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SPOILER: If you’re up to date on the drama in Bachelor Nation, you may be wondering: Are Victoria and Greg still together after Bachelor in Paradise 2022 and where are they now after their BIP season 8 scandal with Johnny?
Victoria Fuller and Johnny DePhillipo were two of more than 40 contestants on Bachelor in Paradise season 8. Johnny was originally a contestant on The Bachelorette season 19 with Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia (he was Gabby’s contestant), while Victoria was originally a contestant on The Bachelor season 24 with Peter Weber. Victoria and Johnny got engaged in the Bachelor in Paradise season 8 finale, but broke up after filming ended. Soon after her breakup with Johnny, Victoria started dating Greg Grippo, a contestant from The Bachelorette season 17 with Katie Thurston. Victoria and Greg confirmed their relationship at the Bachelor in Paradise season 8 reunion.
Bachelor in Paradise is a spinoff of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. The Bachelor franchise premiered on ABC in March 2002 with businessman Alex Michel as the first Bachelor. The show has since aired for 26 seasons and produced several spinoffs including The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, Bachelor Pad, The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart and The Bachelor Winter Games. Bachelor in Paradise premiered in August 2014 as a reality TV dating show featuring previous contestants from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. The show starts with an uneven number of women and men from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Each week, there’s a rose ceremony where either the men or women give roses to the contestants they feel the strongest connection to. The contestants who don’t receive a rose are sent home.
The next week, the roles are reversed, and the gender that didn’t give out roses the previous week now has the job of choosing who to give a rose to and who to send home. Each week, more contestants from past seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are also join the show to create an uneven number between the women and men and force the contestants already there to either couple up with someone new or stay in their current relationship. Contestants are also given date cards at random to choose contestants they want to spend alone time with. Many new contestants join the show with a date card.
At the end of the season, the contestants are offered a chance to have an overnight date with no cameras or microphones (much like Fantasy Suites on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.) After the overnight dates is the finale, where contestants either choose to break up or get engaged. Like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise also has an “After the Final Rose” special, where contestants reunite to hash out drama and update viewers on their relationship.
But back to Victoria and Greg. So…are Victoria and Greg still together after Bachelor in Paradise 2022? Read on for what we know about if Victoria and Greg are still together after Bachelor in Paradise season 8 and where they are now after their BIP season 8 scandal with Johnny. (For Bachelor in Paradise 2022 spoilers, click here.)
Image: ABC.
Are Victoria and Greg still together after Bachelor in Paradise 2022? The answer is yes. Victoria was an original contestant on Bachelor in Paradise season 8, where she got engaged to Johnny DePhillipo, a contestant from The Bachelorette season 19 with Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia, in the finale. Victoria and Johnny confirmed they had broken up in the Bachelor in Paradise season 8 “After the Final Rose” special in November 2022. During the special, Victoria also confirmed she was dating Greg after her breakup with Johnny. Season 21 Bachelor Nick Viall confirmed Victoria and Greg were still together in November 2022 when he posted a TikTok video of Victoria kissing Greg on the cheek. Victoria also confirmed she and Greg were still together at the time when she posted an Instagram photo of her holding Greg’s hand. “weekend things,” she wrote in the caption. As of writing this, Victoria and Greg also still follow each other on Instagram.
Reality Steve reported on his podcast in October 2022 that Johnny and Victoria broke up around early September 2022. The report came after rumors Victoria cheated on Johnny with Greg. Reality Steve reported at the time that he also heard the rumors from several sources, but couldn’t confirm if they were true. “I’m not saying it’s not true, I’m just saying I don’t know,” he said. The rumors also came after a TikTok user named Anna posted a video of what looked like Victoria and Greg together in Rome, Italy. “When you are at the Colosseum [and] see Greg Grippo & Victoria F from bachelor nation,” Anna wrote on the video. The video was posted around the time Johnny posted an Instagram Story that he was in Miami, Florida. “Unwell,” he wrote on a photo of him drinking. YouTube creator Dave Neal also shared a photo on his channel at time of what fans believed to be Victoria and Greg walking together in Rome. Reality Steve addressed the picture in his podcast. “As for the picture in Italy, I’m not convinced that that is Victoria, I’m not convinced that is Greg, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t,” he said. ” … If we find out that wasn’t Greg and Victoria in Italy, that doesn’t mean the first two things aren’t true, which are, Victoria and Johnny are done, and Victoria and Greg have something going on. Talking, dating, hooking up, whatever. Did she cheat on Johnny with Greg? I don’t know.”
