Here Are All the Surprise Contestants Causing Drama This Season of ‘Bachelor in Paradise’
Almost paradise. The Bachelor in Paradise 2021 cast was announced, and it includes a mix of contestants we love-to-love and love-to-hate.
ABC confirmed on July 8, 2021, that the following contestants will be among the Day 1 cast of Bachelor in Paradise season 7: Abigail Heringer, Brendan Morais, Deandra Kanu, Ivan Hall, Jessenia Cruz, Joe Amabile, Karl Smith, Kelsey Weier, Kenny Braasch, Mari Pepin, Maurissa Gunn, Natasha Parker, Noah Erb, Serena Chew, Serena Pitt, Tahzjuan Hawkins, Tammy Ly, Victoria Larson and Victoria Paul.
Of course, as Bachelor Nation members know, there will be more contestants who will join the cast at the beach in Mexico as filming continues. (We revealed who else is in the cast in the spoilers at the bottom of the article.) As Bachelor Nation members also know, host Chris Harrison quit the Bachelor franchise in 2020 after his controversial comments about The Bachelor season 25 winner Rachael Kirkconnell‘s racism scandal. Instead, Bachelor in Paradise season 7 will be hosted by a rotating list of celebrities such as David Spade, Lance Bass, Tituss Burgess and Lil Jon.
“There’s love, there’s romance. There’s a lot of drama, you know, it’s got everything,” Wells Adams, who returns as the bartender of BIP, told Us Weekly in July. “The drinks are bad, the advice is worse, but the bar is open. … There are some twists and turns that I was shocked by, and I never thought would ever happen on the show. And I think people are really, really going to love this season.”
During an episode of his podcast, “Bachelor Happy Hour,” in July, Wells also teased that something that he’s never seen in his five seasons he’s been on Bachelor in Paradise happens in season 7. “Of all the five seasons I’ve done in Paradise, the craziest stuff happens on this season. I think no one is going to expect what happens,” he said. “What happens this season is insane.”
And for those who have watched past Bachelor in Paradise seasons, Joe Amabile, who was on Bachelor in Paradise season 5 and returned for season 7, told the “Click Bait” podcast July that the current season is more “insane” and “intense” than his first. “I wasn’t expecting to be original cast,” he said. “I forgot all of what Paradise is about and it is a wild ride, and this season is insane. It really is. … It almost was, like, every day got more and more intense.” He continued, “It was a lot different than my first time. It was wild.”
As for those who wonder how much Bachelor in Paradise is real, guest host Lance Bass told Us Weekly in August that the drama is very, very real. “I was surprised to see how real everything was, because, you know, those shows can probably get very heavily produced,” he said. “[I thought,] ‘They’ve been on the franchise before, it’s like they come in kind of like actors.’ Like, ‘OK, I know what y’all need. Let’s do this.’”
So who’s in the Bachelor in Paradise 2021 cast? Read on ahead for which Bachelor Nation alums made their way to the beach this summer. (You may some faces who have been to Mexico before.)
Bachelor in Paradise season 7 premieres on ABC on Monday, August 16, at 8 p.m.
Riley Christian
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Original season: The Bachelorette season 16 (Clare Crawley & Tayshia Adams)
When he was eliminated: 7th place – Week 9
Riley, an attorney from Long, Island, New York, was eliminated in 7th place on Tayshia’s Bachelorette season. Weeks prior to his elimination, Riley revealed that his birth name was Dwayne Henderson Jr after his father. However, after he learned more about who his father was, he legally changed his name to Devon Riley Christian.
Demi Burnett
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Original season: The Bachelor season 23 (Colton Underwood) & Bachelor in Paradise season 6
When she was eliminated: 9th place – Week 6 (The Bachelor); Engaged (Bachelor in Paradise)
Demi, an interior designer from Red Oak, Texas, was the “villain on Colton’s Bachelor season. She was eliminated in week 6 before Hometown Dates. She returned to the franchise for Bachelor in Paradise season 6, where she became the first contestant in Bachelor Nation history to be in a same-sex relationship. A couple weeks into her season, Demi’s girlfriend from before filming, Kristian Haggerty, joined the show. In the finale, the two got engaged. They split less than a year after the finale.
