Third time’s a charm! Becca Kufrin found love with Thomas Jacobs after deciding to give romance on reality TV another shot.
The former Bachelorette, who was previously engaged to Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Garrett Yrigoyen, returned to Bachelor Nation during season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise, which premiered in August 2021.
Despite being a little gun shy at the thought of falling in love on a reality show following two failed engagements, Kufrin arrived on the beach five days into filming. While it wasn’t love at first sight, she eventually fell for Jacobs, who fans met during season 17 of The Bachelorette earlier that year.
“We talked for maybe five minutes and at the end of the conversation he said something along the lines of … he called me a declined credit card,” the Bourdon founder recalled during an October 2021 appearance on the “Talking It Out With Bachelor Nation” podcast of meeting Jacobs for the first time. “He was, like, trying to flirt and be kind of smooth and funny and it just came out wrong.”
The pair were able to overcome their awkward first encounter and form a strong relationship while filming in Mexico. After a brief breakup during the show’s finale, the two made up off camera and started dating outside of the spotlight.
“We came back [home] and had to explore that on our own away from the cameras but in that moment [on the beach during the finale], I think that was game-changing for me,” Kufrin explained. “Because I have really never had somebody fight, I would say, like, tooth and nail to want to keep a relationship with me.”
The “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast cohost later revealed that she called her mom shortly after connecting with the California native and told her how hard she fell for Jacobs.
“I was like, ‘Mom, I think I want to marry this guy,’” she told listeners during her joint podcast interview in October 2021. “It’s the first time I’ve ever actually said that out loud.”
Jacobs, for his part, said he has asked Kufrin in “multiple text messages” about the type of ring she would want when he proposes. “It’s something we’ve talked about,” he said at the time. “I mean, I don’t want to spend my life with anybody else.”
The lovebirds didn’t give an exact date as to when they rekindled their romance after leaving Mexico, but both stars confirmed they were back on after the show’s October 2021 finale aired.
“I feel safe with you. As if nothing could ever go terribly wrong,” the real estate broker wrote via Instagram. “Thank you for being someone who I can put my trust in, someone who would never hurt me, someone who would never push ‘us’ away.”
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Scroll down to relive the Bachelor in Paradise alum’s relationship highs and lows: