This is one of those “Bachelorette” storylines that Jesse Palmer is probably relieved to move on from.
Looking back on his time as the host of ABC’s popular reality show, the former Giants quarterback shared a near-death experience while shooting season 20, which follows Charity Lawson’s quest for love in 2023.
“Charity and Dotun had a lovely one-on-one date on this little private island in the water. I watched it and seriously wanted to head out there myself after filming to enjoy a few hours on that beach. So, I did,” Palmer, 47, recounted during an interview.
“But then a storm rolled in, and the tide started rising toward the beach. It nearly covered it. I found myself out in the ocean, and there was nothing around. I thought, ‘I might just have to tread water and hope a boat comes by to get me.’”
Although a boat did arrive at the last minute to check on him, the unsettling experience left Palmer, originally from Toronto, pretty shaken.
“I had a dark thought for a moment. It felt a bit crazy and ironic to think it could end this way,” he mentioned.
Palmer, who was a fourth-round pick for the Giants in 2001, had a five-season career in the NFL before making a switch to the CFL.
In 2004, while still in the NFL, he appeared on Season 5 of “The Bachelor,” where he dated a law student named Jessica Bowlin. However, they parted ways after the finale.
He married Emily Fuld in 2020.
A year after their wedding, Palmer took on the role of host for “The Bachelor.”
His appointment to replace longtime host Chris Harrison stirred some controversy, especially regarding a past incident involving former contestant Rachael Kirkconnell and her attendance at a themed party that raised eyebrows.
On Thursday, news emerged that “The Bachelorette” Season 22 had been canceled amid controversy surrounding allegations of domestic violence involving star Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex Dakota Mortensen.
