ABC
Tonight is night one of the season 23 finale of The Bachelor. After a dramatic fantasy suite episode, Tayshia Adams is one of the contestants still vying for the heart of Bachelor Colton Underwood.
After Tayshia and Colton’s one-on-one and fantasy suite date in Portugal, Tayshia revealed that she has fallen in love with Colton. Before he makes his decision during The Bachelor finale, here’s what you need to know about Tayshia Adams:
1. She Is a Phlebotomist
When Tayshia was first introduced as a contestant on the show, one of the most interesting details about her was her profession as a phlebotomist. A phlebotomist draws a patient or donor’s blood, for clinical research or medical reasons.
Her official “Bachelorette Biography” on ABC’s website reads “This Southern California girl is definitely not the squeamish type—she draws blood for a living! When she’s not filling up vials for her patients, she volunteers at her church and goes wine tasting. Unlike her patients, Tayshia hopes Colton feels faint when he sees her!”
2. She Is From Orange County
Adams is from Corona Del Mar, California, which is in Orange County. Many of her Instagram posts feature her home’s sunny setting and the nearby beaches.
Since Tayshia made it to hometown dates on the show, she brought Underwood to Orange County to see where she grew up and to get to know her family. At the end of their date, which included a tough conversation with Tayshia’s father, he told her he was falling for her.
3. She Was Married Before ‘The Bachelor’
Tayshia was married to Josh Bourelle for a year and six months, before they divorced on October 11, 2017. Though the reason for the divorce was cited as “irreconcilable differences,” she shared with Colton Underwood on the show that her ex-husband cheated on her during their marriage.
After she spoke about her previous marriage and divorce on the show, Adams shared an Instagram post reflecting on the experience and what it meant for her to move past it:
“My divorce used to be something I was ashamed of, because to me it represented, not only to myself but to everyone that knew me, that I had failed at marriage, something I value so highly. It made me question my worth and completely dimmed the light inside of me that used to shine so brightly. I only told a handful of people about it, and let the rest figure it out for themselves, because I wanted to avoid answering questions I myself didn’t know the answer to. It’s been a rough journey to pick up the pieces and rebuild my idea of the life I want, but I will tell you this: I would not be able to be the strong, independent, and smiling woman I am today without my faith or the support of my close family & friends that have supported me unconditionally.”
4. She & Colton Had the Most Adventurous Dates This Season
Every season of The Bachelor features a few adrenaline-pumping dates, and Underwood shared his with Tayshia. In Singapore, the two went bungee jumping off a skyscraper. During hometown dates, Adams gave Underwood “payback” by scheduling a date for them that included sky-diving. Even their pre-fantasy suite date in Portugal had an element of danger, as the two took a private helicopter to their castle destination.
5. She Was Dating Someone Right Before ‘The Bachelor’ Started Filming
According to Us Weekly, Tayshia had a boyfriend right up until she left to film The Bachelor season 23. They reported that she was still with her ex-boyfriend Chase Olswang the night before she left to film.
Chase told Us that after she told him she was considering participating on The Bachelor, “I moved some things around … before she ended up deciding to leave [for The Bachelor], because she still wasn’t really sure if she was going to go on the show or not. She was still back and forth … she wasn’t sure. As it got closer, I could kind of see changes between us and I could kind of tell that she was leaning toward going. I don’t know all of the exact reasons for that.” He also revealed that they were in touch after she returned home from filming.