Derek Totally Shocked Taylor With 'Bachelor In Paradise' Proposal
Getting engaged on camera is a time-honored way to end ABC’s summer dating show “Bachelor in Paradise.” Last season, three couples became betrothed during the finale. But after Season 4, Taylor Nolan and Derek Peth were the only pair to end up engaged.
Despite the show’s romantic track record, Nolan was completely blindsided by the proposal.
In an interview on HuffPost’s podcast “Here to Make Friends,” the blissful new couple opened up about their courtship ― which overcame an inauspicious first impression ― their plans for the future, and Peth’s emotional proposal at the taped studio reunion.
“Asking someone to get engaged to you in front of a live studio audience is,” Peth admitted, “a bit extra.”
“It’s quite ‘Bachelor’-y of you,” chimed in Nolan.
Nolan had no plans to end the show engaged, but Peth had other ideas. The night before the taping of the reunion segments, Peth said he got together with castmate and friend Wells Adams to rehearse and fine-tune a heartfelt proposal. Adams, he said, advised him to make the speech personal rather than worrying about what the live audience would think. The proposal ended up referencing inside jokes, like Nolan’s emotional intelligence and the time he built a fire for her.
“The producers were like, ‘I don’t think people are going to get that,’” Peth said, “and I was like, ‘I don’t care anymore’ ... That was the realization that I got to, was, why do I care what other people are going to think, as long as it matters to us?”
Despite all the rehearsals, he was clearly nervous when it came time to do the deed ― and with good reason. Nolan still had no idea the proposal was coming.
“Even like three days before ― before we separated and got in our separate cars and got on lockdown and everything ― we were dropping off his rental car and I looked at him and was like, ‘You’re not, like, planning anything, right?’” Nolan recalled. Peth deflected her questions and she finally relaxed. “I was like, ‘No, nothing’s gonna happen,’” she said.
How wrong she was.
But while Nolan now has a relatively understated Neil Lane ring on her finger, the couple still plans to take their relationship slowly and savor every step.
“We’re not going to move in together just yet, but we’re definitely moving in that direction,” said Peth. “We want to maintain the romance a little bit.”
For more from Taylor and Derek, check out HuffPost’s Here To Make Friends podcast below:
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Do people love “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise,” or do they love to hate these shows? It’s unclear. But here at “Here to Make Friends,” we both love and love to hate them — and we love to snarkily dissect each episode in vivid detail. Podcast edited by Nick Offenberg.
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Praying I never have to see some of these people kissing on camera again after tonight. #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/CJJXPjgtFN
— Kelιαн ¯\_(ツ)_/¯🔑💜 (@RealKDPFan4Eva) September 12, 2017
*spoilers
Dean, Kristina, and DLo all get engaged tonight in a @BachParadise first!!!! #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/Yl9NCKTK0a— Derek Peth (@PethDerek) September 11, 2017
Jack Stone: Christen, can we be a couple,i mean not a couple, i mean hand in hand, i mean murder u #BachelorInParadise
— Vinny Guadagnino (@VINNYGUADAGNINO) September 12, 2017
Wtf is hand in hand #BachelorinParadise
— Jaclyn Swartz (@JaclynSwartz) September 12, 2017
Christen is acting like someone asked for her firstborn or her @HaloTopCreamery ice cream. #BachelorInParadise #BIP
— Diggy Moreland🌹 (@diggymoreland) September 12, 2017
"Our journey is slowly coming to an end," says Adam, evidently auditioning for the role of Chris Harrison. #BachelorInParadise
— Sandra Di (@Sandra_Di_) September 12, 2017
Live footage of Robby rn. #BachelorinParadise pic.twitter.com/bSfL9Q2pr1
— Lindsay Holmes (@lindsaygholmes) September 12, 2017
BUT AMANDA! He threw glow sticks in a hot tub for you! #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/DstnxAaInO
— Adam Jr. (@AdamJrDoll) September 12, 2017
Never settle. Know your worth. Trust your gut. All that stuff etc etc. #BachelorInParadise
— Amanda Stanton (@amandastantonnn) September 12, 2017
Diggy: We are definitely building something that could lead to a threesome.
Jaimi: Nah I'm good. #BachelorInParadise— Take This Rose (@TakeThisRose) September 12, 2017
I'm living for the ladies rejecting these boys. #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/BV9efdjJsO
— courtney menig🌻 (@CourtneyMenig) September 12, 2017
1. Lacey really loves Daniel? 2. If Daniel hurts her I'm gonna be irate. She's so sweet in a silly way. #BachelorInParadise
— Evan Bass (@ebassclinics) September 12, 2017
Lacey: I'm in love with Daniel.
All of us: #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/8wkpOgbAJJ— MC (@marasantanaaa) September 12, 2017
TAYLOR AND DEREK FOREVER. TELEVISE THAT WEDDING. #BachelorinParadise
— Lindsay Holmes (@lindsaygholmes) September 12, 2017
Congrats to the three couples not dumb enough to end a free vacation early. #BachelorInParadise
— PopePhilly (@PopePhilly) September 12, 2017
Lacey just said "nothing could go wrong", which means...something is about to go terribly wrong #BachelorInParadise
— Vinny Guadagnino (@VINNYGUADAGNINO) September 12, 2017
Dean- "she deserves better than me"
All of us:#BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/J8ISXqowgc— Shayna (@itsaSHORRthing) September 12, 2017
I HOPE KRISTINA MARRIES A LITERAL GREEK GOD AND LIVES OUT THE REST OF HER LIFE IN A PALACE WHERE DEAN SCRUBS HER FLOORS #BachelorInParadise
— Saraf Ahmed (@heathenhipster) September 12, 2017
Dean gets booed, the crowd goes nuts for @kristinaschulma, and all is right in Bachelor Nation. #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/OfIHEWf4dm
— Kristen Baldwin (@KristenGBaldwin) September 12, 2017
Insider info: I applied to be in the audience so I could boo Dean but got denied. Then, pretended to be Neil Lanes body guard.. again denied
— Evan Bass (@ebassclinics) September 12, 2017
Thank you, random woman in the audience, for summing up every woman's reaction to Dean's BS #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/dTl06TEwD4
— Ellie G (@RaisingEll) September 12, 2017
Me watching Danielle expose Dean #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/OCilK9hGLY
— Bachelor Couples🌹 (@BachelorCouples) September 12, 2017
You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/HybL5Ciuvn
— Calvin (@calvinstowell) September 12, 2017
How we viewed Dean before Paradise versus how we view him now. #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/jqGx4JcKu6
— 👩🏻 (@lloretes) September 12, 2017
My mind is blown that Daniel from Bachelor in Paradise could be someone's "perfect man" but I guess there's someone for everyone.
— Elise Foley (@elisefoley) September 12, 2017
LACEY WITH THE SHADE -- FINISH HIM #BachelorInParadise
— Evan Bass (@ebassclinics) September 12, 2017
When the producers help you drag your ex-boyfriend #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/zb5O4Wg2jo
— Bachelor Burn Book (@bachelorburnbk) September 12, 2017
Lacey: "You've done two of these shows and you're 32 years old, what do you think that means?" #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/pDELmHnMRI
— Marissa D (@marissad415) September 12, 2017
How we all feel about Lacey right now #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/wZOI0qSvbM
— Olivia Caridi (@OliviaCaridi) September 12, 2017
I just want someone to love me the way I love avocado toast. SOMEDAY! #BachelorinParadise
— Amanda Stanton (@amandastantonnn) September 12, 2017
This seasons theme was "men are garbage, here are some examples". #BachelorInParadise
— Bach Tweets (@BachBatch) September 12, 2017
it's a new less exciting experience to watch #BachelorInParadise without 🍷 cc @WeightWatchers
— Alyssa Mastromonaco (@AlyssaMastro44) September 12, 2017
Okay but what about Danielle and Wells #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/osKfeMQxFd
— Rachel 💜 (@rachhhh210) September 12, 2017
Me watching ppl in love (I'm Wells) pic.twitter.com/W2gLvgN0F4
— chrissy b (@xtinebianx) September 12, 2017
Adam and raven making me believe in love again after this dumpster fire of a season. #BachelorInParadise pic.twitter.com/WAUdTlGaS7
— Kat Ward (@kbward822) September 12, 2017
This article originally appeared on HuffPost.