He continued, “We’re going to find out what happens at that taping, I’m sure. The most solid thing you can run with is Victoria and Johnny are broken up. And I think there’s a lot of signs that point to Victoria and Greg have something going on.” Reality Steve confirmed Victoria and Greg are dating on October 25, 2022, when he posted a video of them at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. The video showed Victoria and Greg walking side by side down a cobblestone street in Rome as they passed by the Trevi Fountain.
During the “After the Final Rose special,” Johnny and Victoria revealed that they were in couples counseling for three weeks after the Bachelor in Paradise season 8 finale, according to Reality Steve. Victoria revealed that she broke up with Johnny after he called her a “stupid cunt” and told her what good of a woman she was if she didn’t cook or clean. Johnny confirmed he said those things to Victoria and apologized for calling her a “stupid cunt.” He also accused Victoria of throwing a wine glass at him and telling him she was out of his league after telling her didn’t want to air their dirty laundry on TV. Tyler Norris (The Bachelorette season 19, Gabby Windey & Rachel Recchia) also claimed he heard from a reporter that Victoria cheated on Johnny at a party in Los Angeles and told people at the party she was single, according to Reality Steve. Victoria went off on Tyler and yelled at him to be quiet and that her breakup with Johnny didn’t involve him.
Victoria also confirmed she was dating Greg after her breakup with Johnny. During the “After the Final Rose” special for Bachelor in Paradise season 8, Victoria and Johnny were brought out first. Greg was then brought out to join them. Then Victoria and Greg were brought out by themselves. Victoria and Greg revealed they were talking before Bachelor in Paradise season 8 but weren’t serious, according to Reality Steve. Greg didn’t go on Bachelor in Paradise because he was dating his ex-girlfriend at the time, Clemence Lopez. Victoria also claimed she told Johnny she was talking to Greg before Bachelor in Paradise. When Johnny saw Victoria texting Greg, she would tell him they were just friends. Johnny learned of Victoria and Greg dating after their breakup from social media when he saw the photos and videos of them in Italy. Victoria and Greg also got matching arm tattoos in Italy, which said “hot” in Italian, according to Reality Steve. As for if Victoria cheated on Johnny with Greg, comedian Dave Neal, who hosts a Bachelor news YouTube channel, reported in a video that Victoria “cheated twice” on Johnny. Social media influencer Zachary Reality, who runs a Bachelor news TikTok account, denied that Victoria cheated on Johnny. “Confirmed. VF never cheated on Johnny. Ever,” he tweeted in October 2022.
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Who is Victoria Fuller from Bachelor in Paradise season 8? Victoria is a 28-year-old medical sales representative from Virginia Beach, Virginia. She was a contestant on The Bachelor season 24 with Peter Weber, where she was eliminated in week nine in third place. During her season, Victoria’s ex-boyfriend, country singer Chase Rice, performed for her and Peter on a One-on-One date. Chase slammed the producers for the moment in an interview at the 2019 CMA Awards, where he also confirmed that he didn’t know Victoria would be on the date. “It ain’t no love triangle, I’ll tell you that,” he said at the time. “The love’s on their side. I wish them the best. I don’t know what happens there, but I wanted to go on and promote my music. And they brought a little extra curricular activity into that. They are [sneaky].” Victoria also dated season 19 Bachelor Chris Soules for four months in 2020. “I respect him so much. I think he’s an amazing man. I just think that like right now, I’m in such a different place than he is,” Victoria said in an interview on the “Viall Files” podcast in September 2020. “And I’m not moving to Iowa anytime soon. So I just want to focus on me. It’s been so much about other people this year that I just really wanna like hone in on what I want to accomplish and like what I want to get out of this year and looking forward to my career in the future.”
Victoria listed her job on The Bachelor as a “Medical Sales Representative.” Victoria currently works as an influencer and is signed to the agency, Socialyte. Read Victoria’s Bachelor season 24 biography and fun facts ahead: Victoria has lived in Virginia Beach her entire life and is very tied into her local community. She works part time at a yoga studio, but her true passion is her career in medical sales. After a terrible break up, Victoria hit the gym hard. She calls her new look her revenge body, and she even spiced things up by purchasing a pair of revenge boobs, which she LOVES! Victoria is looking for a guy that can make her laugh and melt her heart. She wants a man who can love her through the good, the bad and the ugly. She wants a man who can not only give her unconditional love, but can also give that love to her dog, Buxton, because they are a package deal. Victoria says that it’s hard for her to know someone likes her unless they are expressing it to her verbally, so good thing Peter has a way with words!
Fun Facts:
- Victoria loves a man who is in touch with his feelings and isn’t afraid to cry in public.
- Victoria is a big fan of country music and will travel to see her favorite artists play a show.
