The best/worst time during any given season of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette is when a random, former contestant from another season makes a ~surprise~ guest appearance in an effort to win over the new lead's heart. And it quite literally ALWAYS causes drama. (See: Nick Viall on Kaitlyn Bristowe's season; Heather Martin on Matt James's season; many, many more.) For Katie Thurston's season, that time has come. Tonight, Week 4, 29-year-old Blake Moynes, who vied for now-host Tayshia Adam's final rose as a contestant on her season, is back. Here's everything we know about the not-so-new-newcomer.
Blake has appeared one (eh, two) Bachelorette season/s.
Moynes was a contestant on Clare Crawley's (short) season of the The Bachelorette (you might remember that he reached out to Crawley prior to filming). After she picked Dale Moss early on, Moynes become a part of Adam's cast, where he fell quickly and hard for the new leading lady.
He had strong feelings for both women. After his breakup with Adams, he told Us Weekly: “The connection [I had with Tayshia] was very slow. But every time that we’d make a step, I think I opened her eyes more and more and more. And I think you saw that a couple of times, like, ‘Every time I talk to Blake, he shows a different side of him.’ And that’s what happened. I think she had her guard up just like she said at the Men Tell All, I walked in with a red flag over my head [because I had feelings for Clare Crawley too]....If it was Tayshia from the beginning, I think my story would have been a little bit different."
According to the June 28 promo, he reached out to Adams prior to coming on the show (presumably, to snag a spot and/or make sure it was cool with Adams).
Blake reached out to Thurston before her season.
Thurston has confirmed this, saying to Us Weekly: "I definitely knew who he was, which also Tayshia’s ex-boyfriend! So that’s weird. We had chatted before, but usually what happens is, like, the guys will reach out to the women once they’re eliminated and be like, ‘Good luck, you did great.’ Like very generic, you know? And so to see him, I was like, ‘Why is he here?’ Like, ‘What’s happening?’”
Blake works in wildlife management.
Moynes is an outdoorsy dude and he dreams of an outdoorsy girl (which, based on last week's camping episode, we know Thurston is!). As a wildlife manager, He has his own line of merch; proceeds support wildlife conservation. According to his ABC bio, he supports a different endangered species every year. He's also passionate about the environment and runs yet another Instagram account that supports conservation.
Blake adopted a rhino.
Yep! He did so via the nonprofit Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary, the world's largest orphaned rhino sanctuary that specializes in the care of orphaned, injured or sick rhinos. He also is a cat and dog dad. (And again, has the merch to prove it.)
Blake's the last single man in his friend group.
All of Moynes' friends are married so he's extra motivated to find The One and settle down, too.
Blake's from Hamilton, Ontario, in Canada.
Thurston is from Renton, Washington, so should he win, someone is moving or they have a 16-hour commute for dates.
Blake loves Ninja Turtles.
So what do we think—third time's the charm?
