

It's that time of year again—some might say the best time of year: It's Bachelor in Paradise season! On this special spin-off show, we get to watch former Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants search for love amid their Bachelor Nation peers while dodging (and/or, creating) drama on a tropical beach. Does TV get any better? Ozark, you say? Game of Thrones, you suggest? No, it's a reality dating show set on an "island" (really, a resort in Mexico) that features Lil Jon and David Spade. I can't make this up, people.
One of the best parts of BIP is that it gives ample screen time to fan favorites. This season, that includes Serena Pitt from Matt James' season of The Bachelor. If you recall, Pitt broke up with James during hometowns, saying, "I don’t think that you’re my person." She was known on the season for being a straight shooter and for being unapologetically open about her feelings (remember when she was brutally honest about not being into that tantric yoga date?). Her candor is refreshing on a reality television show, and we're so excited to see what one-liners ("I'm falling into like!") she brings to the new season of Bachelor in Paradise.
She's a Canadian, eh?
Pitt hails from Toronto, where she works as a fashion and beauty publicist. According to her LinkedIn, her latest professional gig was an internship with the Toronto-based MacIntyre Communications firm. In 2020, she completed a certificate program in sport and event marketing at Toronto's George Brown College, a year after graduating with her bachelor's degree in communications and business management from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario.
During her time in college, Pitt specialized in digital and cultural theory and minored in psychology and, outside of class, was a member of WLU's competitive dance team.
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She's wise beyond her years.
At 23, Pitt is one of the youngest contestants in the franchise of The Bachelor. But age is just a number to Pitt, whose old, official ABC bio leads with her belief that, when it comes to love, "no matter what your age is, when you know, you know."
She's also extremely practical: A major goal in Pitt's life is to learn how to change a tire, and her dream pet is a chicken, since it would be not just a pet, but also a source of fresh eggs.
She's a huge foodie.
Pitt may have held off on pursuing true love until now, but she already understands something very important about ensuring longevity in a relationship. As she said in her Bachelor bio of a potential partner, "If they don't let me taste their food, I don't know if the relationship could survive." Have truer words ever been spoken? She also claims to be perpetually hangry and, remember, is only in the market for a pet that can do double duty as a food source—all of which easily qualifies her as something of a down-to-earth, endlessly practical foodie.
Further evidence can be found on Pitt's Instagram, which is filled with plenty of shots of delicious-looking snacks and drinks, including my personal favorite, this absolutely stunning charcuterie board:
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She broke up with Matt James on The Bachelor.
Serena ended things with James after a heart-to-heart with her mom that made her realize she didn't truly love James. She had been a (dare we say) frontrunner the entire season, but the pair lacked palatable chemistry. The breakup was emotional for both parties, but necessary. During the show's Women Tell All episode, she shared more about her decision: “I would’ve been doing him a disservice by staying," she explained. "As much as I deserve to be 100 percent on someone, he deserves to be with someone who’s 100 percent on him. I couldn’t give him that, and he had three other amazing women there.”
Good for Pitt for trying to make sure both she and James found the right person, even if that wasn't each other!
She has a game plan for Paradise.
Before she was even a confirmed member of the cast, Pitt shared that if she did do BIP, she'd be looking for genuine connection and chemistry. She told ScreenRant: "I would go in with a very open mind. I think it's easy to look at someone and think they're really attractive, but I'm definitely someone who bases a lot on chemistry and interaction." She added, “I wouldn't want to write off anyone going in because I had my eyes set on someone specific."
She's also looking for female friendship, which we fully support! "There [will] be a lot of great girls to potentially make friendships with" she said.
Pitt might find love with a familiar face...
...and this isn't a spoiler, because it's in the trailer!
It seems Pitt makes a connection with Joe Amabile, who was on Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette and the fifth season of Bachelor in Paradise, where he met Kendall Long. The two broke it off before the show's end, but ultimately did enter a relationship with each other (and even moved in together!) before ending things. And get this: Long is also on this season. So...things are about to get awkward. Those producers, man!
Spoilers ahead. OK, if you're not ready to find out exactly how this season of Bachelor in Paradise ends, stop reading. Still here? Great. We've got some news: Amabile and Pitt end up getting engaged on Bachelor in Paradise. That's in spite of the arrival of Kendall Long, who came back to Mexico and told Amabile that she still had feelings for him. Amabile explained that he had strong feelings for Pitt, and Long ultimately left the beach.
In the season finale, Amabile proposes to Pitt—and get this: Your new favorite Bachelor couple are still together and happily engaged, at least if recent photos are any indication. The two were spotted cuddling in public. So, shall we expect a wedding next Paradise, or...?
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Megan DiTrolio is the editor of features and special projects at Marie Claire, where she oversees all career coverage and writes and edits stories on women’s issues, politics, cultural trends, and more. In addition to editing feature stories, she programs Marie Claire’s annual Power Trip conference and Marie Claire’s Getting Down To Business Instagram Live franchise.
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