- The most important woman in Victoria’s life is her dear grandmother.
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Who is Greg Grippo from Bachelor Nation? Greg is a 29-year-old marketing representative from Edison, New Jersey. He was a contestant on The Bachelorette season 17 with Katie Thurston, where he self-eliminated in week seven in third place. During his Bachelorette season, Greg was accused of using The Bachelorette to promote his acting career. In April 2021, the celebrity gossip Instagram account @DeuxMoi received an anonymous submission calling Greg a “manipulative liar” and an “actor.” “Greg G is a manipulative liar and actor on Katie’s season of the Bachelorette. He cleaned up his social media/Linkedin and removed all evidence of his aspiring acting career the past few years,” the submission read.
The anonymous source claimed that Greg attended William Esper Acting School from 2017 to 2019. In 2019, Greg posted an Instagram photo of himself in front of the William Esper Acting School celebrating his graduation. “What a journey. Forever grateful for these last two years @esperstudio,” he wrote in the caption. In their @DeuxMoi submission, the source called Greg a “total ego-obsessed diva in class” and alleged that he wasn’t on The Bachelorette for the right reasons. “He is not on the show for love, let alone Katie, and his appearance on this show is solely to promote / kick-start his acting career,” the source wrote. @DeuxMoi’s source also claims that Greg has been living at his mother’s house since he graduated from college and “never had a real job up until recently likely because he needed a bio for the show.”
In June 2021, @DeuxMoi received a second anonymous tip from a source who claimed to be a friend of someone who dated one of Katie’s Bachelorette contestants. Though the source didn’t name Greg, many assume that the submission was about Katie’s frontrunner because of they describe him as an “actor.” “My best friend dated a fan favorite contestant on The Bachelorette very seriously for a year and a half and he was awful to her. This sweet shy boy act is exactly that, AN ACT,” the source wrote. “He really is actually an actor. I’ve personally witnessed him throw a fit and call her a terrible name for wearing a mini dress, so I can only imagine what happened behind closed doors.”
The source also described her friend and the contestant’s alleged breakup. “He broke up with her, she was extremely upset and then made her Uber an hour back to her apartment alone at 1am,” the source wrote. “We watched our kind, confident friend turn into a shell of herself and then get thrown to the curb. Of course his social media is perfectly curated now, he has an image to protect.”
@DeuxMoi’s source also claimed that the contestant believed to be Greg e-mailed The Bachelorette‘s producers while he was still in a relationship. “Oh and he had been emailing with producers for the show while they were dating; this exposure was always part of his plan to launch his career so whoever wrote that first post is on point,” the source wrote, referencing the previous @DeuxMoi submission. In June 2021, Katie “liked” and “unliked” an Instagram meme that shaded Greg and his “acting career aspirations.” “When the guy next to you is getting interrogated about wanting to be the bachelor and you’ve gotta pretend to be disgusted while hiding your acting career aspirations,” the meme read. The meme referenced another of Katie’s contestants, Thomas Jacobs, who confessed to wanting to be the Bachelor.
After Katie’s shade, Greg’s sister, Samantha, responded to the dig in a since-deleted comment where she expressed how “disappointed” she was in Katie’s behavior. “@thekatiethurston likes this post but was such a supporter of removing the toxicity and mean girls when she was on Matt’s season, you’d think if those intentions when [SIC] genuine she’d had just as much of an issue with this post as well,” she wrote. “Really disappointed in this.” Greg listed his job on The Bachelorette as a “marketing sales representative.” According to his Linkedin, Greg attended Rutgers Preparatory School before graduating from Saint Michael’s College in 2016 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing. His most recent job was as an account manager at Mondo in New York City. Before that, Greg worked as a marketing executive at Melaleuca, a wellness company.
In an interview on The Viall Files podcast in 2021, Greg responded to accusations he was an actor and explained he enrolled in theater school because he was “miserable” in his career in life insurance after college. “I was miserable,” he said “I felt like there was a lot more to me. I didn’t know where to go in life. I really didn’t. But I knew I just wanted more. I wanted to take a chance on myself and acting was always something that I wanted to see if it was for me. And I ended up finding this amazing school [The William Esper Studio].” He continued, “It broke down a lot of walls of mine, a lot of insecurities,” he said. “These people were incredible. They were just incredible actors and here I am, my first time stepping into this unbelievable studio just a deer in headlights.” In the end, Greg, who missed a lot of theater school because his father became sick, realized he also didn’t love acting. “I was the one that had to step up and help my mom and my dad,” he said. “I missed a ton of time. And I just didn’t love it. I hadn’t been on an audition in my life.”
