Brad Womack, the OG Bachelor villain turned redemption story (kind of), just took us on a stroll down memory lane—and it’s awkward, hilarious, and oh-so Brad.
The 52-year-old Bachelor alum, who sent jaws dropping and viewers screaming at their TVs back in 2007 by picking no one on Season 11, spilled the tea on the Almost Famous podcast. Specifically, he opened up about his epic flop on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t pretty.
“I went on Ellen and I just bombed. I mean, I bombed harder than a bad karaoke night,” Brad confessed. “Even the publicist gave me the ‘bless your heart’ look, like, ‘Sweetie, what was that?’”
Brad vs. Ellen: Round One
Let’s rewind to the Bachelor saga that shook America. After choosing literally no one on his first go-round as the lead, Ellen herself apparently decided Brad needed to answer for his sins. “She straight-up called me a jerk,” he shared. Honestly? Fair. The man had one job—hand out a final rose—and said, “Nah, I’m good.”
But here’s the twist: Ellen invited him back, not once but TWICE. Why? Because Brad Womack might be the only guy who makes dodging commitment an actual storyline.
Redemption Tour (Kind Of)
By the time Brad was gearing up for Season 15 in 2011—yes, ABC decided to give Mr. “No Rose For You” another chance—he found himself back on Ellen’s stage. Except this time, things weren’t much better. “I was a ball of nerves,” Brad admitted. “It’s like, ‘Oh great, I’m about to announce to the world that I’m doing this madness again.’”
Cue Ellen, who wasn’t about to let Brad off the hook. “She didn’t cut me any slack, and the audience was definitely not Team Brad,” he said. “It was bad. Like, ‘Can someone just yank me off stage?’ bad.”
Eventually, Ellen did apologize for the “jerk” comment after Brad managed to explain his side of the story. Apparently, not picking someone was his way of staying “true” to himself and the show’s premise. (Translation: “It’s not you, it’s me… and national TV.”)
Love, Actually?
While Brad’s Bachelor run ended with a short-lived engagement to Emily Maynard, his love life is no longer front-page news—until now. Brad hard-launched his romance with a woman named Gabriella, and honestly, she sounds like a gem. “She’s an inherently kind human being,” Brad said, adding, “We’re really happy together.”
So, there you have it: Brad Womack, the man who ghosted a nation, finally found his happy ending… off-screen. Somewhere, Ellen might just be clapping.
Listen to the full podcast episode if you’re in the mood for more awkward moments and Brad’s take on being Bachelor history’s most controversial lead. (Spoiler: He stands by it.)