'The Bachelor' Finale: Ben Higgins Chooses Between Lauren Bushnell and JoJo Fletcher
— -- Fans of "The Bachelor" have been waiting for tonight's season finale with baited breath--a conclusion that promises to dominate water cooler conversations this afternoon and tomorrow morning.
Here are a few facts about this season - the most dramatic one yet - to get you up to date.
The Bachelor: This season it's Ben Higgins, a 6'4" Indiana native who works for a software company in Denver. Like most men who've held the title before him, Higgins previously appeared on "The Bachelorette" and struggled with a fear of being "unlovable." However, unlike his predecessors, Higgins has said "I love you" to both finalists, Lauren Bushnell and JoJo Fletcher.
The two remaining women: Lauren Bushnell is a 25-year-old flight attendant from Marina del Rey, California, while JoJo Fletcher is a 24-year-old Dallas-based real estate developer. Both women admitted they were nervous to confess their true feelings to Higgins, and were shocked and relieved to hear him reciprocate. Going into this week's episode, neither knows that he said "I love you" to the other.
The family factors: Higgins is an only child, and his parents' opinions are important to him. In a preview of this week's episode, his mother admitted that she finds it "disturbing" that her son is in love with two women.
Higgins has clashed with the families of both women. He had disagreements with Fletcher's brothers during the couple's dates in her hometown, though Fletcher said they were just being protective and would welcome Higgins as as brother-in-law. In the same episode, Higgins had a tense moment with Bushnell's sister. She later gave him a hug when he cried about his feelings for Bushnell.
A happy ending: While he was in love with two women during production, Higgins revealed earlier this month that he's now engaged to one of them. "She's been put through hell," he said of his fiancée. "I owe her a lot of dates and a lot of lovin'."
There's a fan favorite: Need someone to root for but not sure who to pick? 37% of "Good Morning America" viewers think that Fletcher is the recipient of Higgins' final rose, while 63% see it going to Bushnell.