Greg also revealed he wanted to contact Katie after accusations he was an actor came out. “When this came out I was like, ‘Yeah, whatever,’” he said. “I have it on my page. I have the Instagram on my page. It is what it is. I haven’t been on an audition in my life.” He continued, “I didn’t think it was gonna blow up like this. And I told Katie at AFR, I really wanted to reach out to her when this was all coming out but I didn’t want to step on Blake’s toes at all. I figured that they were engaged at that moment. Blake’s an awesome guy and I just didn’t want to cross those boundaries.”
Greg was also a top choice to be the season 26 Bachelor, according to Reality Steve. (The role eventually went to Clayton Echard from The Bachelorette season 18 with Michelle Young.) “What I’ve been hearing the past 5 days or so regarding the next Bachelor are this…been told it’s going to be Greg. Obviously it’s never ‘official’ until ABC announces it (whenever that may be), but at this point I would be very surprised if it’s not him,” Reality Steve tweeted in August 2021. Reality Steve noted that Greg was a controversial choice but no different from other controversial Bachelors like season 21’s Nick Viall and season 23’s Colton Underwood. “They pick who they pick and there will always be people upset no matter what. Greg will be no different. I’m sure a certain podcast out there is now gonna have a conniption,” Reality Steve tweeted. He continued, “He’s a polarizing figure that will have people talking, which is what they want. But by all accounts and everything I’m being told, he’s your next Bachelor so, I guess let’s get the hot take machine fired up. Because here they come in full force.”
After Reality Steve’s report, The Bachelor creator, Mike Fleiss, denied that an “official decision” had been made about the season 26 Bachelor and explained that the process is “complicated.” “Major announcement regarding #TheBachelor !!! No official decision has been made… Stay tuned,” he tweeted “Have an ice cold, gluten-free @OmissionBeer,” he wrote. “These decisions regarding our next #TheBachelor are complicated. Like the complicated process that gives us delicious, gluten-free @OmissionBeer.”
Greg listed his job on The Bachelorette as a “Marketing Sales Representative.” Read Greg’s Bachelorette season 17 biography and fun facts ahead: Greg is the full package. He’s handsome, kind, vulnerable and serious about wanting to settle down. Greg considers himself a hopeless romantic, and a perfect first date would be something active like riding bikes, dancing or going to a concert. Greg wants to travel the world with his wife before having kids, of which he says he wants to have at least six! Greg is also extremely close with his family and says his parents set his definition of #romancegoals. Thanks to their love, the standards for what a successful marriage looks like are sky high. Greg wants to find someone he can grow old with and treat like a queen, so the Bachelorette may just be swept off her feet!
Fun Facts:
- Greg is not afraid to admit that he cries during movies.
- Greg’s biggest pet peeve is slow drivers.
- Greg dreams of seeing LeBron James play basketball in person.
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Where was Bachelor in Paradise 2022 filmed? Since season 2, Bachelor in Paradise has been filmed at the Playa Escondida Resort in Sayulita, a town in Vallarta-Nayarit, Mexico. (Season 1 was filmed at the Casa Palapa resort in Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico.) According to the hotel’s website, Playa Escondida is a secluded, beachfront resort surrounded by hills, a 350-foot coastline and covered with jungle. The resort is located 40 minutes from the Puerto Vallarta International Airport on the Pacific Coast of Nayarit, known as Riviera Nayarit, and is one mile from the town of Sayulita.
The resort offers horseback riding on the beach, yoga, surfing lessons, paddle boarding, whale and dolphin watching, hiking and bike trails, and golf. The hotel also has a spa that offers hot stone therapy, deep tissue massages, four hand massages and facials. The resort also has its own restaurant, which serves dishes like shrimp omelettes (served with local mountain coffee), enchiladas de pollo, mar y tierra (fresh baked lobster with a Sonoran beef filet), coquilles de jaques (giant seared scallops served on half shells with a buerre blanc saffron sauce), scampi (made with giant Mazatlan shrimp and a paprika butter), as well as vegan and vegetarian specialties.
The private beach includes complimentary boogie boards, hidden coves and a thatched beach bar (the same one Wells Adams bartends at on Bachelor in Paradise) that serves tropical fruit cocktails, smoothies and ice-cold beers. The resort also includes several pools, including an infinity edge pool and waterfalls, as well as multiple hillside jacuzzis. Guests can also practice yoga on the yoga platform, which is shaded by a thatched roof and is made of natural stone.
The rooms at the Playa Escondita Resort range from $150 per night to $600 per night, so they’re not cheap. Each room comes with either one or two beds, and can fit one to four people. Prospective guests can also search for rooms that include a jacuzzi, A/C, gold cart or kitchen. Visit playa-escondida.com to book your stay at the Playa Escondida Resort.
