In lieu of the finale of the most recent season of The Bachelor, I am indulging even more in my favorite guilty pleasure by sharing the best Bachelor podcasts, books, and Instagram follows.
I have been obsessed with The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and the entire Bachelor Nation for years. I have seen every season with the exception of a few that aired during my international travels.
Yet in the nearly 10 years of blogging here at Simply Rebekah, I have never once written anything about The Bachelor. All of that changes today, baby!
This post contains affiliate links.
The Best Bachelor Podcasts
I have listened to hours and hours and hours of bachelor podcasts. Some are amazing. Others are only popular because they are hosted by Bachelor Nation Alum. The bachelor podcasts listed here are truly worth a listen.
The podcasts include links to find them in Apple Podcasts, but you can also search for them in your favorite podcast app.
AfterBuzz TV’s The Bachelor After Show
Every week, this is the very first podcast I listen to. I listen because it is a recap hosted by regular people just like me. Originally, they had really good guests on the show. That still happens from time to time, but not as regularly. (I listen to this one first because it is a good podcast to hear what the average viewer thinks of the show.)
The hosts of this AfterBuzz podcast have changed throughout the seasons. I’ll be honest that I like some more than others, but currently they have one of my very favorites, Jeffrey Graham. Jeff is amazing. He always has good insight and predictions.
Listen to this podcast if you crave more Bachelor related dialogue in your life as well as the occasional guest from Bachelor Nation.
If you are looking for this in your favorite podcast app, they have separate feeds for The Bachelorette and Bachelor In Paradise. You’ll want to subscribe to all 3.
Here to Make Friends
Every week, this is the second bachelor podcast I listen to. It is hosted by Emma Gray and Claire Fallon, fierce feminists who “lovingly snark” on the show. They also have really good guests from Bachelor Nation. (I listen to this one second because it digs deeper and is a little darker – in a good way.)
If you are feeling extra guilty about your guilty pleasure of watching The Bachelor, this is the podcast for you. Every week they give a very detailed break down of what happens on the show. They call out everyone on their B.S. Then at the end of the podcast they breakdown the biggest feminist fails (you could even call them humanity fails).
Listen to this podcast if you want to dig deeper into what The Bachelor is saying about gender roles, women, and humanity.
The Popcast
This is the third podcast I listen to each week. It is hosted by the hilarious Knox McCoy and Jamie Golden, and it truly is FUNNY. They breakdown the episode with recaps, fun facts about the city where the latest episode was filmed, declare a winner and looser of each episode, and give an update on the contestants Instagram followers. (I listen to this one last because it is a good palate cleanser and a fun note to end on.)
The only downside to this ridiculously funny podcast is that the recpas not free.The Popcast is a free weekly podcast all about pop culture, but they offer extra perks to those who support them through Patreon. The recaps for The Bachelor and Bachelorette are included in the perks. You can gain access to their Bachelor recaps on The Popcast’s Patreon page for $3.00 a month.
Listen to this podcast if you want to laugh.
Reality Steve Podcast
Reality Steve is known for spoiling each season of The Bachelor. I am not interested in spoilers, but I do love his in depth interviews with members of Bachelor Nation. This is not a podcast I listen to weekly. In fact, I try not to listen to shows released during the current season airing on TV to make sure I don’t accidentally hear a spoiler.
I don’t listen to every single episode, but I particularly enjoyed his episodes with Sean Lowe (ep. 90) and Olivia Caridi (ep. 52).
Listen to this podcast if you want to hear more from your favorite contestants.
The Best Bachelor Podcast Episodes
These podcasts have had some stand-out episodes, but might not be worth hitting subscribe.
The Viall Files
Nick Viall is a Bachelor legend. He was the runner-up twice on The Bachelorette, had a season on Bachelor In Paradise, and was The Bachelor. On his podcast, he talks to guests (from Bachelor Nation and not) about the current season and gives dating advice to listeners.
Honestly, I don’t listen to the advice segments and have only been half interested in his commentary on the current season. What is landing Nick’s podcast on this list is the fascinating stories he has told about his time on the show.
