(SPOILER ALERT) Four men had their time on the beach cut short during the Bachelor in Paradise season 10 premiere.
At the end of the episode, which aired Monday night on ABC, Hakeem Moulton, Kyle Howard, Riquerdy “Ricky” Marinez and Sam McKinney were not able to secure the connections necessary to keep them looking for love on the Costa Rican beach.
Host Jesse Palmer told ABC Audio he was shocked by the outcome.
“We had some pretty big names go home early,” Palmer said. One of those names was McKinney, from Jenn Tran‘s season of The Bachelorette.
“Paradise, I think, in a lot of ways, a big theme is redemption. I know Sam was really excited about that — to show a totally different side of himself than what he showed on Jenn’s season,” Palmer said. “As the host and as someone that’s been around Sam, I was sad to see him leave. I’m really hopeful for him and outside the show that he’ll find his person, because he deserves it.”
Bartender Wells Adams says he “was not shocked that Hakeem left.”
“He really didn’t make a connection with anybody. Which is too bad, he’s a lovely guy,” Adams said. “I just think he tried a little too hard.”
Paradise Relations coordinator Hannah Brown wasn’t shocked by who left, either, but wished McKinney had gotten more of “a redemptive story.”
“I think it’s always really tough to come in right before a rose ceremony,” Brown said. “That’s the unfortunate thing about Paradise, is you have such a little time to make connection. You never know when the person’s gonna come in. So, it’s always bittersweet to see people leave, but that is dating. You have to choose who you have a stronger connection with at that time, so it wasn’t really a shock in that moment who was going to leave. But I wish everyone the best.”
Bachelor in Paradise airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. It streams the next day on Hulu.
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