How 'Bachelor' Star Demi Burnett Became All Anybody Could Talk About

Colton Underwood's time as The Bachelor has really been something (shout-out to the Fence Jump), but the cast of women vying for his heart is really what we, the people, still can't stop talking about. Even back when we were wondering whether this season would feature anything other than Underwood's virginity and whether it would remain intact at the end of the season, one contestant had the audience buzzing: Demi Burnett (opens in new tab).

Her backstory and personality always indicated that Demi was in it for the long run: Even Chris Harrison said she's a contestant to look out for during the Bachelor contestant announcement (opens in new tab) on Facebook Live. "She's definitely one to watch. She comes out of the limo on fire. She is bold," Harrison said.

He wasn't kidding. Demi made waves during almost every episode of Colton's season, whether she was making ageist remarks about the "cougars" of the house, fighting with Courtney, cheating on a "survivalist" challenge, to the point where she was openly compared to Corinne, the "villain" on Nick Viall's season. (Corinne, for her part, pushed back on the comparison to Life & Style (opens in new tab):  (opens in new tab)“I feel like she’s doing things to get everyone’s attention, not just Colton's. I was just being me...She’s just making a spectacle of herself almost on purpose.")

But it was still heartbreaking to see Demi crushed when Colton ultimately rejected her in Vietnam. Demi had gone to visit Colton's room, giggling with the producers about the possibility that she'd take Colton's virginity, but when she told Colton that she was falling in love with him, Colton gently told her he didn't think he could match her feelings. (opens in new tab)

"It hurts. This is why I haven't wanted to be in a relationship for a really long time, because of this feeling," Demi said in the limo. "Being hurt is just the story of my life. Nobody has ever loved me back. I just feel like I'm not good enough. I hate that feeling, because I know that I am."

Ahead, what we know about Demi's backstory.

Her personal life is fascinating.

Demi is from rural Texas, and describes herself as a "super bubbly, outgoing, sassy, country girl." Her love for the country life runs deep—her ABC biography even details that "she loves ATVing, fishing and watching WWE. She can also drive a stick shift." A stick shift! Can't tell Demi nothing.

Burnett was in Zeta Tau Alpha sorority at the university she attended, and she’s a fan of musicians Nicki Minaj, Eminem, Lil Wayne and Drake. Her favorite movies, per Facebook, are Dear John, The Sandlot and Despicable Me 3, and she also loves Jersey Shore and Game of Thrones.

In the first episode, audiences learned that Burnett's mom, Tina Jean Jordan, is currently in federal prison for embezzlement. Good news, though: Jordan was released (opens in new tab) from prison in November, a plot point that was outlined in the show. (Unfortunately, Demi didn't make it to hometowns, where Colton would presumably have met Tina Jean.)

There's been some controversy over her job.

Much of the discussion surrounding Burnett has involved some inconsistencies regarding her career. Her ABC bio says she works as an interior designer, but Demi doesn't have any public information on her Instagram (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab) promoting her work as an interior designer.

Reality Steve lists (opens in new tab) Demi's career as an actress/model and shared her ExploreTalent (opens in new tab) profile, where she notes her interest in being cast in TV shows, music videos, films, commercials, and reality TV. Her ABC biography also lists one of her "fun facts" as "One item on her bucket list is to be the first petite Victoria's Secret Angel — with an entourage known as the 'Demi Angels.'" If you're suspicious, I don't blame you.

She got advice from another reality star.

She may have gotten some reality TV advice: At the beginning of January, Burnett was spotted hanging out (opens in new tab) with Big Brother, Ex on the Beach, and The Challenge star Paulie Calafiore, Us Weekly reported. Calafiore is known in Bachelor Nation as the ex-boyfriend of Danielle Maltby from Nick Viall's Bachelor season and Bachelor in Paradise, and to say Danielle and Paulie's breakup was messy is putting it rather lightly. (He allegedly cheated (opens in new tab) on her with his Challenge costar Cara Maria Sorbello. You can find a good explanation of the drama here (opens in new tab).)

Apparently, Demi wanted to pick Paulie's brain because she was worried about her own edit during the time on The Bachelor, so she went to one of the most disliked men in reality TV history. "Paulie understands that he's the ultimate villain on TV right now," an insider told Us Weekly. "He knows that people see him a certain way, but ultimately, he's always there to help people if they want to chat."

Even though Demi didn't make it as far in this season as I'd expected, given how prominently she was featured in the episodes she was in, my guess is that this is not the last we've seen of her–Paradise, anyone?

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