From ‘Spies’ to Ex Jessica: Jesse Palmer Reflects on Being the Bachelor

“I had plenty of explaining to do again within the New York Giants locker room that yr.” Almost 20 years earlier than he was tasked with serving to Clayton Echard discover love, Jesse Palmer was the one handing out the roses.

“I do remorse forgetting anyone’s identify,” Palmer, now 43, mentioned on Us Weekly’s “Right here for the Proper Causes” podcast about his time because the lead. “That was the primary [piece of] recommendation I gave Clayton, by the best way, [was] don’t forget anyone’s identify. Having been there myself, I can let you know nothing good comes of that. Simply lock in. And he’s performed a extremely, actually good job of that.”

General, the previous quarterback has no actual regrets about his time because the lead. “I had an unbelievable expertise. In 2004, this entire actuality TV factor was so new,” he mentioned. “And the present was so younger. And I feel in plenty of ways in which the present was nonetheless sort of figuring itself out, what was it gonna grow to be? It was clearly an enormous danger to sort of step out of my consolation zone [as] a soccer participant — to essentially form of bear your self and search for love and do it on tv on the time was actually form of distinctive.”

Palmer famous that he “realized a lot about myself” whereas filming season 5 of The Bachelor.

“I actually simply form of went for it and I’m completely happy — an terrible soccer analogy — [but] I left all of it within the discipline and it helped me later in my life [with] relationship as I grew up and I acquired extra mature till lastly assembly my wife, Emely,” he defined, referring to partner Emely Fardo, whom he married in 2020. “Studying to be weak and opening up and studying to speak and admitting when my emotions had been harm and speaking about how I felt, actually introduced me a good distance. It’s opened up extra doorways than I ever may have imagined personally, professionally. And I’m actually, actually completely happy and really, very lucky that I used to be given that chance to do this again in 2004.”

Bachelor Nation might recall Palmer gave his closing rose to Jessica Bowlin, opting to not suggest. Their relationship ended shortly after the present aired.

“It’s been a minute,” he advised Us when requested when the final time he spoke to Bowlin was. He then joked: “Plus, I’ve a Brazilian wife now and now we have knives in our home. So I do should watch out, you understand, whose DMs I’m opening and who I’m speaking with. I’m very, very cautious. I’d wish to suppose I’m good.”

Season 5 additionally marked the primary (and final) time the present enlisted a “spy” — one among Palmer’s pal’s wives — to stay in the home with the ladies.

“I kinda should say I’d be completely for [the show bringing that twist back],” he advised Us. “It’s humorous. There have been plenty of firsts on my season. This was form of the entire level of The Bachelor discovering itself — [I was the] first Bachelor to present a primary impression rose, first Bachelor to have a spy, first Bachelor to have a lady go away the present after which come again. There was rather a lot occurring. I, like plenty of Bachelors, now we have this ingrained insecurity of who’s there for the proper causes or who’s attempting to make use of this as a platform. I felt just like the spy was good for me and I used to be fortunate to have my greatest pal’s wife be right down to doing it. And it actually, actually helped me. It hasn’t been performed since [so] perhaps it’s been lengthy sufficient now that if one did get planted, perhaps the opposite girl in the home wouldn’t suspect it.”

The Bachelor airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

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