The new season of The Bachelor is well underway by now, but the show's return had me thinking about the few Iowa stars that have come out of the Hawkeye State and what exactly they are up to.

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Turns out there is a Bachelor Nation Wikipedia page where you can look up details about different stars of the series. It turns out there are a decent number of people who show up when you type "Iowa" into this database.

Derek Peth ~ Waverly, IA

The 35-year-old Waverly native appeared on the 12th season of The Bachelorette. Peth vyed for the affections of Jojo Fletcher. Unfortunately, the Midwesterner was booted off in the show's 6th week.

But the commercial banker ended up being a bit of a fan favorite, so he made a return to the franchise in the 4th season of Bachelor in Paradise. He met and ended up proposing to fellow contestant from that season, Taylor Nolan.

They have since broken up, but he is now happily engaged to model Saffron Vadher. Peth has used his star power to encourage people to go out in vote in 2020. He shared social media videos of him going out to canvas for Senator Elizabeth Warren.


Kat Hurd ~ Iowa City, IA

29-year-old Kat Hurd was on maybe one of the most talked-about seasons in Bachelor history...season 18 with Juan Pablo. While there isn't much that we can find about this Iowa City native apparently used her time in the spotlight to raise $175,000 for charity.

She really is Iowa nice!

Hurd was a medical sales representative at the time she was on the show. Unfortunately, she did not spend too much time in the Bachelor mansion because she got the boot in week 6 of the show.

Chris Soules ~ Arlington, IA

Soules of Arlington is a name you have probably heard before. Not only was he the very first Bachelor to actually be from the Hawkeye State, but he also got caught a few years back

He was introduced to "Bachelor Nation" in 2014 when he was vying for the heart of Bachelorette Andi Dorfman. While he was the very first of the suitors to get a smooch from the leading lady, the two did not end up working out.

Then he starred in the 19th season of the show the next year in 2015. A trip to Des Moines was in the cards for multiple women on the show. They explored the state capital, and no outing in the Bachelor franchise is complete without some hilarious slow zooms and soft-focus camera shots.

Soules had a record 30 women competing for his affections. When he narrowed it down to one woman, it was Whitney Bischoff who got a farm proposal from the Iowa man.

Soules then dated another person in Bachelor Nation. In the middle of 2020, he started dating season 24 contestant Victoria Fuller. The couple didn't last very long. In September of 2020, it was confirmed that the two Bachelor stars had gone their separate ways.

The only Bachelor to come from Iowa is a farmer and has kept that up, even after his stint in reality television. According to some reports, he also grows marijuana at his farm. 

Craig Muhlbauer ~ Defiance, Iowa

Sometimes the contestants on these shows don't spend too much time in the spotlight. That was the case for Craig Muhlauer of Defiance. The 29-year-old tax attorney appeared on the 10th season of the Bachelorette with Andi Dorfman as the leading lady. Muhlbauer ended up going home on week 2.

He is currently located out of Denver according to his social media accounts. While he might be done with reality shows, for the time being, he's not ready to give up on "doing your taxes with my shirt off," at least according to his Twitter bio.

Trent Jespersen ~ Carroll, Iowa

Trent, what can I say about Trent? The 28-year-old Iowan was on the 14th season of The Bachelorette with Becca Kufrin. Jespersen moved to Florida to pursue an interesting career of being a realtor...and a model.

You might even recognize him from the covers of a few romance novels. But Iowa's own Fabio did not make Becca swoon and was eliminated from the show during week 2.

Kelsey Weier ~ Des Moines

You might know Kelsey Weier from the 24th season of The Bachelor or maybe just from her reign as Miss Iowa. Weier was crowned Miss Iowa in 2017. Just a few years later she showed up again on our television screens with "Pilot Pete" in one of the most explosive seasons of the series yet.

She was raised in the Hawkeye State with her fraternal twin sister and younger sister. In an interview, the reality show star shared that she has always been very close to her mother, who was raising three kids as a single parent during Weier's childhood.

The Iowa beauty queen and professional clothier made quite an impact during her time on the show. She was eliminated during week 8 but was then brought back for the 7th season of Bachelor In Paradise.

Check Out A Hidden Speakeasy In Iowa Man's Home

One Iowa man has been going viral for his exceptional bar. He doesn't have to travel that far if he's in the mood for a nightcap; he just has to go through one single door. His houseguests are transported to a classic speakeasy with the push of a secret door in his home.


Ashton Kutcher's Childhood Home in Homestead, Iowa

The well-known actor hails from Iowa. Ashton Kutcher was born in Cedar Rapids and spent his formative years in Homestead. The later is where he helped his step-dad build this space nearly 30 years ago. In 2015, Ashton decided to give his mom the surprise of her life when he redid their basement space.

 

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