Connor Brennan
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 29
Original season: The Bachelorette season 17 (Katie Thurston)
When he was eliminated: 12th place (Week 5)
Connor, a math teacher from Nashville, Tennessee, had one of the most heartbreaking eliminations on Katie’s Bachelorette season. He was sent home after a one-on-one date when Katie didn’t feel a spark when they kissed. One of his memorable moments on The Bachelorette was when he dressed as a cat for his limo entrance, with whiskers and all.
Tré Cooper
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 26
Original season: The Bachelorette season 17 (Katie Thurston)
When he’s eliminated: 8th to 11th place (Week 5)
Tré, a software engineer from Covington, Georgia, was a fan-favorite on Katie’s Bachelorette season. One of his memorable moments was when he made his limo entrance in a pickup truck. In the trunk was a ball pit that he and Katie played in.
James Bonsall
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 30
Original season: The Bachelorette season 17 (Katie Thurston)
When he’s eliminated: 8th to 11th place (Week 5)
James, a software salesman from La Jolla, California, is best remembered for his limo entrance on Katie’s Bachelorette season. For his limo entrance, James came in a box and didn’t reveal himself until the middle of the night. He just sat in the box as Katie talked to other men.
Aaron Clancy
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 26
Original season: The Bachelorette season 17 (Katie Thurston)
When he’s eliminated: 8th to 11th place (Week 5)
Aaron, an insurance agent from San Diego, California, is remembered for his feud with Cody Menk on Katie’s Bachelorette season. The two, who are both from the San Diego area, feuded over rumors that Aaron heard that Cody wasn’t on The Bachelorette for the right reasons and was a party guy. The fight led to Cody’s elimination on a group date.
Abigail Heringer
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 26
Original season: The Bachelor season 25 (Matt James)
When she was eliminated: 8th place (Week 8)
Abigail, a client financial manager from Salem, Oregon, is the first deaf contestant in The Bachelor franchise and received the First Impression Rose on Matt’s season.
Brendan Morais
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 31
Original season: The Bachelorette season 16 (Clare Crawley & Tayshia Adams)
When he was eliminated: 4th place (Week 11 – Quit)
Brendan, a commercial roofer from Milford, Massachusetts, was a finalist on Clare and Tayshia’s Bachelorette season. He eliminated himself in the final four after he told Tayshia that his heart is “still broken” and needs “time to heal” after he divorced his high school sweetheart a year before The Bachelorette.
Deandra Kanu
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 25
Original season: The Bachelor season 24 (Peter Weber)
When she was eliminated: 13th to 15th place (Week 4)
Deandra, a home care coordinator from Bar Harbor, Maine, is remembered for how she called Peter out on his season. After Peter allowed Alayah Benavidez to come back after her elimination and feud with Victoria Paul, Deandra told Peter in front of the whole cast: “I’m sorry, Peter, but I’ve never felt so under-recognized by somebody.”
Ivan Hall
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 29
Original season: The Bachelorette season 16 (Clare Crawley & Tayshia Adams)
When he was eliminated: 3rd place (Week 11)
Ivan Hall, an aeronautical engineer from Dallas, Texas, came in third place on Tayshia’s Bachelorette season. Though his elimination came as a shock to viewers, Ivan later told his Instagram followers that he and Tayshia split because of their religious differences. Ivan told the “Off the Vine” podcast at the time that Tayshia “only wants to date a Christian” and because he’s not “religious,” the two couldn’t continue their relationship. “Atheist is taking a hard stance that there is no God, and that’s not what I believe at all,” he said. ”Agnostic is strictly saying I don’t know, basically. And that’s just how I feel.”
Jessenia Cruz
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 28
Original season: The Bachelor season 25 (Matt James)
When she was eliminated: 6th place (Week 11)
Jessenia, a social media marketer from El Paso, Texas, is known for her feud with MJ Snyder on Matt’s season. Jessenia and MJ feuded after Jessenia accused MJ of lying to Matt and having three faces: one at the house, one in front of Matt and one when the cameras are on. Their feud ended after a two-on-one date with Matt, where he sent MJ home instead of Jessenia.
