Joe Amabile Gets Real About Being Part Of Bachelor Nation - Exclusive

Joe Amabile made "Bachelor" franchise history by being eliminated on night one of "The Bachelorette," and still managing to become a fan favorite in that short amount of airtime (via YouTube). The humble grocery store owner, who actually first got scouted for the show in an actual supermarket, won over the hearts of Bachelor Nation for his easygoing nature and endearing smile. 

After his brief but memorable foray on Becca Kufrin's 2018 "Bachelorette" season, the hopeless romantic searched for his soulmate on the franchise a second time, and by the following summer, he was already on the beach for Season 5 of "Bachelor in Paradise." It was then that he fell in love with Kendall Long and the pair ended up dating for close to two years until they split in 2020, per Us Magazine. This left him single and ready to mingle just in time for "Bachelor in Paradise" Season 7, which premiered in 2021. From night one, Amabile began crushing on "Bachelor" alum Serena Pitt, and the two remained inseparable, ultimately leaving the show not only in love, but engaged to be married, per Glamour.

The List sat down with the reality show veteran via Zoom to talk about his partnership with Hotwire for the dating challenge Love at Last Minute, where he selected participating couples "he thinks have what it takes to go the distance" to vacation in one of his favorite cities of Charleston, Atlanta, and his hometown of Chicago. Besides discussing his fairytale romance with Pitt — spoiler alert, they're moving in together — we had to ask what it was like to handle the literal overnight success he experienced after he was first introduced on the franchise those years ago. The ever-modest Amabile said it didn't affect him as much as we'd expect. "I just kept living. It didn't really change me, who I am as a person."

So how did Joe Amabile handle all the fame he's been showered since the day he stepped out of "The Bachelorette" limo? "I don't really consider it fame," he told us. "So I just stay myself and work and do the best I can to be a better person." As for his work, the former grocery store owner is now a restaurant critic and food blogger in his native Chicago. He also cohosts a podcast, "Click Bait," where he weighs in on the "most ridiculous and bizarre headlines of the week in pop culture, breaking down all the clickbait so you don't have to" (via Bachelor Nation) with fellow alums Tayshia Adams and Natasha Parker.

And with a now-1.1 million people following him on Instagram, it's safe to say that his multiple hustles career-wise have definitely been strengthened because of his TV exposure through the popular ABC franchise. (To give you a sense of just how many viewers tuned in to Amabile's "Bachelor in Paradise" season, they averaged close to 3 million an episode according to TV Series Finale!) 

Being a part of the "Bachelor" world has undoubtedly changed the life of the self-proclaimed "go with the flow type of guy" by helping him grow his career, and of course, introducing him to his fiancée. So it wasn't surprising that when we asked him for the best and worst aspects of being a part of Bachelor Nation, he could only talk about the positives. "I'm very proud to be a part of the franchise," he gushed. "And for me, it's been a blessing. It's changed my life for the better." 

Plan your next getaway at quickie.hotwire.com or download the Hotwire app.