Who did Jesse Palmer pick on ‘The Bachelor’ and are they still together?

Believe it or not, The Bachelor host Jesse Palmer was not always the moderator. Back in 2004, the former football star actually had a stint as the lead, leaving fans of the franchise with just one burning question: Was he successful?

At the time, Jesse was the first Canadian, first professional athlete, and youngest participant to ever appear on the beloved competition series, and his journey was far from smooth sailing. We all have seen the clip of him calling a girl the wrong name, right?

Despite the trials and tribulations he might have faced, Jesse found love on The Bachelor nonetheless, but it looks like he and his winner were not in it for the long haul after all. Keep scrolling to see who Jesse Palmer picked on The Bachelor, as well as whether or not they are still going strong…

Who did Jesse Palmer pick on The Bachelor?

Beginning with 25 women, Jesse Palmer was left with just two heading into the finale of The Bachelor season 5 in May of 2004: Jessica Bowlin, a student from Huntington Beach, California, and Tara Huckeby, a general contractor from Shawnee, Oklahoma. Choosing the former and rejecting the latter, Jesse told Jessica at the altar, “This whole thing to me is like a dream. Tomorrow morning, I’m gonna wake up from that dream into the real world, but I don’t want to wake up tomorrow morning if I can’t wake up with you.”

While Jesse gave Jessica the final rose, he offered her a plane ticket to New York City so she could visit him instead of proposing, admitting at the altar, “I am not ready to propose to you tonight. I think that we need more time to grow and learn about each other.” At the time, Jessica agreed that she did not NEED a proposal, though she would have liked one, as she just wanted to be with Jesse regardless of the circumstances.

Are Jesse Palmer and Jessica Bowlin still together?

While things seemed to be smooth sailing come finale night, Jesse and Jessica broke up in June of 2004, a month after their finale aired. “Jessica and I shared an incredible romantic journey on the show that began with a friendship that remains strong today. We simply realized that, individually, our next steps take us in different directions,” Jesse told Extra TV at the time.

Nowadays, Jesse is married to Brazilian photographer and model Emely Fardo, welcoming their first child together, Emma Palmer, in January of 2024. We all remember the fiasco at The Golden Wedding, right?

While things might not have worked out on The Bachelor, it is safe to say that Jesse Palmer has found true love nonetheless, and we could not be happier for the lead turned host.