When "The Bachelor" returns Jan. 1 for its 22nd season, a new group of young women will embark on a journey that lately seems to be more about finding fame than love. More than 500 women have competed on the ABC network series over 21 seasons dating back to 2002, but only a few have stood out enough to become household names. With 25 to 30 women cast each season, it's difficult to keep up with the cast members who don’t have prominent story lines. At least 40 former contestants of "The Bachelor" have ties to the Chicago area, according to information released by the network. Two of them won proposals — Season 3's Jen Schefft and Season 19's Whitney Bischoff — though both women went on to marry other men. And what of the women who didn't receive a Neil Lane engagement ring? What happened after they departed "The Bachelor" mansion and their tears dried? The Tribune attempted to contact every former contestant with local ties to find out what came after they took a moment to say their goodbyes. Some of the women did not respond to our interview request. Three women declined, with one expressing concern about bringing up bad memories. One woman couldn't be located. One contestant from the first season, Northwestern University alumna Catherine Grimes, died in 2016 while vacationing in Wyoming. But those we were able to reach walked us through why they joined the show, what viewers didn’t see, and in some cases, how they were able to find love — without cameras rolling.

(Tracy Swartz)