Former Bachelorette contestant Dr. Joe Park has been revealed as the first cast member in the upcoming season of Bachelor in Paradise.
Even though Joe didn’t last for long on the Clare Crawley/Tayshia Adams hybrid season of The Bachelorette, he quickly became a fan favorite due to his kind nature and sweet personality.
Many contended for him to be the next Bachelor lead following Matt James’s season. Fortunately, fans won’t have to wait that long to see him dating on TV.
ABC executive Robert Mills spilled the beans while responding to a recent tweet about Joe.
EW correspondent Kristen Baldwin tweeted a picture from Joe’s Instagram story in which he revealed he got his first dosage of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The picture featured a selfie of the doctor wearing scrubs and a mask.
“Getting the second (and final!) injection,” he captioned the pic. He also listed the amount of time between the first and second dose to inform fans.
Kristen celebrated this important milestone for Joe.
“More good news: Human angel and #TheBachelorette dreamboat Joe the anesthesiologist got the second dose of #CovidVaccine!!!” She exclaimed in her tweet.
Robert then chimed in revealing Joe would be apart of the Bachelor in Paradise cast.
“We’ve got ourselves a vaccinated Paradisian!!” Robert tweeted in response.
Joe Park initially was iffy about returning to the franchise
Aside from his brief stint on The Bachelorette, Joe is a New York City-based doctor who has been on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic.
Due to his popularity among fans, Joe was interviewed by several outlets after his time on the show. Many wondered if he would consider returning to the franchise.
After all, fans were campaigning for him to be the first Asian Bachelor lead. Many also wanted to see him on Bachelor in Paradise.
During an interview with EW in November, he had expressed that he hoped he wouldn’t still single by the time either of those aired and was uncertain about whether he’d want to return.
“Though I didn’t, unfortunately, find love on this show, I realized that love is possible from this show. I think it’s something you have to evaluate when [the opportunity] happens. It’s hard to say now,” he told the outlet.
He then spoke with Ryan Seacrest in January and said that he’d rather prioritize work than return to the franchise.
“The whole experience was a beautiful experience for me,” Dr. Joe Park shared. “… And I’m so happy for all the friendships I made after … but that’s not my life. … I was happy to get back to helping people on the frontline.”
However, this was after he was cast on Bachelor in Paradise, so he likely said this to misdirect fans.
What else do we know about Bachelor in Paradise?
Fans were worried that the double Bachelorette twist would interfere with the summer spinoff, but rest assured, it’s still happening.
Filming for Bachelor in Paradise is set to begin in June meaning that the season will likely air in August.
Filming will likely occur in Mexico but it has yet to be confirmed.
So far, Joe is the only confirmed cast member, but be sure to stay tuned for more BIP news!
Bachelor in Paradise is currently on hiatus on ABC.