The November 16 episode of Bachelor In Paradise was jam-packed with drama, primarily due to the first-ever “Bachelor in Paradise Comedy Roast” that occurred towards the end of the episode. Hosted former Bachelorette, Katie Thurston (who doubles as the ex-fiance of Blake Moynes — yikes), emotions were seriously running at an all-time high.
While a majority of the jokes that occurred were harmless, one roast left a bad taste in the mouths of all of the remaining contestants…
After giving Rachel Recchia his rose at the previous rose ceremony (sending Davia Bunch home, despite the picture-perfect date that they shared together), Tanner Courtad indicated that he wanted to get to know the former Bachelorette on a deeper level. However, a comment he made during the “Bachelor in Paradise Comedy Roast” might have put a wrench in his plans.
“We were all really, really excited when we found out that there was going to be an ex-Bachelorette on the beach, and obviously we were really hoping for Gabby [Windey], but we got Rachel,” Tanner shared with the crowd (including special guest Katie Thurston, bartender Wells Adams, and host Jesse Palmer), naturally garnering a stunned reaction from Rachel herself.
In a confessional to follow, Rachel dished, “I definitely was enjoying this connection I had with Tanner. I opened up to him about things that I haven’t told anyone else, which I think is really special, but why would you say something that mean?”
Did Tanner go too far with this roast, ultimately jeopardizing his relationship with Rachel once and for all? Keep scrolling to see what viewers had to say about his controversial comment…
Naturally, fans of The Bachelor franchise were incredibly disappointed in Tanner’s behavior, taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express their dissatisfaction.
“Rachel better DUMP Tanner after that roast and give Jordan her rose. Enough fooling around, choose the good guy for once,” one viewer wrote.
Another gushed, “Tanner would not get a f*****g rose after that Gabby joke.”
“Tanner, quick question… HOW DO YOU BEG SOMEONE FOR A CHANCE THEN PUBLICLY SAY YOU WISH IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE??? Make it make sense,” shared a third.
As if fans of The Bachelor franchise did not speak up enough, the longtime Bachelor In Paradise bartender, Wells Adams, even weighed in on the situation in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, ultimately agreeing with what the majority of viewers had to say.
To initiate a response, reporter Kristen Baldwin asked, “The first-ever Bachelor in Paradise Comedy Roast featured some pretty brutal burns aimed at Rachel. Do you think Tanner’s joke crossed the line?” Naturally, Wells sang like a bird.
Without hesitation, the 39-year-old admitted, “That was the most awkward thing I think I’ve ever been a part of in Paradise,” before diving into the details.
While Wells agrees that Tanner definitely took things too far with his joke, he thinks that the first-ever “Bachelor in Paradise Comedy Roast” was not as bad as it could have been, sharing that “everyone got off easy” for the most part.
With Tanner Courtad vulnerable at the forthcoming rose ceremony, did his controversial comment cause him to lose the rose of Rachel Recchia? Will she give it to her former fling, Jordan Vandergriff, instead?
To see what happens, pour yourself a margarita and tune into new episodes of Bachelor in Paradise every Thursday at 9pm ET/8pm CT on ABC (with the exception of Thanksgiving Day), with new episodes available to stream on Hulu the morning to follow.