Joe Amabile
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 34
Original season: The Bachelorette season 14 (Becca Kufrin) & Bachelor in Paradise season 5
When he was eliminated: 22nd to 27th place – Week 1 (The Bachelorette); Week 5 (Bachelor in Paradise)
Joe (a.k.a. Grocery Store Joe), a grocery store owner from Chicago, Illinois, was eliminated on night one of Becca’s season. (The two later ran into each other at Bloomingdale’s.) Joe was also a contestant on Bachelor in Paradise season 5, where he had an on-again, off-again relationship with Kendall Long. The two left in season 5 single, but reunited at the “After the Final Rose” special. They split in 2020 after two years of dating. According to Kendall, the breakup was because Joe wanted to move back to Chicago while Kendall wanted to stay in Los Angeles.
Karl Smith
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 34
Original season: The Bachelorette season 17 (Katie Thurston)
When he was eliminated: 20th to 23rd place (Week 2)
Karl, a motivational speaker from Miami, Florida, is remembered as one of the villains on Katie’s Bachelorette season. He became Public Enemy No. 1 among the cast after he told Katie that there were men on her season who weren’t there for the right reasons but wouldn’t name names or give any evidence. He was eliminated after his conversation with Katie. Karl was also originally cast on The Bachelorette season 16 with Clare and Tayshia but didn’t make the final cut.
Kelsey Weier
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 30
Original season: The Bachelor season 24 (Peter Weber)
When she was eliminated: 5th place (Week 7)
Kelsey, a professional clothier from Urbandale, Iowa, was a finalist on Peter’s Bachelor season. Her most memorable moment came when a bottle of champagne exploded in her face while she was talking to Peter. The explosion came after she feuded with Hannah Ann Sluss, who unknowingly stole a bottle of champagne that Kelsey had brought from home to drink with Peter.
Kenny Braasch
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 40
Original season: The Bachelorette season 16 (Clare Crawley & Tayshia Adams)
When he was eliminated: 13th to 16th place (Week 6)
Kenny, a boy band manager from Oak Lawn, Illinois, was a contestant on Clare and Tayshia’s Bachelorette season. Aside from his occupation as a boy band manager, Kenny is perhaps remembered as one of the most vocal men to call out Clare for favoring her winner, Dale Moss, over the other contestants.
Mari Pepin
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 25
Original season: The Bachelor season 25 (Matt James)
When she was eliminated: 16th to 19th place (Week 4)
Mari, whose full name is Mariela, is a marketing director from Severn, Maryland. She was one of several beauty queens from Matt’s Bachelor season. Mari was Miss Maryland USA 2019 and a top 10 finalist in Miss USA 2019.
Maurissa Gunn
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 25
Original season: The Bachelor season 24 (Peter Weber)
When she was eliminated: 23rd to 30th place (Week 1)
Maurissa, a patient care coordinator from Laurel, Montana, was eliminated on night one of Peter’s Bachelor season. There were rumors that she dated Mike Johnson from The Bachelorette season 15 with Hannah Brown, but Mike denied those rumors in an interview with Cosmopolitan. “Maurissa just reached out to me because I had said on IG, ‘Hey, I’m gonna be in Atlanta.’ It was my dad’s birthday and he lives in Atlanta and so she reached out. I mean, when you’re a Bachelor alum, you want to show love and respect for each other. So she said, ‘Hey, I have a few questions about, you know, how to navigate this world now. Can you help me out?’ And so, as Bachelor alum, we show love for each other, you just want to be there for her,” he said.
Natasha Parker
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 33
Original season: The Bachelor season 24 (Peter Weber)
When she was eliminated: 6th place (Week 7)
Natasha, an event planner from New York City, was a finalist on Peter’s Bachelor season. Though Reality Steve reported that she was a villain on Peter’s season, she became one of his fan-favorite contestants. She’s a host of the “Click Bait” podcast alongside Tayshia and Joe.
Noah Erb
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 26
Original season: The Bachelorette season 16 (Tayshia Adams)
When he was eliminated: 5th to 6th place (Week 9)
Noah, a registered travel nurse from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was one of four contestants who came mid-season on The Bachelorette season 16 after Tayshia replaced Clare as the Bachelorette. He was a villain on Tayshia’s season for his feud with many of the men. He’s also remembered for shaving off his mustache mid-date after Tayshia asked him what he would look like without it.
