Bachelor in Paradise bartender Wells Adams has admitted he was worried about Joe Amabile's mental state when the former grocery store owner went looking for love in Mexico for the second time after his split from Kendall Long.
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Joe went through the motions of second-guessing his decision to appear on the spinoff and questioning if he should quit Paradise due to his memories with Kendall, whom he met on Bachelor in Paradise's fifth season in Summer 2018 and split from in January 2020.
"I don't want to ruin anything for anybody... but it worked for Joe last time, you know, he kind of fell for Kendall. And yes, they had their ups and downs, but they were together post-show for a very long time," Wells, 37, told Us Weekly on its "Here for the Right Reasons" podcast.
"The show doesn't work for everybody, but for the select few, it's really, really beautiful. And so I think my concern with Joe coming back on was, it's hard to recreate something -- like, will lightning strike twice?"
Joe and Kendall lived together in California and had been talking about an engagement, marriage and kids prior to their breakup.
Joe told his new potential love interest in Paradise, Serena Pitt, that he and Kendall couldn't agree on a city in which to live long-term and had been growing apart towards the end of their relationship.
"Obviously, that place is near and dear to his heart in terms of his relationship with Kendall," Wells explained of Joe.
"And was he going to have some sort of PTSD by coming back into that place and trying to find new love? So I was just concerned about his well-being. I also love him as a friend and was legitimately, like, hoping the best for him."
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Wells reasoned that Joe's probably seemed to be, "Can this happen again?"
"Everyone just needs to watch because Joe is going to be all over this season," Joe teased of what's to come on Bachelor in Paradise's seventh edition.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW"I think America's going to fall in love with him all over again."
Wells previously revealed on former The Bachelor star Nick Viall's "The Viall Files" podcast that "there is a big star in Paradise this year."
"I think that everyone should wait for Paradise to air before we anoint anyone the next Bachelor," Wells told Nick, although Bachelor Nation has been speculating The Bachelor star for Season 26 in 2022 is likely going to be Andrew Spencer, Michael Allio or Greg Grippo.
Wells continued, "I think that there is one particular person that everyone is going to want to be the Bachelor, and whether or not they are even available to be the next Bachelor at the end of it remains to be seen."
After watching the show's premiere, Nick said on Monday's episode of his podcast that he's "almost certain" Wells was referring to Joe because he thinks Joe is receiving a flattering Bachelor edit.
"I loved Joe this episode. I thought there's a real honesty and earnestness," Nick gushed.
Joe seemed to spend hours on the beach by himself just contemplating whether he should proceed on the show or go home. He felt a little out of place and wondered if he fit in.
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"You could see him really struggling. I think it's very relatable," Nick explained, adding that Joe is a genuine and authentic guy who actually speaks what's on his mind and is "very comfortable with himself."
"He's probably one of the best people at owning his awkwardness and leaning into it and not pretending he's not being awkward," Nick noted, "and that comes across very charming."
When Joe entered Paradise, he had his eye on Serena P., 23, but she was a hot commodity and the pair had a bit of an awkward -- although playful -- first exchange.
"You wanna know the truth? My conversation with Serena P. was like talking to Kendall," Joe admitted in tears. "I think I thought this was going to be fun. I did it before, but now I don't know if I want to do this. It's weird. I probably shouldn't have come back."
But just as Joe was about to quit, Serena P. sat down with the Chicago native for another conversation because she had initially felt "fiesta flutters" for the bumbling and easily-embarrassed bachelor.
Joe and Serena P. shared a sweet kiss on a daybed on the beach, and then Joe's mindset seemed to shift to a happy and optimistic one.
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"I'm starting to develop feelings for Serena. It does make me want to stay. Yeah, I'm happy I'm here," Joe said with a big smile.
A preview for an upcoming episode of Bachelor in Paradise, however, shows that Kendall will return to Paradise when Joe is pursuing Serena P.
"Why did you come here?" Joe asks his ex in surprise, to which Kendall fires back, "Why did you come here?"
Joe subsequently tells the cameras, "Kendall is absolutely trying to stop this."
Prior to appearing on his first Bachelor in Paradise season, Joe was eliminated early from Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
