Who Is Blake Horstmann, the Contestant at the Center of All the Drama on 'Bachelor in Paradise'?

He was the runner-up on Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette.He's from Colorado.He's cashing in on the #SponCon opps that come with Bachelor Nation citizenship.He is (or used to be) a sales rep.He's going to have a fling (and, presumably drama) with Kristina Schulman in Paradise.He's a dog lover.

The Bachelor franchise famously recruits from within when it's time to find a star for the next season of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette. But Bachelor Nation (opens in new tab) has more amazing characters than we could ever hope to see lead a season of love on one of the flagship shows. And for the rest of the contestants we love (or love to hate...or hate to love), there's Bachelor in Paradise (opens in new tab).

For anyone who might not be aware, Bachelor in Paradise (opens in new tab) is what you get when you take the basic premise of The Bachelor franchise (love+TV), swap the champagne flutes for tequila shots, and add a dash of the childhood game Musical Chairs.

This summer's season of Paradise shenanigans kick off on Monday, August 5 and the cast is a Who's Who of recent Bachelor Nation alums, including Becca Kufrin's (opens in new tab) fan favorite runner-up, Blake Horstmann (opens in new tab). But, if you're hoping to see the quintessential nice guy we all fell for during Becca's season in Paradise...maybe just don't watch Paradise. Here's everything you need to know about Blake, who is by all accounts sitting at the epicenter of BiP's drama this season.

He was the runner-up on Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette.

Blake's claim to fame in Bachelor Nation is as a contestant on Season 14 of The Bachelorette (opens in new tab). Blake was the frontrunner for pretty much the entire season and it was a shock to everyone—most of all Blake—when Becca ultimately chose Garrett Yrigoyen.

He's from Colorado.

Blake hails from Colorado (opens in new tab) and (at least on The Bachelorette) he gave off exactly the strong, Midwest vibes you'd expect. According to Blake's Instagram (opens in new tab), he still calls Denver home.

He's cashing in on the #SponCon opps that come with Bachelor Nation citizenship.

Speaking of the 'Gram, Blake has no qualms about getting in on the #SponCon game. He appears to be a full-on brand ambassador for Reign Body Fuel, a zero sugar energy drink.

You might even call him a #SponCon king. Like, literally. He posed on a throne made of energy drink cans for his Insta cash.

He is (or used to be) a sales rep.

Before his Bachelorette days, Blake was a sales rep, and he's been interested in the business world for a long time. In college, he was a member of the Professional Business Leaders and Lamda Pi Eta (opens in new tab). FWIW, his Twitter profile (opens in new tab) says he sells beer.

He's going to have a fling (and, presumably drama) with Kristina Schulman in Paradise.

Early stills and teaser clips (opens in new tab) from the upcoming season of Bachelor in Paradise reveal that Blake is going to go on a date with fan favorite Kristina Schulman (from Nick Viall's season of The Bachelor). 

He's a dog lover.

This is probably the best thing about Blake (and the number one reason to follow him on Instagram). He loves dogs and poses with them regularly.

Dogs forever.

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