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Who is the Bachelor in Paradise 2022 host? The Bachelor in Paradise season 8 host is Jesse Palmer, who was the season 5 Bachelor in 2004 and was the youngest Bachelor in Bachelor Nation history at 24 years old. Jesse hosted his first Bachelor franchise show in 2022 with The Bachelor season 26 with Clayton Echard. During The Bachelor season 5 finale, Jesse gave his Final Rose to Jessica Bowlin, but didn’t propose to her. Jesse and Jessica continued to date, but ended their relationship a few weeks after the finale of their Bachelor season aired. In June 2020, Jesse and his girlfriend, Emely Fardo, married in an intimate wedding in New York City. Jesse told Us Weekly in November 2021 that he and Emely planned to marry in Provence, France, before the current health crisis cancelled their wedding date. “We had originally planned a wedding in Provence, France, for summer 2020, which was postponed until summer of 2021 due to the pandemic, but we didn’t want to wait any longer,” he said at the time. “So, we had a small, private and intimate ceremony with close friends who lived in New York City.”
Jesse graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played football for the Florida Gators, in 2001 with a bachelor’s of arts degree in political science and a bachelor’s of science degree in marketing. After graduation, Jesse was drafted by the National Football League to play for the New York Giants. He played with the team for four seasons from 2001 to 2005 as a quarterback. After the New York Giants, Jesse was drafted by the Canadian Football League to play for the Montreal Alouettes. He played with the team until 2005 when he was signed by the San Francisco 49ers. He then resigned with the Montreal Alouettes in 2006 before he retired from football in 2007 to pursue a broadcasting career. Since his broadcasting career started, Jesse has worked with networks like Fox, NFL Network, ESPN, ABC and SEC Network. He’s also guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and made guest appearances on shows like Recipe to Riches and Good Morning America, and hosted the Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship and Holiday Baking Championship.
Jesse was announced as The Bachelor season 26 host in September 2021. “For more than 20 years, The Bachelor has brought the world dozens of unforgettable love stories, including at one time, my own,” he said at the time. “Falling in love is one of life’s greatest gifts, and I am humbled by the opportunity to return to the show as host this season to offer the newest Bachelor advice gained from firsthand experience and I am grateful to play a small part in his journey.” The announcement came after Chris Harrison, the former host of Bachelor Nation, confirmed in June 2021 that he had retired as the franchise’s host after 19 years. “I’ve had a truly incredible run as host of The Bachelor franchise and now I’m excited to start a new chapter,” he wrote in an Instagram post at the time. “I’m so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories we’ve made together. While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime.”
Deadline reported at the time that Chris received a mid-range, eight-figure settlement as part of exit plan with ABC, the network that airs the Bachelor franchise, and Warner Bros. Television, the company that produces the Bachelor shows. The magazine also reported that Harrison’s settlement included a nondisclosure agreement. Chris’ decision to retire as Bachelor Nation’s host came after he was slammed for his response to season 25 Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell’s racism scandal in February 2021. Rachael, the winner of Matt James’ season, faced backlash at the time when photos resurfaced of her at an Old South Antebellum-themed party at Georgia College in 2018. Before the pictures went viral, Rachael was already under controversy after her former high school classmate accused her on TikTok of bullying her and other students for dating Black men. Other TikTok users then exposed Rachael for liking social media photos of her friends in culturally insensitive costumes and with Confederate flags.
Chris came under controversy after he was interviewed about the scandal by season 13 Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay on Extra. During the interview, Chris asked fans to give Rachael “grace” and explained that he didn’t find the Antebellum party photos offensive because they just looked like pictures a college student takes at a party. Harrison also questioned whether the photos would be considered racially insensitive in 2018 when they were taken. After the interview, many fans slammed Harrison and accused him of excusing Rachael’s behavior.
ABC confirmed in March 2021 that Chris wouldn’t host season 17 of The Bachelorette and would be replaced by Tayshia and Kaitlyn. “Chris Harrison will not be hosting the next season of The Bachelorette,” ABC said in a statement at the time. “We support Chris in the work that he is committed to doing. In his absence, former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will support the new Bachelorette through next season. As we continue the dialogue around achieving greater equity and inclusion within The Bachelor franchise, we are dedicated to improving the BIPOC representation of our crew, including among the executive producer ranks. These are important steps in effecting fundamental change so that our franchise is a celebration of love that is reflective of our world.” He officially retired as the Bachelor Nation’s host in June 2021.
