Howard was introduced to Bernadette by Penny, who was a waitress with her at the Cheesecake Factory. Howard and Bernadette soon bonded over their overbearing mothers. When Howard realized this could become a lasting relationship, he quickly proposed to Bernadette. Although she did not accept his proposal, the pair continued to date.

During this time, Howard revealed Leslie was the fifth girl he’d hooked up with… for free. Another flame was Penny’s ditzy friend from her hometown, but all in all, we can assess that Howard’s only real girlfriend was Bernadette.