The Truth About BIP Contestant Kevin Wendt

"Bachelor in Paradise" is heading up north with the debut season of "Bachelor in Paradise Canada." As Global News notes, the show is a Canadian-themed spinoff of the American show of the same name. It finds alumni from across Bachelor Nation vying for love once again, in a more relaxed environment than the high-stakes competition of the main shows. More specifically, "Bachelor in Paradise" was filmed at a "secluded Ontario lakeside love nest." Complicating matters, the 12 Canadian and U.S. "Bachelor" fan faves will be mixing with 14 Canadian "Bachelor" fans, so sparks are sure to fly.

"Bachelor in Paradise Canada" is hosted by Jesse Jones, with "Bachelorette" star Kevin Wendt serving as bartender. The reality star appeared on the first, and so far only, season of "The Bachelorette Canada," emerging victorious after winning Jasmine Lorimer's heart, per Screen Rant. However, the couple called off their engagement after just a few months. Wendt later appeared on, and again won, "The Bachelor Winter Games." He also competed on the fifth season of "BIP" but was ultimately eliminated six weeks in. With Wendt about to step into the spotlight once again, here's everything to know about him.

As Screen Rant notes, Kevin Wendt fell hard for hairdresser Jasmine Lorimer during the inaugural season of "The Bachelorette Canada." Although it didn't work out between them, the relationship brought Wendt to the attention of Bachelor Nation proper, and he was soon popping up all over the franchise. Wendt was even linked to fan favorite Ashley Iaconetti, but that relationship fizzled out too. However, Wendt ultimately fell for fellow "Bachelor" alum Astrid Loch during their season of "BIP" and the two ended the show happily together. Wendt is a Toronto-based firefighter who also has a navy background. 

Naturally, he had to take time off from fighting fires to become a part of Bachelor Nation. Wendt and Loch are currently engaged, and she even relocated to Toronto to be with him, per Us Magazine. Wendt popped the question in 2019, with a view to tying the knot in 2020, but obviously their plans were scuppered by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the happy couple announced they were expecting their first child in May 2021 after a lengthy and frustrating journey with IVF. They also share an adorable rescue dog named Bean.

In October 2021, Kevin Wendt took to Instagram to share a shot of him smiling next to a Camp Paradise sign, to promote his new role. "Bar is OPEN!! Tonight I start my second career as a bartender/ camp counsellor/ therapist," he wrote. Wendt also encouraged fans to tune into the after-show, during which he and fiancée Astrid Loch break down each episode's biggest talking points. Loch commented "Cutest bartender ever" on the post. Although the couple had a rocky road to romance, neither of them regrets starting their "Bachelor" journey. They briefly split before ending "BIP" together but, as Loch reasoned in a joint interview with E! News, they're all the better for it. 

"It was the craziest scenario that you can meet someone in, and then the breakup was the best thing that ever happened to us because it just let us kind of end the TV show chapter there in Mexico and come out of it and just work on it on our own and kind of figure out what we wanted to do," she explained. Wendt agreed, acknowledging that the couple often hears they're more "normal" than some of their fellow alumni. He added, "I feel like we're on our own little island from the 'Bachelor' world over here, which is actually kind of nice. We get left alone a lot, but we also spend most of our time inside, to be honest."