Meet The Stars of Season 8 ‘Bachelor In Paradise’!

We’ve seen all these faces before, some of them more recent than others. Get to know more about the stars that entered the beach on last night’s season premiere of Bachelor In Paradise and where you can follow them on Instagram!

It’s that time of year again to start listening to the eighties classic “Almost Paradise” by Mike Reno featuring Ann Wilson, because paradise is back baby! Jesse Palmer is the host for this season’s Bachelor In Paradise, which premiered Tuesday night on ABC; giving those a second chance of finding love with former contestants of the franchise. Along with some familiar contestants returning, the beach was declared open and Wells returned to be the trustee bartender handing out all the juicy cocktails.

Tuesday night’s episode shared some steamy kisses, chemistry, and drama as always! Although Lace shared that “this is going to be the most boring season”, audiences around the world had other ideas! See below to catch up on who walked on the beach last night (listed in order of appearance), where you have seen them before, and where you can find their Instagram accounts!

*Contains spoilers from premiere*

Serene Russell

Serene Russell was the first contestant to step onto the beach and audiences were living for it. Russell appeared on Season 26 of The Bachelor during Clayton’s season. Clayton said goodbye to Serene during her hometown date. On last night’s episode, the only man Russell had her eyes set on was Brandon Jones.

Along with joining paradise, Russell was known for being an elementary school teacher in Oklahoma City, OK. She came out with an Instagram post writing that she was leaving the teaching profession and pursuing a career in media and storytelling.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @serenebrookrussell

Michael Allio aka “Zaddy”

Allio made his appearance on the beach and oh has he changed. When he made his way to the beach, Palmer pointed out that he looked more jacked than ever. Allio left Katie Thurston’s season to go back and spend more time with his son.

 

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A post shared by Michael Allio (@michael_alliol4)

Although dating as a single parent can be extremely difficult after being a widow, Allio is ready to give love another shot. Instead of just following this hunk on Instagram, you can also go to his charity fund L4 Mission and support families in need of healing for the loss of loved ones due to cancer. 

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @michael_alliol4

Andrew Spencer

Spencer is no stranger to social media. He also appeared on Thurston’s season and was eliminated during week six. On the premiere episode of paradise, Spencer was given the first date and chose Teddy to come along for the ride. He has always been known as the goofy contestant and he showed that by painting a smiley face on his toenail as a grand gesture. The two spent the rest of the night in a giant margarita.

Spencer is known for splitting his time in Austria, where he plays football, and in Chicago where he is a football coach and a teaching assistant off season. Since he started the show he also has made paid partnerships with places such as bearbottomclothing, visiblemobile, and Wilson. Watch for more on what other antics Spencer will be pulling out this season on Bachelor In Paradise.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @andrewzspencer

Geneveive Parisi

Parisi was ready to make her way to the beach and was more excited to be wearing a bikini than anything else. She first made her appearance on Clayton’s season and went home after the two mutually agreed the relationship was not working. This time around, Parisi has her eyes set on one man and that’s Justin. The only person she is dreading to see is the one who she came to heads with during Clayton’s season which was Shanae. Outside of the franchise, Parisi is known to be a model and social media influencer.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @genparisi

Johnny Dephillipo

Dephillipo made his way to the beach last night by starting his cameo off on creating a rap of his time on Gabby and Rachel’s season. If that doesn’t scream paradise to you, then I don’t know what does! Dephillipo caught the eyes of Gabby Windey and was one of the three finalists on her journey. Unfortunately, the two agreed to end the relationship due to the fact that Dephillipo was not ready to get down on one knee.

Dephillipo is no stranger to the beach living in Florida. Who knows, maybe now he is ready to pop the question to his next lucky suitor and is ready to hit the beach’s new waves.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @johnnydephillipo

Teddi Wright aka “Teddi The Virgin”

Other than being known as “the virgin” who won everyone’s hearts on Clayton’s season, she also was the woman who won the first impression rose. The world was shocked that during her season she was sent home right before hometowns happened. Teddi made her way with Andrew Spencer on last night’s premiere and although love was in the air, others took to Twitter to sense the awkward tension in their conversation.

