Bachelor in Paradise has always been a golden opportunity for Bachelor Nation singles to have a second chance at love. Throughout the years, many singles from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have found their perfect match on the beaches of Paradise.
While BIP didn’t film this year, that doesn’t mean the Bachelor Nation singles aren’t mingling. BIP alums Brendan Morais and Serene Russell recently hard launched their relationship on social media, which seemingly came out of nowhere. While all new Bachelor Nation relationships can be surprising, Brendan and Serene’s love story was a true shock.
Brendan Morais was a controversial cast member on Bachelor in Paradise Season 7
A few years ago, Brendan was a prominent member of Bachelor Nation. After self-eliminating on The Bachelorette Season 16, Brendan came to Paradise ready to give love another try. He formed an early connection with Natasha Parker, who was quite enamored by him. However, it wasn’t long before rumors started spreading that Brendan had been seeing Pieper James before leaving for the beach.
It wasn’t long before Pieper showed up to the beach with a date card. Typically, new singles entering BIP pull a few different people to chat. Pieper, on the other hand, immediately admitted that she was there to see Brendan and asked him on the date instantly. This made everyone on the beach suspicious of the pair, as they didn’t understand why either of them came if they already had a strong connection. After Pieper showed up, Brendan seemingly lost all interest in Natasha.
Shortly after their date, a group of contestants including Natasha confronted Brendan and Pieper about their behavior. Brendan argued that he and Pieper only hung out casually before coming to the beach. Furthermore, he explained that he would never have as much time at home to get to know Pieper as he could at the beach. The other contestants didn’t buy it, which resulted in Brendan and Pieper storming off. Later that night, they announced their plans to leave together. After BIP, Brendan and Pieper dated for about two years before parting ways.
Serene Russell was part of a fan-favorite relationship on BIP Season 8
Unlike Brendan, Serene was anything but controversial on BIP Season 8. From the jump, Serene had a strong connection to Brandon Jones. Throughout the season, Serene and Brandon were the most solid couple on the beach. When the women and men were separated and introduced to new singles, they were one of the only couples who stayed loyal to each other.
At the end of the season, almost no one was surprised when Brandon and Serene got engaged. They were together for a little less than a year before ultimately announcing their split. Fans were shocked to see the former couple part ways, as they expected them to last. Serene later suggested that the break-up was a result of infidelity on Brandon’s part after videos of him with another woman surfaced online. Brandon, on the other hand, claimed that the video was from after their split.
Brendan and Serene are an unexpected match
One of the things that make Brendan and Serene a surprising couple is their different experiences in the franchise. Brendan was originally adored by fans but became somewhat of a Bachelor Nation villain after his time on BIP. Serene, on the other hand, has been a fan favorite since she first appeared on The Bachelor. You know what they say though. Opposites attract!
Another surprising aspect here is that no one speculated these two were together. It’s not uncommon for fans to predict potential Bachelor Nation couples. Usually, couples will post together or drop a few small hints before hard launching. This wasn’t the case for Brendan and Serene, however, who took everyone by surprise. The post shared by the new couple on Instagram showed a series of memories for the two, indicating that they have been keeping this secret for quite some time.
While Brendan and Serene’s relationship may be a surprise, we wish the new couple nothing but happiness. It’s officially safe to say that we shouldn’t be seeing either of them on BIP this year!
Bachelor in Paradise is available to stream on Hulu.
TELL US – ARE YOU SURPRISED BY BRENDAN AND SERENE’S RELATIONSHIP? DO YOU THINK BRENDAN AND SERENE ARE A GOOD MATCH?