Sam M. Disney/Ricky Middlesworth
The name on everybody’s lips is Sam M. — even The Bachelorette star Jenn Tran is smitten with the season 21 contestant.
Sam, 27, received Jenn’s first impression rose during the show’s July 8 premiere, and they simultaneously had a “feral” makeout session. (He was also her only kiss of the night.)
“Throughout that night, I was just like, ‘Who am I going to give the first impression rose to?’ And I kept thinking back to Sam, because we had such an easy flowing conversation,” Jenn told Us Weekly exclusively. “It was easy to give him that rose, because I just felt so comfortable, and I knew that there was going to be potential there.”
Not only did Sam make an impression on Jenn, 26, but most of Bachelor Nation, as well. In fact, fans — and former members of the franchise — have not been shy when comparing him to contestants of The Bachelorette’s past.
Just over one month away from Jenn Tran‘s premiere of The Bachelorette, ABC is confirming the official cast of contestants. On Monday, June 3, the network dropped names, photos and bios for the 25 men competing on season 21, and Us Weekly is breaking down the highlights. The Bachelorette season 16 and Bachelor in Paradise […]
“He reminds me so much of Johnny [DePhillipo] from our season,” former Bachelorette Rachel Recchia shared during the July 23 episode of the “Almost Famous” podcast. “The way he acts and the way he talks. I literally told Johnny, I’m like, ‘He’s your evil twin.’”
Others have chimed in on the comparison, noting that some former fan favorites (and some hated members of the franchise) look just like Sam. Keep scrolling to see who Jenn’s constant has been compared to thus far:
Tyler Cameron
When he first appeared onscreen, Sam garnered some comparisons to Hannah Brown’s runner-up. Perhaps his intro package at a construction site had something to do with it.
Juan Pablo Galavis
While some have noted the similarities between Sam and Tyler, others have said the contestant looks more like this former Bachelor. Some Bachelor Nation fan accounts have even cropped photos of Juan Pablo and Sam next to each other to show how similar these two look.
While some roses stand the test of time, others wilt before the Neil Lane engagement ring can be resized. The Bachelor premiered on ABC in March 2002 with Alex Michel dubbed the world’s most eligible Bachelor. More than 20 women competed for his heart and one of the most successful reality TV franchises was born. […]
Shawn Booth
Former Bachelor in Paradise star Ashley Iaconetti has been referring to Sam as a “Shawn Booth lookalike” on several occasions during episodes of her and Ben Higgins’ “Almost Famous” podcast.
Johnny DePhillipo
Thanks to Rachel, this name was thrown into the mix.
“Every time I see him on screen, I just can’t think about anything else,” she shared on the same “Almost Famous” episode, cosigning Ashley’s comparison to Shawn. “He’s like an AI generated blonde Bachelor contestant.”
Luke Parker
The Bachelor Nation Scoop Instagram account shared various fan opinions via their Instagram Stories, with some stating that Sam reminded them of Luke P. from Hannah’s season as well.