Victoria Paul
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 28
Original season: The Bachelor season 24 (Peter Weber)
When she was eliminated: 10th place (Week 6)
Victoria P., a nurse from Alexandria, Louisiana, is remembered for her feud with Alayah on Peter’s season. Both Victoria P. and Alayah are former pageant queens. Victoria P. was Miss Louisiana USA while Alayah was Miss Texas USA. The two competed together in Miss USA 2019 and had drama. Victoria P. told Peter about her drama with Alayah, which led to Alayah’s elimination until the tables were turned back around on Victoria P.
Victoria Larson
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 28
Original season: The Bachelor season 25 (Matt James)
When she was eliminated: 16th to 19th place (Week 4)
Victoria L., who is from Los Angeles and refers to herself as Queen Victoria, was the main villain on Matt’s Bachelor season. She feuded with almost every contestant, but especially season 17 Bachelorette Katie Thurston. During one of their fights, Victoria L. claimed Katie wasn’t ready for a husband because she brought a vibrator to the show as her limo entrance.
Tammy Ly
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 26
Original season: The Bachelor season 24 (Peter Weber)
When she was eliminated: 9th place (Week 6)
Tammy, a house flipper from Syracuse, New York, was one of the controversial contestants on Peter’s Bachelor season. At his “Women Tell All” special, Tammy cried as she talked about the hate comments she received from the show.
Tahzjuan Hawkins
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 25
Original season: The Bachelor season 23 (Colton Underwood) & Bachelor in Paradise season 6
When she was eliminated: 24th to 30th place – Week 1 (The Bachelor); Week 3 (Bachelor in Paradise)
Tahzjuan, a business development associate from Castle Pines, Colorado, was eliminated on night one of Colton’s Bachelor season. She came in week 3 of Bachelor in Paradise season 6 but was eliminated that same week.
Serena Pitt
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 23
Original season: The Bachelor season 25 (Matt James)
When she was eliminated: 4th place (Week 8 – Quit)
Serena P., a publicist from Markham, Ontario, was a finalist on Matt’s Bachelor season. She quit in the final four after her family told her that they had reservations about her relationship with Matt during “Hometown Dates.”
Serena Chew
Image: ABC/Craig Sjodin.
Age: 24
Original season: The Bachelor season 25 (Matt James)
When she was eliminated: 9th to 10th place (Week 6)
Serena C. a flight attendant from San Bruno, California, was a controversial contestant on Matt’s Bachelor season and is remembered for her meme-worthy reactions and facial expressions to various women.
Other Bachelor in Paradise season 7 contestants (SPOILERS)
Warning: Spoilers ahead. According to Reality Steve, there are more than 30 contestants on Bachelor in Paradise season 7. Here are other contestants who come on the show.
The Bachelor season 22 (Arie Luyendyk Jr.) contestants: Tia Booth (also on Bachelor in Paradise season 5), Becca Kufrin (also the season 14 Bachelorette), Kendall Long (also on Bachelor in Paradise season 5).
The Bachelorette season 14 (Becca Kufrin) contestants: Chris Randone (also on Bachelor in Paradise season 5), Clay Harbor (also on Bachelor in Paradise season 6).
The Bachelor season 13 (Colton Underwood) contestants: Demi Burnett (also on Bachelor in Paradise season 6).
The Bachelorette season 15 (Hannah Brown) contestants: Connor Saeli (also on Bachelor in Paradise season 6).
The Bachelor season 24 (Peter Weber) contestants: Mykenna Dorn, Alexa Caves, Alayah Benavidez, Madison Prewett.
The Bachelorette season 16 (Clare Crawley & Tayshia Adams) contestants: Chris Conran, Chasen Nick, Joe Park, Demar Jackson, Ed Waisbrot, Riley Christian Clare.
The Bachelor season 25 (Matt James) contestants: Alana Milne, Chelsea Vaughn, Kit Keenan, Pieper James.
The Bachelorette season 17 (Katie Thurston) contestants: Thomas Jacobs
Image: Courtesy of Penguin Books.
Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman
Buy: 'Bachelor Nation' by Amy Kaufman $13.89
To get more of an inside scoop, check out Los Angeles Times writer Amy Kaufman’s book, Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure, for a deep dive into the Bachelor franchise. The book uncovers the secrets of Bachelor Nation, from how much the Bachelor and the Bachelorette are paid to the rules contestants have to follow, that producers don’t want fans to know. It’s a must-read for any Bachelor Nation member.
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