She’s a blast from the past.
“Bachelor” fans were surprised to see former franchise contestant Heather Martin show up to shoot her shot with current lead Matt James.
The 25-year-old — who originally appeared on Colton Underwood’s season of “The Bachelor” — made waves on last week’s episode when she appeared out of nowhere asking to join this season. The episode cut off just as she approached James.
On Season 23 of “The Bachelor,” which aired in 2019, Martin made headlines for having never been kissed. On the show, she got her first peck from Underwood.
Though they had never met, James recognized Martin right away.
If this sounds convoluted, that’s because it is: While competing for Underwood’s heart, Martin befriended fellow contestant Hannah Brown, who later went on to be “The Bachelorette.” Though Brown did not end up with contestant Tyler Cameron, she remained close friends with him. Cameron is best friends with James, which is how he ended up as this season’s lead. James and Brown are also very close.
Martin claimed to host Chris Harrison that it was Brown who sparked the idea for her to come on “The Bachelor” to meet James before he gets engaged, because Brown thought the two would make a good couple.
Like lots of former “Bachelor” contestants, Martin works as an influencer (she has 256,000 Instagram followers). She’s based out of Carlsbad, California, a seaside town at the southern end of the state.
In September of last year, she starred in a music video called “Song for a Girl” by country artist Lawson Bates.
Martin has a strong Christian faith, and she regularly posts Bible verses on her Instagram stories. Her Instagram bio calls out Mark 10:45, which reads, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
She has two lookalike sisters, Colie and Shannon. The trio is starting a merchandise line together, called Tilted Three, soon. They’ve teased the project on Instagram.
She’s also known for her cheery disposition.