After months of fan speculation about which of their favorite former contestants would show up on the beach on Bachelor in Paradise, ABC has officially revealed the first wave of cast members. Soon, fans will find out if sparks fly between the dream couples they’ve been shipping as well as watching the drama unfold. Fans weren’t disappointed by the released cast, and though it’s not a full list of everyone who’s going to Mexico, there are enough Bachelor Nation heavy hitters to drum up significant excitement.
Viewers have been in serious Bachelor in Paradise withdrawal, since last year there was no season filmed due to COVID-19. Even after the pandemic began simmering down, there were many questions surrounding the future of the popular spin-off, including who would host the show in Chris Harrison’s absence. After the former host was booted from the franchise, it was revealed that the upcoming season will feature a revolving door of celebrity hosts. With a host plan in place, fans have been eager to find out who will make up the cast.
Fans were excited to find out franchise alum Wells Adams will have a larger role this season, and now ABC has released part of the cast. The revealed cast members are Abigail Heringer (Matt’s season), Brendan Morais (Tayshia’s season), Deandra Kanu (Peter’s season), Ivan Hall (Tayshia’s season), Jessenia Cruz (Matt’s season), "Grocer" Joe Amabile (Becca’s season), Karl Smith (Katie’s season), Kelsey Weir (Peter’s season), Kenny Braasch (Tayshia’s season), Mari Pepin Solis (Matt’s season), Maurissa Gunn (Peter’s season), Natasha Parker (Peter’s season), Noah Erb (Tayshia’s season), Serena Chew (Matt’s season), Serena Pitt (Matt’s season), Tahzjuan Hawkins (Colton’s season), Tammy Ly (Peter’s season), "Queen" Victoria Larson (Matt’s season), and Victoria Paul (Peter’s season).
The announced cast contains many fan favorites as well as a few contestants who are sure to bring the drama. “This is gonna be a fun BIP season,” one fan commented on Reddit, and many listed off the cast members that they’re most excited to see again. Of course, the newly-revealed cast aren’t the full list of Bachelor Nation alum who will be looking for love this season. Some fans noted that there are more female than male cast members, and it’s likely that there are men from Katie’s season that are yet to be eliminated who will be hitting the beach.
The cast members on Bachelor in Paradise generally have more luck at finding love on the spin-off, because they have the chance to meet more people and spend more time with them. There are already rumors swirling about who will be the final couples to get engaged this season, and based off the released cast list, there is a lot of potential. Between fan favorites like Grocer Joe and Abigail and drama mongers like Queen Victoria and Karl, the cast will make this a season to remember.