Hannah Brown’s Evolution: From ‘Bachelor’ to ‘DWTS’ Champ and Beyond

Hannah Brown was introduced to the world when she vied for Colton Underwood’s love on The Bachelor season 23 in 2018 — and fans are still keeping track of her highs and lows. While she did not end up with Underwood (Cassie Randolph won, but the two later called it quits in April 2020), ABC gave Brown a second chance at finding The One by naming her the lead of The Bachelorette’s 15th season. However, she came up short once again, breaking off her engagement to Jed Wyatt during the After the Final Rose special in 2019. Since then, Brown has emerged as a force to be reckoned with. She won season 28 of Dancing With the Stars in 2019, and two years later she penned her memoir, God Mess This Bless. Brown entered the romance novel scene in 2024, writing Mistakes We Never Made, one year after getting engaged to Adam Woolard. Scroll down for a look back at Brown’s evolution — from her awkward first date on The Bachelor to becoming a leading lady and beyond:

During her Bachelor introductory package, which aired in January 2019, Brown raved about being able to “serve my great state” as Miss Alabama USA 2018. “It’s fun. I have my own autograph pads,” she told viewers. At the end of the video, she said she hoped Underwood would climb aboard the “Hot Mess Express — and I’m the conductor.”

Brown and Underwood’s first one-on-one date did not go as planned — especially when he asked her to make a toast. After an extended pause, she broke into laughter and admitted, “I can’t do this.” Colton’s response? “If Hannah can’t open up, I’m not gonna be giving her a rose at the end of the night,” he told viewers.

Brown spoke to Underwood about her past drama with fellow contestant and Miss USA 2018 competitor Caelynn Miller-Keyes midway through her stint on the reality series, telling him that they used to be friends but no longer were. That night, Underwood gave Miller-Keyes the group date rose. In the next episode, the two women finally agreed to put their differences aside.

Underwood took Brown to Colorado to meet his parents in a February 2019 episode. After a date at a local space museum, however, Underwood realized that he was not “quite there” with Brown and sent her home in tears.

Chris Harrison announced on The Bachelor: After the Final Rose in March 2019 that Brown would be the next Bachelorette. “I feel all the emotions. But honestly, I’m just really grateful for this opportunity,” she said. “My family has been really supportive of me and is really happy. They made me who I am and so they trust me and love me and ultimately want me to have love too.”

Season 15 kicked off with 33 suitors in May 2019. By that July, Brown narrowed it down to her final four: Luke Parker, Tyler Cameron, Peter Weber and Wyatt. The show continued to make headlines each week — even on days without new episodes.

Wyatt came under fire after his ex-girlfriend Haley Stevens came forward to publicly accuse him of leaving her to join the cast, an allegation that Weber also faced later on. Parker was at the center of controversy too, most infamously when he slut-shamed Brown for having sex with Weber. Their on-air argument during fantasy suites week ended with the Bachelorette sending Parker home.

During the season finale, Brown and Wyatt got engaged. However, she broke things off after his ex came forward with her story. While Brown was heartbroken — “I have sobbed on the floor. I felt like my whole life just caved in,” she told Harrison — she ultimately picked herself up.

“I have realized that I don’t need a husband. I want a husband, but I don’t need one,” she said. “And I’m really, really proud of the woman that I’ve become through all this, because I am hella strong!”

The emotional episode, which aired in July 2019, ended with Brown asking runner-up Cameron on a date. Their reunion was short-lived though, as he went on to have a two-month fling with fellow model Gigi Hadid.

Brown reunited with Weber on the premiere of his season of The Bachelor in January 2020. During an emotional conversation, the pilot asked whether the DWTS champ wanted to join his cast, to which she replied, “Maybe.” However, she ultimately did not.

After finally getting closure with Weber, Brown was spotted hanging out with Cameron again in March 2020. She attended a celebration of life for his late mom, Andrea Cameron, in the general contractor’s native Jupiter, Florida, and they were later seen together at Palm Beach International Airport.

Brown and Cameron quarantined together for weeks in March 2020, which sparked speculation they were back together. However, Cameron told Us in May 2020 that the pair’s relationship was strictly platonic. “We have a great friendship,” the model said. “We both care about each other a lot and want each other to be happy.”

Brown made headlines in May 2020 after she sang the N-word on her Instagram Live. She later issued an apology, stating that she was working to educate herself and having "uncomfortable conversations" about race with her family.

"We’re all a part of the conversation and we all can look into some of our internalized racist ideologies because it is systematically institutionalized in our country,” she said via Instagram Live at the time. “It’s really hard to not be affected by that. So I just think dropping the defense and really just opening up your heart and having these conversations and knowing it’s gonna be emotional and uncomfortable, but just going at it from a humble place of wanting to grow and learn, like, it’s gonna be really impactful — I know it has been for me. It doesn’t mean it’s been easy, but no impactful work is ever easy. This is hard work."

