Knowing what he wants! Blake Moynes has moved on from his broken engagement with Katie Thurston — and has a list of what he’s looking for in a potential partner.
“I think, in some weird way, [my breakup] hurt me in a sense where I’m finding the more that I fail, the more things that I find that I know I don’t want in a relationship,” the Canada native, 31, exclusively told Us Weekly at the h.wood Group and Revolve’s Homecoming Weekend party in Los Angeles on Friday, February 11. “I think I have more understanding of exactly what I want [and] I think [that] has made me more picky, but the right person will come along and I’ll know what it is because I’ve failed so many times now.”
While Moynes, who competed on both season 16 and season 17 of The Bachelorette, admitted he had a “long list” of qualities for a future girlfriend, he’s “very happy on [his] own” at the moment.
“So, it would take a lot for someone to come in and be able to raise that bar,” the wildlife manager told Us. “I’m so happy where I am that I just feel, like, I don’t want somebody who could possibly take that down.”
Moynes revealed he’s been on a “few” dates since his breakup from the 31-year-old former bank marketing manager but has not taken it too seriously. “I’m trickling in, I’m not diving in the deep end,” he joked.
Moynes first appeared on Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams’ shared season of the ABC reality TV series in October 2020 before returning the following year to romance Thurston. After his late arrival, he proposed during the August 2021 finale. They eventually called off their engagement three months later.
“It is with mutual love and respect that we have decided to go our separate ways. We are so grateful for the moments we shared together and the entire journey that has unfolded this year, but we ultimately have concluded that we are not compatible as life partners, and it is the most caring choice for both of us to move forward independently,” the exes wrote via a joint Instagram statement in October 2021. “We ask for kindness and privacy as we both navigate this transition. Both of us will forever want the best for one another and ask you to please support us in our decision.”
While the Mowgli Moynes Fund founder has slowly returned to the dating scene, Thurston has moved on with John Hersey. Thurston confirmed her new romance with the bartender, 28, who also appeared on season 17 of The Bachelorette, in November 2021.
With reporting by Hannah Kahn