Yahoo Lifestyle Wells Adams Says Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell Should Appear on ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Following Shocking Split (Exclusive)
Bachelor in Paradise star Wells Adams has told Parade.com what he’d like to see in the show’s upcoming 10th season. The BIP bartender also spilled a funny story about how he and his wife, Sarah Hyland, got a bad case of Turista (also known as "traveler's diarrhea") in Mexico while he did season 9 in 2023!
While promoting his new gig as a spokesperson for JCPenney, Wells talked extensively about Paradise, his happy marriage to the former Modern Family actress, and what he enjoyed most about his recent stint on The Traitors.
“Sarah and I both got sick in Paradise last time we were out there filming” in Mexico, Wells revealed exclusively to Parade. “She came out [to the location] for the last ten days [of filming]. We went out with [BIP married stars] Kenny [Braasch] and Mari [Pepin]. We had them for the finale of the show, they had this big dance. So we went out with them and got drinks in Sayulita. Then they went back to their hotel room. Then we had more drinks and dinner with [host] Jesse [Palmer] and then Jesse went back because he had an early morning [shoot], and we stayed out and kept on having a good time. The next morning, we had eaten something that we shouldn’t have, and we were down for the count.
“If you noticed, at the end of the season, I’m not in it very much ‘cause both Sarah and I were laid up in bed,” he smiled.
Now Wells recommends that any contestants who come to Paradise pack a crucial item in their bags!
“You need Pepto Bismol, ‘cause it’s Mexico. You’re going to get bubble guts. That’s important,” he said.
The handsome BIP bartender, who gives advice to the beachgoing contestants on ABC’s long-running Bachelor spinoff, also hopes Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell appear in Paradise after their surprising split!
Related: Bachelor in Paradise Is Not Lost! Embattled Show Will Return after Cancellation Rumors
Fans were rocked when Bachelor season 25 hunk Matt recently announced the breakup from his final rose pick Rachael in a social media post. Then Rachael said on the Call Her Daddy podcast that she had been blindsided by the news.
Wells, who also appeared on The Bachelorette season 12, told Parade the split stunned him. “They had been together for so long. Usually, Bachelor Nation relationships, [if they do] fizzle out, [it's] after maybe a year or so. But that one was going on four years. That one did shock me. I thought they would just get married and have kids, and that would be the end of that. It’s a bummer, but I guess it makes it possible that they both could show up in Paradise this summer.”
The E! Channel Grammys red carpet host also said about BIP, “We have a new showrunner, which is great. We didn’t get to do it last [year] because they were filming Golden Bachelorette. It’s a show that people need in the summer because it’s silly and fun. There’s been a lot of stress and drama over the past whatever [number of] years. It just feels like one thing after the next. And I would really love a silly Bachelor in Paradise show to come back because it would just make my life a little bit better.”
All signs point to Wells being back behind the bar, and he said, “I would never turn down that job. I have the best seat in the house.”
Wells said he’d love to see one big BIP Season 10 with both the younger castoff contestants and seniors from the Golden franchise coming together!
“100 percent. One, how funny would that be? And two, how fun would that be? And three, the show is supposed to be a microcosm of the real world, right? If the idea is, it’s a singles' retreat, if you’ve ever been to a singles’ retreat, not everyone’s the same age there. People are all different ages, so I think it would be a great thing for television,” he said.
Related: Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos Reveals Why Her Wedding Plans Have Been Put on Hold (Exclusive)
“I also think there’s a world in which some young girl falls for this silver fox 'zaddy' and they live happily ever after or the other way where some cougar takes down some hot gym bro. I think that would make for an amazing story. It’s 2025! I think the rules are out now. I think we should just make the best TV show possible. The only thing I’m concerned about is that it’s very hot in Mexico, so we might need to do it in a place that’s a little more friendly for our seasoned cast members.”
Wells said he met a lot of Gerry Turner’s contestants at his wedding to Theresa Nist and noted, “All those women are absolutely stunning. Those [BIP] guys could do a lot worse than a lot of those women from Gerry’s season.”
The reality star recently appeared on Peacock's The Traitors and told Parade about the experience, “I think anything that puts you outside of your comfort zone is a good thing. And it definitely did that, even though I’m used to being on a reality TV set, this was much different. The thing I liked the most about it was I got to go to Scotland. It was beautiful, we were up in Inverness, the northern part of the country and I’m an avid golfer so being there was very cool for me.”
He’s also excited about his partnership with JCPenney, in which he’s promoting the store’s “Green Flag Valentine’s Guide," which includes jewelry at a great price.
“I’ve been going to JCPenney since I was a kid,” Wells said. “I didn’t realize how vast and awesome their jewelry department was and I went over there to find this amazing diamond tennis bracelet for my wife. Don’t tell her I got her that for Valentine’s Day.”
As the Modern Family beauty is starting her run playing Daisy in The Great Gatsby on Broadway next week, she and Wells will be spending Valentine’s in New York. He plans to take Sarah to Carbone’s restaurant in the Big Apple to mark her Gatsby debut and the romantic holiday.
“I’ll get her flowers, too,” he said. “I am constantly in awe of her talent.”
When asked how else they keep love alive amid their busy schedules and travel, Wells said, “We do two things that are cute and probably annoying to people. We make sure that we hide notes for each other in suitcases or by the coffee maker when we are separated because of work. That’s always fun. You’re kind of always on the hunt for some cute little love note. And even though you’re far away, it makes you feel close. And we make sure we FaceTime every morning when we wake up and before we go to bed every night. We keep up with one another. Also, we try not to stay away for more than a month time length, unless production is going longer than that. We try make sure to get back and forth to see each other as much as we can.”
Related: ABC Makes Shocking Announcement About 'The Bachelorette' This Year
