While modern seasons of The Bachelor have gotten more extravagant, Season 20 brought us back to the basics with Chris Soules. A pig farmer from Iowa, the good ol’ boy spent most of the season entertaining his contestants in farm country. Since the show, he’s been on Dancing with the Stars and Worst Cook in America. Now that he’s confirmed he won’t be coming back to the Bachelor Nation, what’s Chris Soules doing now?
Early Life &Â The Bachelorette
Christopher Douglas Soules grew up in Arlington, Iowa. A fourth-generation farmer living in a small farming community, Chris learned to drive a tractor before a car. In high school, he participated in track and football. His senior year, his football team was runner-up in the state championship. Chris was also involved in the National Future Farmers of America Organization. His work with FFA earned him a scholarship to Iowa State University, where he graduated with a degree in Agricultural Studies.
About a decade later, Chris found himself cast for the tenth season of The Bachelorette, which premiered in May 2014. The season starred Andi Dorfman. An assistant district attorney from Atlanta, Dorfman had been on the 18th season of The Bachelor, which she left of her own volition after Juan Pablo Galavis, that season’s Bachelor, upset her.
Chris was the first person Andi kissed during the season. During that date, he revealed he had been engaged sometime prior to the show. Andi and Chris even visited his hometown, but he ended up leaving during the ninth week. She was unsure how she would fit into life in Iowa. However, this was no big loss, as Chris was selected to be The Bachelor for Season 19, which would air about a year later.
Chris’ season of The Bachelorette was unique in one respect. It was the only season of any Bachelor Nation show where someone died during production. Eric Hill, one of the contestants, flew into a mountain while paragliding on Easter. They dedicated the season to him, and postponed one of the Rose Ceremonies so producers could run a montage in his memory.
The Bachelor
Season 19 of The Bachelor premiered on January 5, 2015. It featured 30 contestants instead of the normal 25. The season also opened with a three-hour-long live special, a Bachelor first. Later, Jimmy Kimmel took over hosting for an episode, another unique occurrence.
Chris came from a more humble background than many Bachelors before him, and his season on the show reflected it. Many of the episodes stayed in Iowa, and featured things like tractor races. They did take too big trips: first to Santa Fe, and later, Bali.
Eventually Chris proposed to Whitney Bischoff, in front of his family’s barn in Iowa. Whitney, a fertility nurse, accepted. By the end of May, however, they announced that they had called off their engagement.
What’s Chris Soules Doing Now in 2018 – Recent Updates
Almost immediately after his season of The Bachelor aired, Chris Soules competed on the 20th season of Dancing with the Stars. He paired with the champion of Season 19, Witney Carson. About halfway through, he injured his calf during rehearsal. Chris competed for a couple more weeks, before being eliminated during Week 8, in fifth place.
He also was in Food Networks’ Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition, which aired last fall. He lived up to the show’s name, where the show’s hosts frequently poked fun at his cooking “style.”
Chris was expected to show up in the upcoming season of Bachelor in Paradise, but recently announced he’d be skipping. Instead, he’ll be spending the summer in Iowa, focusing on raising pigs on his family farm. On Twitter, Chris made it clear he’s done with reality TV – at least for now – and plans to use his fame to represent the interests of pig farmers. He says they’re frequently misrepresented as faceless corporations, which isn’t accurate. In fact, according the Iowa Farm Bureau, 98% of pig farms are family-owned.
