The Bachelor (Season 16)

The **16th season** of *The Bachelor* premiered on January 2, 2012. The show featured 29-year-old Ben Flajnik, a winemaker and owner of Envolve wines.

He was rejected by Ashley Herbert in the 7th season of *The Bachelorette*.

He ultimately chose to propose to Courtney Robertson.

## Filming and development

### Casting and contestants

During the 2nd season finale of *Bachelor Pad*, Flajnik was ultimately announced as the next Bachelor.

### Production

Unlike previous seasons, the contestants would not stay at the Bachelor Mansion in Agoura Hills, California for long. After night one, the contestants traveled to Flajnik's hometown of Sonoma, California; San Francisco, California; Park City, Utah; Vieques, Puerto Rico; Panama City, Panama; Belize and Switzerland. Appearances for this season included recording artist Matt Nathanson and country singer Clay Walker.

## Contestants

The season began with 25 contestants.

Courtney Robertson
28
Scottsdale, Arizona
Model
WinnerLindzi Cox
27
Newcastle, Washington
Business development manager
Runner-upNicki Sterling
26
Hurst, Texas
Dental hygienist
Eliminated in week 9Kacie Boguskie
24
Clarksville, Tennessee
Administrative assistant
Eliminated in week 8Emily O'Brien
27
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
PhD Student
Eliminated in week 7Rachel Truehart
27
Southampton, Massachusetts
Fashion sales representative
Eliminated in week 7Jamie Otis
25
Dryden, New York
Registered nurse
Eliminated in week 6Casey Shteamer
26
Leawood, Kansas
Trading clerk
Removed in week 6Blakeley Jones
33
Rutherfordton, North Carolina
VIP cocktail waitress
Eliminated in week 6Jennifer Fritsch
28
Cache, Oklahoma
Accountant
Eliminated in week 5Elyse Myers
24
Chicago, Illinois
Personal trainer
Eliminated in week 5Monica Spannbauer
33
Yuba, California
Dental consultant
Eliminated in week 4Samantha Levey
26
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Advertising account manager
Eliminated in week 4Jaclyn Swartz
27
Newton, Massachusetts
Advertising account manager
Eliminated in week 3Erika Uhlig
23
Charlottesville, Virginia
Law student
Eliminated in week 3Brittney Schreiner
26
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Medical sales representative
Quit in week 3Shawn Reynolds
28
Cincinnati, Ohio
Financial advisor
Eliminated in week 2Jenna Burke
27
Loveland, Ohio
Blogger
Eliminated in week 2Amber Bacon
23
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia
Labor and delivery nurse
Eliminated in week 1Amber Tierney
28
Waverly, Nebraska
Critical care nurse
Eliminated in week 1Anna Snowball
25
Detroit, Michigan
Student
Eliminated in week 1Dianna Martinez
30
San Gabriel, California
Nonprofit director
Eliminated in week 1Holly Johnson
34
Salyersville, Kentucky
Pharmaceutical sales representative
Eliminated in week 1Lyndsie James
29
London, England
Internet entrepreneur
Eliminated in week 1Shira Astrof
35
Massapequa Park, New York
Actress
Eliminated in week 1
### Future appearances

Lindzi Cox, Rachel Truehart, Jamie Otis, Blakeley Jones and Jaclyn Swartz all went on to appear on the 3rd season of *Bachelor Pad*. They finished 9th/10th, 2nd, 13th/14th, 7th/8th and 5th/6th respectively.

Jaclyn Swartz also appeared on the 2nd season of *Bachelor in Paradise*. She finished 11th/14th.

## Episodes

 2
 3
 4
 5
 6
 7
 8
 9
 10
 11
 11
 In this special episode immediately following the finale, host Chris Harrison recapped Ben's journey as the bachelor. Ben first talked about feeling shocked by Courtney's behavior on the show, admitting that it was the reason why he and Courtney went for days without talking. He also addressed the allegations of cheating in the tabloids, stating they were all false. Courtney was summoned next, and talked about her relationship with Ben. She expressed feeling hurt about their breakup, which occurred a week before Valentine's Day, but admitted feeling responsible for the problems they endured. After their reunion, the couple stated they are taking steps to fix their relationship, and are still together. Chris then presented the engagement ring to Ben, which Ben returned to Courtney to renew their engagement. Later, Season 7's bachelorette Ashley and fiancé J.P. Rosenbaum discussed their future plans, including their wedding and having children.

## Where are they now?

Ben and Courtney ended their engagement a few months after the show.

Ben is currently dating Stephanie Winn.

Kacie Boguskie is married to Rusty Gastom whom she met in 2012. She now goes by the name Kacie Boguskie Gaston. They have a son, Ranger, and a daughter, Everly Sue.

Jamie Otis is married to Doug Hehner whom she met when she appeared on *Married at First Sight* in 2014. They have a daughter, Henley, who was born on August 22, 2017, and a son, Hendrix Douglas, who was born on May 13, 2020.

## The Ring

A 3-carat cushion-cut Neil Lane ring accented by 96 round cut diamonds, worth $80,000.