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Who is the Bachelor in Paradise bartender? The Bachelor in Paradise season 8 bartender is Wells Adams, who was a contestant on The Bachelorette season 12 with JoJo Fletcher and Bachelor in Paradise season 3. Wells has been the bartender on Bachelor in Paradise since season 4. Wells was also a guest host for Bachelor in Paradise in season 7 after ABC fired Chris Harrison as the host of the Bachelor franchise following his controversial comments about The Bachelor season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell’s racism scandal in February 2021. Bachelor in Paradise season 7 featured several celebrity guest hosts including David Spade, Lance Bass, Lil Jon and Tituss Burgess. “I’m not really qualified to be a bartender, and like, I’m okay at that and I’m not qualified to give people advice, I’m not a therapist, but I was a radio host for 15 years, so it was the only thing I was qualified to go do,” Wells told ABC 7 Chicago in 2021. He continued, “If I’m being honest, I was kind of [hosting] that the entire season. Let’s be fair, these big shot Hollywood-types would come in with their A/C trailers and say a couple of things and then I’d be up at 4:30 in the morning hosting the rose ceremony. I was glad I finally got my shot in there!”
In August 2022, Wells married actress Sarah Hyland after five years of dating. They got engaged in July 2019 and were set to marry on August 8, 2020, but had to postpone their wedding due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2019, Sarah revealed that she met Wells on Twitter. “Have you seen those memes of ‘Slide into the DMs?’ That. He slid into my DMs,” Sarah said. “I was following him. We had tweeted each other because I thought he was funny and he was a fan of the show. I saw him as the bartender and I was like, ‘That’s really cute.’” She continued, “I was single, obviously, and was like, ‘This is really awesome. You’re being very forward and it’s sexy and not aggressive but very confident and sexy,’ and I liked that.” After some messages back and forth, Wells asked Sarah on a date. “‘Next time I’m in LA, I’m taking you out for drinks and tacos.’” he messaged. Sarah continued, “I love tacos. He loves tacos so that was his thing. Like, ‘I love tacos, let’s see if she loves tacos.’ We both love tacos! We have an obsession with tacos. Tacos and tequila, that’s our thing.”
In an interview with Cosmopolitan in 2020, Sarah revealed when she knew Wells was The One. Sarah explained that, a few days after she and Wells had the first real date at an Emmys party in 2017, she underwent her second kidney transplant. Wells flew from Nashville to Los Angeles to see Sarah on the weekends of her recovery process, where he also met her parents. A month into their relationship, they told each other they were falling in love. “I asked him when he was going to ask me to be his girlfriend,” she said. “I’m impatient.” She continued, “We were talking about what kinds of weddings we wanted four days after we made things official. I hate that typical cliché of ‘when you know, you know,’ but it’s so fucking true. At least it was for me.”
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Who is the next Bachelor for 2023 after Bachelor in Paradise season 8 ends? The season 27 Bachelor is Zach Shallcross, a contestant on The Bachelorette season 19 with Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia. Zach was Rachel’s contestant and self-eliminated in the final three. He was announced as the season 27 Bachelor at The Bachelorette season 19 “After the Final Rose” special in September 2022. The Bachelor season 27 premieres on January 23, 2023.
“As we know plans can always change last minute, and it won’t be “official” until next Tuesday on the ATFR, but I feel confident in reporting that the next Bachelor is going to be Zach Shallcross,” Reality Steve tweeted in September 2022 before Zach’s announcement. Reality Steve also wrote in a blog post before his confirmation about how Zach was the only contestant from The Bachelorette season 19 that he could see being the season 27 Bachelor after another frontrunner turned the role down. “It means we’re moving on to somebody else. I don’t know who from this season outside of maybe Zach,” Reality Steve wrote in a blog post in September 2022. Variety also reported in September 2022 that Zach was ABC’s top choice to become the next Bachelor, with two sources confirming the news. Zach will be announced as the season 27 Bachelor at The Bachelorette season 19 finale on September 20, 2022. Reality Steve also tweeted a video at the time of Zach filming his introduction for The Bachelor. “But from what I’ve been told, it’s going to be Zach. And here is footage I was sent today from this past Saturday of Zach filming his intro video in Austin,” he tweeted. Page Six also reported in September 2022 that Zach was a frontrunner to become the next Bachelor. “He’s been a frontrunner for a while,” the insider said at the time. “There’s no denying that the audience loves him.”