Listen to: the first first episode where he spills some secrets from his time on the show and episode 6 with Rachel Lindsay
Off The Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe
Kaitlyn Bristowe was a fan favorite on The Bachelor and became The Bachelorette during that crazy season when they let the contestants vote between her and Brittney. Few of her episodes have caught my eye, but I have listened to a few.
Listen to: Live From the Wine Cellar with Chris Harrison Part 1 and Part 2 – This series was extremely fascinating.
Sorta Awesome
Unlike Nick and Kaitlyn’s podcasts, I strongly recommend you subscribe to Sorta Awesome. It is the podcast that I co-host for women about everything from the silly to the serious, but it isn’t dedicated to The Bachelor. However, we did one episode deep dive into all things Bachelor.
Listen to: Happy Endings, Broken Hearts, & Bachelor Nation (ep. 157)
The Best Bachelor Books
Bachelor Nation seems quick to hop on a podcast and spill their secrets rather than taking the time to write captivating memoirs. Yet I have two for you that are worth a read.
Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman
This is a must read for any Bachelor super fan. Amy takes a look back into the history of the franchise, production secrets, and the casting process. You can skip the first chapter, which gives an overview of the history of dating on reality TV, but the rest is fantastic.
My Reality by Melissa Rycroft
Melissa was part of one of the most dramatic seasons of The Bachelor ever. No really! She was given Jason Mesnick’s final rose until he broke up with her on After The Final Rose and asked Molly for a second chance. Her memoir follows all of the drama that happened on and off screen. She also shares in ways we rarely hear about how her previous relationships effected her Bachelor journey.
The Best Bachelor Instagram Follows
I have fallen in love with Instagram. It makes sense that I would take my passion for The Bachelor to Instagram and follow some of Bachelor Nation. These are my favorites to follow there.
Nick Viall – @nickviall
Nick’s Instagram stories are hilarious. He has a dry sense of humor that cracks me up. My favorite thing is when he does “Questions with Nick” on Sundays. He gives solid relationship and life advice with the perfect amount of sass.
Sean Lowe – @seanloweksu
Sean writes the best captions for his main feed photos. He often shares photos of his adorable family, but with witty captions. I also really enjoy his wife’s stories @catherinegiudici.
Carly Waddell – @carlywad
Carly’s love story on Bachelor In Paradise is unlike any other. I get a kick out of Carly’s Instagram stories about her daily life, and I enjoy her husband’s also @theebass.
Rebekah Hoffer – @simplyrebekah
That’s me! On Instagram I post about homemaking, frugal tips, living naturally, motherhood, and of course The Bachelor. You can find my Instagram story highlights dedicated to Bachelor Nation here.
As Bachelor Nation continues to grow each season, the number of Bachelor resources is sure to grow also. What do you think are the best Bachelor podcasts, books, and follows that should be added to my list?
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Simply Rebekah. Top image by Karen Arnold via Pixabay. All other images via the podcasts or books.
Sheaffer Told Me To is sthe only thing I read/listen to about The Bachelor. I don’t even watch the Bachelor – this is all I need. It’s hilarious.
https://sheaffertoldmeto.com/category/bachelor/
Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll have to check it out!
I love Here to Make Friends as well, and that series you recommended with Chris Harrison on Kaityln’s podcast was fascinating. I agree with the recommendation above to read Scheaffer’s recaps and I also love Sharleen Joynt’s recaps at flare.com and alltheprettypandas.com. I love the podcasts and recaps as much as I love the show itself!
Yes, Kim! The recaps are sometimes even BETTER than the show. I could never go back to just watching without listening to all my favorite podcasts.
Yes to Here to Make Friends and the Popcast!! Chatty Broads is also a good recap podcast that does not take itself too seriously. One of the co-hosts was on Arie’s season, but they have a much more “kitchen table” vibe than some of the others. Their conservative evangelical backgrounds also inform their feminist-oriented commentary which adds depth to their analysis.
@JaredFried is a comedian who “live screams” the Bachelor and Bachelorette on his Instagram stories every week. I often watch his bawdy and obnoxious commentary just to get a synopsis of what happened and the visuals without the time investment of watching the whole show. (He also hosts/co-hosts two podcasts where he demystifies dating in the age of dating apps. Just the right mix of irreverent honesty without being completely offensive. Highly recommend.)
Oops. That’s @JaredFreid
Thank you so much for the recommendation!