The former Bachelorette introduced fans to boyfriend Woolard in February 2021. Months later, she called the model her “favorite wish come true” via Instagram.

Brown’s debut book, God Bless This Mess, was released in November 2021.

The Alabama native detailed her ups and downs both from The Bachelorette and her pageant days to Dancing With the Stars and her own mental health battles in her November 2021 memoir. While reflecting on the writing process of God Bless This Mess, Brown exclusively told Us how she learned to lean into the messy parts of life. 

“I think the biggest takeaway is we live in a society where it’s just, like, keep going, distract, distract, do the next thing, win this, do this — and there is no accolade, reward, amount of money, followers, whatever, that can really heal the pain unless you do the work,” she said in November 2021. “It will just continue to build and build and build and become something that you never thought it would be if you don’t really go to the source. And sometimes that means you’re gonna fall on the ground and it’s going to hurt real bad, but maybe that’s the moment that you can start to heal.” 

Brown continued: “It’s important in my book because, like, your mess can be your message in the end if you can allow it to. But you got to dig through the mess first. I think it’s really being honest with yourself and what your s—t is, [that is] the only way that you’re going to heal and live life in a really impactful, meaningful way.”

Brown got engaged Woolard after more than two years of dating. “So happy,” she wrote via Instagram in August 2023, announcing the couple’s milestone. “I love our steady love.” 

Brown released her first romance novel, Mistakes We Never Made, in May 2024. “If you could combine The Hangover — that mad dash road trip, we’re on a time clock, we have to find the missing bride — and then Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants — this core four group of girls who are there to support each other and they’re all going on their different journeys — I feel like that is the type of vibe that we have going on in Mistakes We Never Made,” Brown exclusively told Us in March 2024 prior to the book’s release, adding that the novel has “enemies to lovers” aspects.

She teased, “We have Emma and Finn, our main characters, who are best friends with the runaway bride. We don’t know where she’s going, and they have to team up even though they’re kind of not on the best speaking terms because of different things in the past. They have to join together and we are on the road with them wondering and hoping if these enemies will turn to lovers.”

Brown reunited with former flame Cameron as a surprise guest for an episode of his 2024 series Going Home With Tyler Cameron. “She was great and I really had a call and a favor for her,” Cameron exclusively told Us ahead of the season 1 premiere. “I really needed her to do this for me because my designer Jess [Quintero] was too busy. She’s like, ‘Ty, I can’t do this anymore.’ I go, ‘Jess, this is my dream home to renovate. We have to find a way to do this.’”

Brown announced in January 2025 that she and fiancé Woolard were no longer living in the same house ahead of their nuptials. “We, kind of, went on a journey together,” Brown said in an Instagram Story video, revealing Woolard decided to get baptized in her church prior to their wedding. “I’ve been a believer, but I think I was really questioning a lot about my faith and in God and my direction. Adam had been searching for a while but didn’t have that.”

She explained that while exploring their faith as a couple, they realized that living apart was the right move. “We decided to just trust God and we are not living in this house together until we get married this summer,” Brown explained. “It was obviously a big decision and very different and new, but we both separately were having these thoughts in our prayer and just feeling the Lord to call us to do this.”

ABC announced in April 2025 that Brown would be joining the Bachelor in Paradise talent lineup stationed in the all-new “Champagne Lounge” for season 10 of the spinoff.

“I think of myself as Paradise Relations,” Brown exclusively told Us. “I am there to make sure that whatever people need, whatever the experience that they’re supposed to have, I’m going to be there.”

She teased, “People need help setting up a magical moment with the person that they’re falling in love with? I’m your girl. If you need some advice on how to express your interest in someone, come to me.”

Brown revealed in a May 2025 episode of the “Heal Squad” podcast that she was recently diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

While learning about the syndrome, Brown said she also learned that she has a “double uterus,” which might affect her ability to carry children. Brown noted she will eventually undergo “exploratory surgery” to discover the extent of the condition.

Additionally, the reality star said that after struggling to walk up stairs and having an “inflamed” body, she was diagnosed with mast cell activation syndrome. “I have really high histamine levels,” Brown explained. “So I think people can fully go on that, and I haven’t been as extreme with changing everything, but just knowing that there’s certain foods that are going to trigger me that have higher histamine levels, and I was eating them every day.”

After four years of dating, Brown wed Woolard in a July 2025 ceremony held in France.

"We wanted something really timeless and classic, and really just the celebration of our love with our friends and family," Brown told People. "We want our community to feel loved and appreciated and we want to pour into them, but we also have to make sure the day's about us and we feel connected."