Every once in a while I like to take a stroll down memory lane and see what former Bachelor and Bachelorette stars are up to. The first one I looked up on Instagram is completely unrecognizable.
First, I should note that I began watching season 13 of The Bachelor on Netflix, which features the franchise's first-ever single dad, Jason Mesnick. You definitely remember this season because he dumped his first pick, Melissa, during After The Final Rose and asked out his now-wife and iHeartMedia Seattle radio personality, Molly.
This is what sparked my interest in what everyone else is up to...and I mean the people that MOST people don't really remember (until you see their photo).
One of my favorite Bachelorettes was Jillian Harris, who was originally a contestant on Jason Mesnick's season. She was NORMAL compared to most women that were featured on the show, had personality and realness, and had a great life independent of any man. Ultimately Jillian chose Ed Swiderski, who seemed to be a great match for her.
Here's a clip of Jillian and Ed together on the show, after Ed LEFT the show to save his job...and then returned, leaving Jillian shocked and overwhelmed:
Here's what Ed looks like now (below).... Um, what???!
Unfortunately, this relationship ended pretty badly. Harris spoke of their relationship with PEOPLE in 2016, six years after their split, and how she "was so devastated" when she discovered Swiderski had allegedly been cheating on her.
"I was under 90 pounds, I would have to pull over to the side of the road and have anxiety attacks," the interior designer said of her breakup. "There were blogs about me and my relationships. It was crazy."
She continued, "People annoy you, they frustrate you and they hurt you, and sometimes they don't mean to hurt you. I've seen the highs and lows. I'm more realistic now."
Swiderski went on to marry Natalie Bomke in 2015, who's a weekend anchor and weekday reporter for FOX 32 in Chicago. According to his Wikipedia page, Ed is a marketing technology executive who co-authored the book, Pinterest For Business, and has been featured in Inc. Magazine and Fast Company.
Jillian Harris is now the host of HGTV's Love It Or List It Vancouver, is married to her husband Justin, and is now a mom. See what else she's up to on her Instagram below.