Eek! Ben Higgins’ fiancée, Jessica Clarke, “has never seen” his season of The Bachelor, he exclusively tells Life & Style. The season 20 star acknowledges it will be “super awkward,” which is why “Jessica will not be watching.” Ben’s journey to find love will be airing on June 15 as one of the throwback seasons for Bachelor Mondays.
“I think Jessica will be taking that evening away from the TV,” the 31-year-old Generous Coffee creator, which can be purchased online, quips about the SweatNET founder, 24. “I think the thing is, I can watch and be pretty unaffected. Because, I mean, I lived it and I was there and know what happens.”
That’s not to say Jessica isn’t a fan of the franchise. “She’s watched The Bachelor — especially with me now,” says the Winter Games star. “But, she wasn’t a huge fan when she was younger so she didn’t watch that season. And, this just doesn’t seem like the right time to start.
On the other hand, Ben feels like he “kind of” has to rewatch his reality stint. During his journey to find love, the “Almost Famous” podcast host got engaged to Lauren Bushnell. They split more than a year later after a rocky few months and a failed reality spinoff called Ben and Lauren: Happily Ever After? The former flight attendant married country singer Chris Lane in October 2019.
Prior to becoming the Bachelor, the Colorado native was a contestant on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season of The Bachelorette.
As far as how his engagement to Jessica stacks up, Ben acknowledged it’s “not fair to compare” the two scenarios. “For me, where I’m at in life and where life has brought me, it feels like everything has led me to Jessica. And so, my proposal to Jessica felt like a beautiful addition to the story that’s been going on in my life now for 31 years,” the Bachelor Nation stud gushed. “It was special, it was unique, it was exciting, it’s memorable, it’s emotional.”
It’s a “celebratory time” for the newly engaged couple, and they’re excited for what the “future” holds. “So, yeah, I would say it’s not even fair to compare it,” the restauranteur explained. “It’s just another beautiful addition to the story that’s already been happening — and the ups and downs to that story. Like, it hasn’t always been beautiful. There’s been issues and trouble and difficulty with it, but it led me to her.”
We can’t wait to see what’s next for Ben and Jessica!
Reporting by Diana Cooper