Reality Steve reported in September 2022 that filming for The Bachelor season 27 started on September 26, 2022, with some of Zach’s contestants already in Los Angeles. He confirmed that two women on Zach’s season are: Davia Bunch, a 26-year-old digital marketing manager from Charleston, South Carolina, and Cat Wong, a 27-year-old model from New York, New York. Davia graduated the University of South Carolina and was the Miss South Carolina in 2018 in the Miss America pageant. She competed with Cat. Davia’s mother died in 2013 of leukemia when she was in high school and her father remarried that year. According to Reality Steve, she then moved to Russia on a dance scholarship, where she struggled with an eating disorder, before coming back to the United States, entering pageants and winning the title of Miss South Carolina. Cat also attended the University of South Carolina at the same time as Davia and competed against her for the title of Miss South Carolina in 2018.
But back to The Bachelor. So…who is season 27 Bachelor Zach Shallcross? Zach is a 25-year-old tech executive from Anaheim Hills, California, but lives in Austin, Texas. He was a contestant on The Bachelorette season 19 with Gabby Winey and Rachel Recchia, where he was Rachel’s contestant and self-eliminated in third place. His Instagram handle is @zachshall.
According to his bio on ABC’s website, Zach describes himself as an “old-fashioned romantic” who loves three things in his life: his mom, his dogs and football. Read Zach’s Bachelorette 2022 biography and fun facts ahead:
“Zach is an old-fashioned romantic. He loves his mama, his dogs and football but promises he has more love to go around! He’s charismatic, personable and has a huge heart that he is so ready to share forever with the right woman. Zach’s perfect woman is compassionate, kind and ready for romance because Zach is excited to lay it on thick. He loves to plan thoughtful surprises, and nothing makes him happier than seeing the look of excitement on his partner’s face when his meaningful gifts are appreciated. Zach is serious about finding a love that will lead to marriage, so whatever grand romantic gesture it takes for him to get there, he’s ready to go!
Fun Facts:
– Zach would love to be Spiderman for a day.
– Zach doesn’t like breakfast. Eggs don’t agree with him.
– Zach loves beach volleyball and is a master of the ‘Top Gun’ high-five.”
Zach listed his job on The Bachelorette as “Tech Executive.” According to his Linkedin, Zach works as a Senior Cloud Technology Account Executive at Oracle, where he’s worked for three years. He was promoted to his current position September 2021 and has also held roles like Cloud Technology Account Executive and Cloud Technology Consultant. He’s also worked as a Supervisor at the California Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles, California, and a Sales Operation Assistant at Gavel Group in Lake Forest, California. He graduated from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. Zach played Collegiate Division 1 football for Cal Poly for five years.
“My role consists of strategically helping business in Houston enhance, extend, and leverage their current software, platform, and infrastructure while educating them on what Oracle’s portfolio has to offer,” Zach’s Linkedin bio reads.
Before Zach was confirmed as the season 27 Bachelor, Reality Steve reported on his podcast in September 2022 that Nate Mitchell, a contestant on The Bachelorette season 19 with Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia, was offered the role but declined. “In regards to the Bachelor, obviously we’re about three weeks away from any announcement being made, I’m assuming it’s going to be made on the After the Final Rose, if not, within a day or two of that on GMA like they usually do. But after poking around a little bit, asking around, what I can tell you is: I don’t know who the Bachelor’s going to be, but you can cross Nate off the list. I have heard it is not him,” Reality Steve said. “I usually can’t get any details to stuff like that. I have heard, I have no idea if it’s true or not, but I have heard he rejected it, he doesn’t want to do it.” A source also told E! News in August 2022 that Nate was the frontrunner to become the next Bachelor.
The reports also came after Nate was photographed holding hands with a woman at a grocery store in Chicago, Illinois, in August 2022, weeks after he cried over his breakup with Gabby on The Bachelorette season 19 “Men Tell All” special. “Spotted Nate and another girl in Chicago today,” an anonymous source sent to the Instagram account @bachelorettewindmill along with a photo. “They were both holding hands so could be dating?”
WARNING: SPOILER. Other season 19 Bachelorette contestants not in the running to be the Bachelor 2023 were: Tyler Norris (who ended up with season 25 Bachelor contestant Brittany Galvin on Bachelor in Paradise season 8) and Johnny DePhilippo (who got engaged to season 24 Bachelor contestant Victoria Fuller on Bachelor in Paradise season 8). Erich Schwer, who got engaged to Gabby in The Bachelorette season 19 finale, and Tino Franco, who got engaged to Rachel, also weren’t in the running to be the Bachelor 2023. Reality Steve also didn’t believe that Logan Palmer, Ethan Kang, Spencer Swies, Aven Jones or Jason Alabaster from The Bachelorette season 19 would be the next Bachelor. According to Reality Steve, the one contestant from Gabby and Rachel’s Bachelorette season he did believe had a chance was Zach. “It means we’re moving on to somebody else. I don’t know who from this season outside of maybe Zach. I don’t see it being Aven. I don’t see it being Logan. I don’t see it being Ethan. I don’t see it being Spencer. I don’t see it being Jason,” Reality Steve said.
