in too soon as the downfall of their relationship. In January 2024, they confirmed their final breakup, with Saro expressing that they weren't well-suited as partners. In mid-August 2024, Saro shared new couple photos, hinting at a new relationship.
The Bachelorette series has seen a mix of successful and unsuccessful relationships, similar to Stella Shoemaker's journey. For instance, Monica Masters, the first Bachelorette in 2004, found happiness with Christian Masters after two unsuccessful public relationships.
After Jessica Jones-Witherspoon failed to find love on The Bachelor, she opted for The Bachelorette and eventually chose Electric-Callboy-vocalist David Freeman, but their relationship lasted less than six months.
