Love after heartbreak! Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes took their relationship public during the Monday, August 9, season 17 finale of The Bachelorette after getting engaged on the show.
The couple reunited on stage during the pre-taped After the Final Rose special, hosted by Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams.
Blake, 30, entered the race for Katie’s heart late after previously competing on season 16. The pair hit it off immediately, connecting over their parallel personalities and sex-positive stances.
“I just had this crazy, weird intuition and feeling that we would hit if off because we’re so similar,” Blake detailed during After the Final Rose. “It was just wild how it all kind of spiraled out of control in the best way.”
The former bank marketing manager, 30, revealed exclusively to Us Weekly in June that she had interacted with the wildlife manager prior to filming.
“I definitely knew who he was, which also Tayshia’s ex-boyfriend! So that’s weird,” Katie explained at the time. “We had chatted before, but usually what happens is, like, the guys will reach out to the women once they’re eliminated and be like, ‘Good luck, you did great.’ Like, very generic, you know? And so to see him, I was like, ‘Why is he here?’ Like, ‘What’s happening?’”
Despite her developing connection with Blake, Greg Grippo caught Katie’s eye first, and many fans thought it was game over for the lead. However, Kaitlyn, 36, promised in June that Katie kept “her options open” throughout filming.
Katie and Greg’s relationship hit an insurmountable roadblock during the August 2 episode when he was not pleased with her reaction to his declaration of love. The two got into an ugly fight as she tried to reassure him that he had always been her “No. 1” contestant, but he wanted more from her, so he left.
The Washington native threatened to quit the show too after Greg’s exit. However, she confirmed to Us in June that she found a way to carry on amid the drama.
“At that moment, I was at my lowest and really wanted to leave,” she recalled. “And if it wasn’t for the amazing women who have been Bachelorettes before helping me navigate that, I probably would have. And so, I’m so thankful for all of them.”
Katie ultimately moved on from Greg, 28, and focused on her final two: Blake and Justin Glaze. Although the Canada native doubted whether she could get past her heartbreak over Greg, he proposed during the finale, and she accepted, offering him her final rose.
“I think everyone can agree that this is exactly who I was supposed to be with,” Katie noted during After the Final Rose. “He fought to be here for me and chose to stay even when I’m telling him to his face that I considered leaving. That he was confident enough to hold both of us till the end, I’m just so lucky. I love him so much.”
Scroll through the gallery below for everything we learned about Katie and Blake’s romance during After the Final Rose:
Source: Cinema Blend
