Former “Bachelorette” Rachel Recchia has been thrown another chance to find love on “Bachelor in Paradise” Season 9, but bartender Wells Adams said Recchia struggled against her urge to protect her fellow beach-goers as the season’s “mama bear.”
“I love Rachel so much — she’s such a mama bear that puts everyone else before herself,” Adams told TheWrap. “I think that she’s fighting the urge to be the mama bear and protect all her little cubs, but also find the thing that she so so deserves, which is love with either Sean, Tyler or whoever comes on the beach.”
As Aaron B. found himself in the middle of a love triangle with Mercedes and Eliza in the second episode of the season, Recchia made herself available to both women as they struggled with sorting out the situation — which was eventually resolved when Aaron B. gave his rose to Eliza and Mercedes ended up pursuing Will.
“We had this conversation a lot the bar and I was like ‘I know you’re very concerned about everybody else’s relationship and wanting to make sure everyone else’s heart is right, but … I don’t want you to forget that your relationships are very, very important,’” Adams said. “I’m rooting for her.”
While Recchia quickly paired up with Sean McLaughlin from Charity Lawson’s season of “The Bachelorette,” several of her former suits from her season of “The Bachelorette” have arrived to the beach as well, including Aven Jones and Tyler Norris.
Jones quickly found a spark with Kylee once he arrived at the beach in Episode 2, but sparks are seeming to fly between Recchia and Norris after he offered up his first date to her.
Below, Adams shares which initial connections seem the most genuine, and whether beach-goers actually thought former “Bachelorette” Hannah Brown was actually at the beach to find love.
TheWrap: How did it feel to be back on the beach for another season of paradise?
Adams: They’re starting to blend together if I’m being honest with you. This is season seven I think I’ve done, which is insane. But it’s always nice to be back. It’s such a beautiful place that I forget about it, and then you get back there and you’re like, “Oh, my God.” The sunsets there are just the best and the food there is so good. So it’s always really nice to come back.
Off the bat, couples started pairing off beginning as soon as the first episode. Which couples immediately seemed most into each other?
Olivia and Will right off the bat I thought was a pretty strong situation, but then that quickly devolved into a very bad situation. I was surprised by Blake and Jess but then also not surprised because they’re both the nicest people in the world and usually nice people just gravitate towards one another. Aaron B. and Eliza was a little bit of a slower burn … there was a little bit of will-they-won’t-they but they look really really cute together. I think the one that surprised me the most was Aaron S. and Sam really liking one another because they’re both kind of oddballs.
Every season I go there I really make a point to tell everyone, “whatever you think your type is, let’s not do that.” Because if your type was right and you knew exactly what you wanted, you wouldn’t be on this show, right? You’re here because you’ve been wrong your entire life. So let’s just be adventurous, think outside the box and and try new things. I’ve found the relationships with that work the best are the ones that no one saw coming.
That Hannah Brown appearance really shocked the beach-goers. Did some people really think she was there to date?
I think some people thought that she was there to date. I think the guys were hoping that she was there to date.
I wasn’t there for that, so the first time I saw it was on the show. I think it was funny — they all think that she is the biggest celebrity they’ve ever met — it was like Leo DiCaprio walked down or Daniel Day-Lewis came in. In terms of “Bachelor Nation,” she is total royalty — I totally get it. But I was like, ‘wow, this is interesting how everyone’s reacting to it.’
I think, for the most part, the women knew that she probably wasn’t there to date, because I think it was pretty well-known that she was serious with a guy or maybe engaged. But I think the guys were like, “fingers crossed.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
“Bachelor in Paradise” premieres Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC after “The Golden Bachelor.”
