Following the controversial departure of long-time host Chris Harrison from The Bachelor, fans of Bachelor Nation were grappling with determining who should assume the role.
Many were surprised when a familiar face stepped into Harrison’s position, although this was not his initial stint in the Bachelor Mansion.
Jesse Palmer, the Bachelor from Season 5, returned to the franchise to offer guidance to Clayton Echard in Season 26.
Palmer’s own season concluded with his wish to be with Jessica Bowlin, but the relationship only endured a few months.
Fortunately for Palmer, he eventually found love beyond the confines of the mansion.
Ever since he returned as the host, Palmer has pondered over his own encounters with finding love and consistently expressed admiration for his wife.
About Jesse Palmer
Palmer made history as the first athlete to seek love on The Bachelor.
While studying at the University of Florida, he played for Steve Spurrier’s Florida Gators football team from 1997 to 2000, demonstrating himself as one of the team’s standout players.
He was recruited by the National Football League in 2001, drafted by the New York Giants in the fourth round of the 2001 draft.
Palmer spent five seasons with the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers before moving on to the Canadian Football League after being released.
He officially retired to pursue a broadcasting career as an ESPN analyst in 2007, following the popularity he gained from his appearance on The Bachelor in 2004.
Jesse Palmer As The Bachelor
In 2004, Palmer became the first professional athlete to participate in the dating show. He was also the first non-American bachelor, having been born and raised in Canada.
During the initial rose ceremony, he mistakenly mixed up Karen and Katie’s names. After discussing the matter with Harrison, he decided to give both women a rose.
At the culmination of his nationally-televised romantic journey, he selected contestant Jessica Bowlin, but the couple chose to commence dating rather than become engaged on-air.
However, just one month after the conclusion of the show, their relationship came to an end, lasting a mere four months in total.
“Jessica and I embarked on an incredible romantic journey on the show that commenced with a friendship that remains strong to this day,” Palmer disclosed in a statement. “We just realized that, individually, our paths lead us in different directions.”
Marriage to Emely Fardo
Fans of the show have historically been prepared to witness their favorite on-screen couple call it quits after the show and are always eager to see who they do end up with.
In October 2021, it was announced that Palmer had tied the knot with model Emely Fardo in an intimate, private ceremony in 2020.
The couple had originally intended to wed in Provence, France, in the summer of 2020.
The pandemic delayed their plans to 2021, but neither Palmer nor Fardo were willing to wait, so they held a private ceremony in New York City with close friends in June 2020.
Palmer revealed that he and his wife had planned to host a more elaborate event in 2021, but travel restrictions amidst new variants prevented Fardo’s family from flying in from Brazil.
The new host told Us Weekly that his wife is a fan of The Bachelor and its many spin-offs and that she had “watched everything from the past several years.”
He did mention that Fardo had never seen any episodes of his series.
Fardo was unaware he had been a Bachelor after strangers would come up to the pair on the street to ask for roses when the two began dating.
When asked about how his romantic life has changed since the show and his marriage to Fardo, Palmer replied:
“I continue to wake up every morning with the woman of my dreams,” he said. “The biggest difference is wearing a ring, but I’m getting used to it — and loving it!”
About Emely Fardo
Palmer’s wife is a professional model and freelance photographer from Brasilia, Brazil.
Fardo has appeared in fashion and fitness campaigns throughout her career and posed for commercial shoots in Brazil and the United States.
She is active on her Instagram account, often sharing bits and pieces of her life with Palmer and behind-the-scenes footage from photography shoots.
Not much is known about the couple’s personal life, but from social media, fans have deduced that they are proud parents to an Aussie labradoodle named Mademoseille Loulou Palmer.
Palmer has also shared photos of a French bulldog named Tuuli.
Palmer’s Return to the Bachelor Mansion
The sports analyst’s return to the franchise was unveiled in a statement by Palmer, who conveyed his enthusiasm to return to the show as a mentor.
“For more than 20 years, ‘The Bachelor’ has brought the world dozens of unforgettable love stories, including at one time, my own. 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 statement read.
Palmer was appointed to replace Harrison after the former host was compelled to step back after his contentious remarks.
The Bachelor parted ways with Harrison after he defended contestant Rachael Kirkconnell’s racially insensitive photographs in an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay.
His decision to step down as host led him to say:
“I invoked the term ‘woke police,’ which is unacceptable. I am ashamed over how uninformed I was. I was so wrong.”
It was disclosed that Harrison had received a $9 million payout for his final season as host, a comparatively modest figure considering his debut in 2002.
