ABC/YouTube Jesse Palmer was on 'The Bachelor' in 2004.
On September 28, 2021, Variety reported that Jesse Palmer was the new host of “The Bachelor,” officially taking over for Chris Harrison. What some people don’t know or may have forgotten is that Palmer was actually the star of the show back in 2004.
Palmer’s time on “The Bachelor” was fairly memorable, as he was one of the only well-known people given the opportunity to hand out roses (Jerry O’Connell was the other). Palmer, a former NFL quarterback who played for the New York Giants as a back-up for four seasons before going to play football in Canada. He would retired from the sport in 2007.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Palmer was “one of the show’s youngest suitors” at the time; he was looking for love on reality television at the age of 26. Palmer did end up leaving the show with a girlfriend — he chose Jessica Bowlin — but he didn’t propose on the show’s finale.
Palmer and Bowlin split just a couple of months after the show ended, according to Us Weekly. She went on to get married a man named Omar Rawi, and she’s now a mom of two. Palmer didn’t get engaged until 2019, and is set to marry his fiancee, a model named Emely Fardo, according to the LA Times.
Palmer’s time on “The Bachelor” didn’t exactly go completely as planned, however, and he had a major faux pas during a rose ceremony.
Here’s what you need to know:
Palmer Forgot the Name of 1 of the Women & Gave a Rose to the Wrong Person
As “The Bachelor,” Palmer did end up finding love, but it was the kind of love that didn’t last. Along his journey, he had one of the most memorable, and, perhaps, embarrassing experiences of any star of the franchise — ever. Palmer actually forgot the name of the woman that he wanted to give a rose to during one particular rose ceremony — and he ended up giving the rose to the wrong person.
In a video called “‘The Bachelor’ 20 Most Amazing Moments,” Palmer actually earned the No. 9 spot for his rose mix-up. It happened just after he called “Katie” up to get a rose. Katie walked up to Palmer to receive a rose. She accepts (“most definitely!”) and walks back to the group before Palmer calls in Chris Harrison.
“Chris, I need to talk to you,” Palmer says. He and Chris excuse themselves from the rose ceremony. “I forgot her name,” Palmer tells Chris once outside of the room. “That wasn’t the girl I wanted to give it to,” he continued. “It’s Karen. I said Katie. I froze and forgot. I said Katie,” he said.
Palmer’s Mistake Was a First for the Franchise
When Harrison and Palmer returned to the rose ceremony, they had figured out a plan to rectify the situation — though it was awkward. Both Harrison and Palmer apologized to the ladies for keeping them waiting, and Harrison said, “we’ve ended up facing something we’ve never run into before.”
Palmer then explained what happened, and let Katie know that he didn’t mean to give her the last rose of the night. As she walked towards him to hand back the rose that she had just received, Palmer offered her an opportunity to stay.
“I’d like to extend to you the option of staying,” Palmer said. “I’ll stay and see how things go,” Katie responded.
Palmer was given an extra rose, which he handed to the right person, Karen. He called her name and she walked up to him. “I thought you’d never ask,” she said with a laugh.
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