Although we’re loving the hot and heaviness that this season’s cast of Bachelor in Paradise has brought, there are five people we were hoping to see make their way onto the beach and we’re here to tell you who they are.
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If you’re a part of Bachelor Nation like we are, then you know the list is pretty much infinite when it comes to who could potentially show up in paradise. As this season is nearing the end, we can’t help but wonder if there’s still time for past contestants to show up. But in case it’s too late, you’ve made your way to the right place because we want to share who we wished to see give love another try on Bachelor In Paradise.
Hannah Ann Sluss
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In case you forgot, things ended pretty badly between Hannah Ann and former Bachelor, Peter Webber. Not to make this about him, but we have to include a little bit of backstory so you can understand why we’re rooting for her so badly. Hannah Ann and another contestant, Madi Prewett, were both front runners in Peter’s season of The Bachelor. After Madi decided to leave the show during the home stretch, we see Peter completely heartbroken and confused on how to move forward. He ends up proposing to Hannah Ann, but it isn’t until the After the Final Rose live episode where we see how things fell apart.
We found out that the two not only called off their engagement but that Peter still had feelings for Madi, leaving us heartbroken for Hannah Ann, but most definitely not bitter towards Madi because she was also a fan favorite. While that recap barely even scratched the surface of what went wrong and how things played out, the most important part is that she didn’t let it get the best of her and bounced back even stronger. Now that’s the energy we need (and wanted to see on Bachelor In Paradise), but hey, there’s always next season, right? We wish Hannah Ann the absolute best and would have loved to watch her thrive on the beach. In the meantime, we’re keeping up with her via Instagram and wishing we could like her posts more than once.
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Ben Smith
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Ben Smith, the one who stole our hearts. If you didn’t shed a tear when former Bachelorette Tayshia Adams let him go, were you even watching? We think all of Bachelor Nation probably got choked up watching him get eliminated. Still, we were looking forward to the possibility of him being the next Bachelor or seeing him on Bachelor In Paradise.
Aside from the obvious (looks), Ben, an Army veteran, was brave enough to be vulnerable and shared during his time as a contestant on The Bachelorette that he struggled with an eating disorder for 15 years and also battled depression. He discussed his very close relationship with his sister and admitted that she was the only person who knew about what he was going through. His emotional story about his past allowed us to know the real him, ultimately winning fans over with his honesty, strength, and heart of gold. Although we’re bummed out over not seeing him on Bachelor In Paradise, he seems to be in a really good place from the looks of it on his Instagram, and we’re cheering him on no matter what.
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Bri Springs
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Bri Springs, a frontrunner contestant in Matt James’s season of The Bachelor, was one of the first women to catch his eye, receiving the first one on one date. We knew she was serious and dedicated about finding love when she revealed that she had to resign from her job as a communications manager at a high-profile social media company to proceed with the show before hometowns. In a somewhat chaotic environment, she remained a constant source of steadiness and positivity, staying out of the inevitable drama and keeping her eye on the prize (Matt).
In addition to choosing love over her job, Bri also opened up about her mother getting pregnant with her at 13-years-old and how they have a very close relationship. Still, things with her dad are different due to his absence in her life growing up. Our jaws dropped, and hearts sank when Matt broke up with her because she was indeed the complete package and sacrificed her career to be on the show. We wanted to see Bri have a second shot at love on Bachelor In Paradise, but I guess we can’t always get what we want.
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Michael Allio
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Fan favorite, Michael Allio, left Katie Thurston’s season of The Bachelorette towards the end for reasons we can’t argue with. In an emotional conversation with Katie on their one-on-one date, he talks about losing his wife to breast cancer and reveals that he is a single father to their son, James. Michael opens up to the other contestants about his wife, leaving some of them in tears and in complete admiration for his constant positivity after everything he’s been through. The other men weren’t the only ones crying; that moment left us and all of Bachelor Nation with tears running down our faces as well.
He drew us in with sincerity, warmth, and, most of all, genuine heart. We watched Michael on a FaceTime call with his son, who expressed how much he missed his father and can’t quite understand why he’s not at home with him. His son says that maybe his father doesn’t want to see him and that right there was the straw that broke the camel’s back and the ultimate reason he decided to abandon the show. Although it saddened us to see him leave, and we were desperately awaiting his arrival in paradise, we don’t blame Michael for doing what’s right for him and his son.
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Kelley Flanagan
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One of our favorite boss lady attorneys, Kelley Flanagan, was a contestant on Peter Webber’s season of The Bachelor and was eliminated despite her confidence in their relationship. If you watched her season, you know she wasn’t overly emotional or excessively affectionate, so her reaction during the exit didn’t come as much surprise. Keeping it calm, cool, and collected in her departure car ride directly after he decided to send her home.
What surprised us was when Kelley and Peter started dating again after his split with fiancé Hannah Ann and failed attempt to rekindle things with Madi Prewitt after the show concluded. Didn’t see that one coming! After eight months of being together, the two went their separate ways, and it didn’t come off as the smoothest breakup based on their statements and some later interviews, but what relationship is when you’re in the public eye? Kelley also recently shared that she had been diagnosed with Lyme Disease, unfortunately, and we’re keeping up with her via Instagram. She definitely could’ve been a great addition to Bachelor In Paradise, but maybe it just wasn’t her time to shine yet. We’re wishing her good health and happiness in her journey to recovery and always.
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