The seventeenth season of The Bachelor premiered on January 7, 2013. This season features 28-year-old Sean Lowe, a former Kansas State football player from Irving, Texas.
Lowe finished in third place on the eighth season of The Bachelorette featuring Emily Maynard. The season concluded on March 11, 2013, with Lowe choosing to propose to 26-year-old graphic designer Catherine Giudici. Lowe and Giudici married in January 2014, and currently live in Dallas, Texas with their two sons, Isaiah and Samuel, and daughter, Mia.
Casting began during the airing of the sixteenth season of the show. First The Bachelor approached Tim Tebow, then-quarterback of the Denver Broncos; but he never signed an agreement. Lamar Hurd, a sportscaster from Portland, Oregon, had been another potential candidate, vying to become the first African-American "Bachelor." It wouldn't be until season twenty-five that would have an African-American Bachelor when Matt James later being chosen as the lead.
It was then announced on September 25, 2012, Sean Lowe was named as the Bachelor. Other rumored possible candidates included The Bachelorette season 6 winner Roberto Martinez, Lowe's The Bachelorette castmate and that season's runner-up Arie Luyendyk Jr., and eleven-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte. Luyendyk dropped out to focus on his racing career. Martinez and Lochte also declined. Luyendyk would go on to become the star of The Bachelor five seasons later.
Notable contestants include Bachelor Pad season 3 contestant and Bachelor Nation super fan Paige Vigil. Sarah Herron became the first disabled contestant in The Bachelor franchise who was born with one arm resulted with amniotic band syndrome.
This season traveled many places including Montana; the Canadian province of Alberta; St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands; and Thailand. Appearances including Ben Taylor, Eli Young Band and Sarah Darling.
25 potential new contestants were first revealed on September 25, 2012 for the first time in the show's history before filming had begun.
In the premiere episode, season 16 contestant Kacie Boguskie revealed as the mystery woman and competed in this season, bringing the total to 26.
Desiree Hartsock was chosen as the lead of season nine of The Bachelorette.
AshLee Frazier, Daniella McBride, Jackie Parr, and Sarah Herron returned for the inaugural season of Bachelor in Paradise. Daniella was eliminated in week 1. In week 7, AshLee split from Graham Bunn, Sarah split from Robert Graham, and Jackie split from Zack Kalter.
Sarah returned for the third season of Bachelor in Paradise. She was eliminated in week 3.
Lesley Murphy returned for The Bachelor Winter Games under Team USA. She finished as co-runner-up.
Sean Lowe competed in the sixteenth season of Dancing with the Stars. He partnered with Peta Murgatroyd and finished in 6th place.
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