Other Bachelor Nation alums who weren’t in the running to be the next Bachelor were The Bachelorette season 17 contestant Michael Allio (who ended up with season 21 Bachelor contestant Danielle Maltby on Bachelor in Paradise season 8) and The Bachelorette season 18 contestant Brandon Jones (who ended up with season 26 Bachelor contestant Serene Russell on Bachelor in Paradise season 8.)
While Nate wasn’t the Bachelor 2023, Gabby told Entertainment Tonight in August 2022 that he was her number-one choice as the next lead. “Nate. 100 percent Nate, Nate, Nate!” she said. “He knows how to treat women. He’s so smart, he’s old, he has a great job, he spends his time reading—not reading social media, reading actual books. He has a daughter, so he knows what it’s like to have responsibility. He’s a real, true definition of a man.”
Rachel told Entertainment Tonight that her choices for the next Bachelor were Nate and Tyler. “From Gabby’s side I would say Nate, [he’s] incredible, and from my side, maybe Tyler. Who knows?” Rachel said. “They really couldn’t go wrong.” Mario Vassall, another contestant from The Bachelorette season 19, agreed with Rachel’s picks. “Nate, his name comes to mind… Nate is a fun, standup guy,” he said. “… I’m a big fan of Tyler Norris. We saw his breakup with Rachel. That was tough to watch. [I’m a] big fan of him, his character. He wears his heart of his sleeve. I wouldn’t be mad if he took that position.” Mario also confirmed that he was open to becoming the next Bachelor in an interview with E! News. “I would say that I am open to the conversation,” he said.”Ad we’d go from there.”
Tyler, for his part, confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that he wasn’t interested in becoming the season 27 Bachelor but would root for Nate if he became the next lead. “I couldn’t even imagine dating two women at the same time, let alone 30-something women, but then again, you can’t take anything out of the card,” he said. “My man, Nate, he’s the sweetest, most genuine guy. I would love to see him. He brings flair too… My man would do a great job.” Tyler also told E! News about his concerns over becoming the next Bachelor. “I would definitely say that it’s very hard to navigate,” Tyler said. “With 30-something women there, it would definitely be a tough job to have, without hurting somebody at the end of the day. [But] if it gets me a stop closer to ultimately finding love then absolutely I would do it.”
Host Jesse Palmer also voted for Nate. “Nate is a standup guy. He’s an amazing person. He’s mature, he has an incredible emotional maturity, he’s vulnerable, he respects women, and he’s a great dad,” Jesse said. “I there’s there’s very few negative things I can say about Nate.” Jesse also had another choice for the next lead. “Are we still saying Pete Davidson? Is that still a choice?” Jesse said. “… I wanna ride that train. Wanna talk about a wild Bachelor season? That would probably be it. We might have to change some of our parameters.”
Gabby and Rachel also voiced their support for two Bachelors like how there were two Bachelorettes on season 19. “We loved each other for it, and loved having one another by one another’s side,” Gabby said of her relationship with Rachel. “I don’t know if men would feel the same, it depends on their relationship, but I think there’s a lot of good to come out of our season.” Rachel added, “I think ultimately if the Bachelors supported each other and loved each other to the extent that Gabby and I do, it could be incredible as well, but they would definitely have to be on the same level as us. Lots to live up to, of course!”
Mario, however, was against the idea and told Entertainment Tonight that ABC should “absolutely not” have two Bachelors. Tyler also agreed with him. “I think watching back the two Bachelorette thing was a lot,” Tyler said. “Having two Bachelors would be the same thing. I think they should stick to one.”
Bachelor in Paradise airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on ABC and is available to stream on Hulu. Here’s how to watch it for free.
Image: Gallery Books.
For more about The Bachelor franchise, read Chad Kultgen and Lizzy Pace’s book, How to Win The Bachelor: The Secret to Finding Love and Fame on America’s Favorite Reality Show. Written by the hosts of the top-rated “Game of Roses” podcast, How to Win The Bachelor “uncover the ins and outs of the phenomenon that has become Bachelor Nation,” as well as dives into the strategies used by dozens of contestants to have the best limo exit on Night One, score the coveted First Impression Rose and avoid being labeled as a villain. The book, which is described as the “ultimate must-read” for any Bachelor Nation member, also gives a deeper look into the steps and approaches used by contestants to stick around each week and, eventually, make it to the Final Rose Ceremony.
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