Wright isn’t just a sweetheart on camera, but also in her day job as a registered nurse. Time will only tell if her and Spencer will last this season.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @teddiwright

Casey Woods

Casey Woods made his first appearance as a contestant on Michelle Young’s season and was eliminated during week five. Woods is known as an advertising creative and musician from Parkland, FL. This star is also a Miami-based producer and songwriter. Instead of his last name being Woods, he goes by Casey Dilla as his persona. If you want to get to know more about Woods you can check him out at his website, or just click on the link in his Instagram bio!

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @caseydillamusic

Hailey Malles

Unfortunately for Malles, she did not make it too far on Clayton’s season and went home on the first night of the series. Now, she is ready to redeem herself and find love yet again on the beach. Outside of the franchise she is also a pediatric registered nurse.

During the episode, she soon made it over to social media after making the comment that Lace didn’t deserve to be in paradise. People took to target how she didn’t even make her season after night one.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @haileyluhoo

Brittany Galvin

Galvin took the world by storm when she appeared on Matt’s season of The Bachelor. She joined the other girls in pursuit of Matt during week three and all hell broke loose from there. Anna Redman accused Galvin of being a female escort, which blew up headlines on all social media following the night of the episode’s airing. Galvin was then sent home packing on week five. Other than being on the show Galvin is also a model and a member of the @onemanagement agency which you can find in her Instagram bio! 

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @lilgalvin

Jill Chin

Chin made headlines on the Bachelor In Paradise premiere for already being a part of a lover’s quarrel. We will see how far Kira and Jill push one another to impress Romeo; who both seem to have had chemistry with before entering the beach. Chin has also butted heads with Shanae during Clayton’s season which they were both on together. She was eliminated during week four of the season and didn’t really form a connection with him throughout her time on the series.

Her hope for being in paradise is to be more like herself, and to end up with that ring on her finger. Other than the franchise she is an architectural historian and social media coordinator for Public Archeology Lab in Rhode Island.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @jillchin_

Hunter Haag

Haag also appeared on Clayton’s season and was otherwise referred to as the girl with IBS. She was eliminated on week 5. During her cameo before entering the beach, Haag made it a point to say that she was so excited to see what Rachel and Gabby’s guys were like. She made that mission clear after she was caught smooching Logan by the pool on the first night!

Although she is now a human resource specialist, Haag used to work as a Disney princess portraying Belle which looks a lot harder than some people may think. Let’s see if she can find her prince charming and forever after in paradise this season!

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @hunterchagg

Sierra Jackson

Jackson entered the beach coming in hot and took a shot with host Jesse Palmer before making her way into paradise. She is most recognized for outing Cassidy Timbrooks to Clayton for having a “friends with benefits” back at home. She was unfortunately sent home the same time as Jill Chin during week five.

 

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A post shared by Sierra Jackson (@sierrajackzen)

Along with being in paradise and already forming a connection with Michael Allio, she is also a recruiting coordinator and just released her song, “Dark Blue” which is out now on Spotify and Apple music.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @sierrajackzen

Jacob Rapini aka “Tarzan”

Rapini made his way into paradise with everything except clothes. Before entering the beach, he strutted down to Palmer with nothing but a leaf wrapped around his you know what! Rapini became well known during Rachel and Gabby’s season when he came strutting in as prince charming with a white horse for his first impression.

He also showed up nude during the speedo episode to woo the ladies over on the group date that happened during the season. From becoming extremely liked, he then was ridiculed by social media for the way he told Gabby that he was pursuing Rachel instead of her for the season. He ended by telling Gabby that she was “rough around the edges”. The Tarzan god then apologized for his actions to Windey on the “Men Tell All”, and has since then been a changed man looking for love again.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @jacobrapini

Shanae Ankey

Ankey has had one of the most dramatic journey’s when it came her time to shine on Clayton’s season. She ended up being titled the season’s “villain” and did not get along with a lot of the other women in the house. This time around, Ankey has made it known that she wants to turn a new leaf and have people see the “new Shanae”.

Although she is ready to have her next love and redemption story, some of the former girls are still eerie towards her; including Geneveive. Only time will tell if Ankey will go back to her old ways or if she is truly looking to find love in paradise.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @shanae.a

Justin Glaze

Glaze has made his way to paradise and although he is known from Thurston’s season, he is more well known as a classic meme. Glaze was sent home after Thurston tearfully told him that she was going to choose Blake for her season.

Glaze became known as the man to have the most expressive faces on television that social media began to fan over. People took to twitter last night to show more memes can be created with Justin’s facial expressions. If you love Glaze’s expressions and want to see more of him, you can request a personalized video from his Cameo

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @justinglaze

Lace Morris

Morris is known for being on Ben’s season and also season three of Bachelor In Paradise. Although she quit during Ben’s season in week three, she won Paradise and left with Grant Kempert. The first thing you can think about with Morris is Bruno Mars’s lyrics to Perm being: “it’s my birthday … not it’s not”. On the premiere, Morris lied about it being her birthday so she would start to get attention from more of the men in the house.

After faking that it was her birthday, she pursued Logan in attempts to form a connection. That sadly did not go as planned after he called her by the wrong name. Other than the franchise, Morris is a real estate agent. Let’s see if she will be able to find love this season.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @lacemorris3

Logan Palmer

Palmer is most well known for his time during Rachel and Gabby’s season. At first, he chose to pursue Rachel during the series but then changed his mind halfway through going for Windey. Palmer was then sent home due to contracting COVID-19 and was kicked off for the rest of the season.

Although Palmer has come back to find love, he has started off to a rocky start with already not remembering a woman’s name. Social media showed Palmer’s appearance after mistaking Lace for “Luce”.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @loganseagull

Brandon Jones

Jones was one of the finalists during Michelle Young’s season on The Bachelorette. After professing his love, Jones was heartbroken and took time for himself. He is currently coming onto the series to try and be vulnerable for one last time. During the premiere episode, Jones began to pursue Serene and the two had instant chemistry. Other than the series, Jones is a personal trainer. Only time will tell if these two make it out of paradise as a pair.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @bmacjones

Romeo Alexander

Alexander also appeared on Young’s season of The Bachelorette and was eliminated during week four of the series. Before coming to the beach, he knew a lot of the women from Clayton’s season who he had spent time with outside of the house. Alexander became the main culprit in the lover’s quarrel with Chin.

Alexander is a New Yorker by heart and also a music lover outside of the series. After telling Chin that he just wanted to pursue her, time will only tell if he will fall back to his old tracks with Kira who is the last person included in this love triangle.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @doctor__romeo

Kira Mengitsu

Mengitsu is well known from Clayton’s season and was also the last contestant to enter the beach on the premiere. In paradise her one goal is to be the real her and also to be edgy. Throughout the night her main focus was to see how many times she can be in the “boom boom room”. During Clayton’s season, she also shared that she didn’t have any regrets at all before being kicked off. Outside of the franchise she is also a physician.

INSTAGRAM HANDLE : @kiramengistu

Only time will tell what goes on with these crazy contestants as they try to find love in paradise! There is more to come on this season with the teaser even showing Victoria F. from Peter Weber’s season stepping into paradise next week! Tune in to see who will stay together and who will try to get in the way to form a connection.

Bachelor In Paradise airs Monday & Tuesday nights on ABC and for streaming the next day on Hulu.

About the Author

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Kate O'Brien

Kate O’Brien is an aspiring producer and intern for AfterBuzzTV & Podcast Better Together with Maria Menounos along with Beyond Productions. She is currently completing her last semester of graduate school abroad in Los Angeles loving all pop culture and anything reality TV.