It took six seasons of Bachelor shows, but Chris Bukowski has finally found love! The sports bar owner proposed to Katie Morton during the season 6 finale of Bachelor in Paradise, which aired on Tuesday, September 17.
Chris acknowledged their “hard” road but not without gushing about Katie’s positive influence on him. He wanted to make the show’s end the best moment of their lives, so he got down on one knee as she broke down in tears and happily accepted his proposal.
Chris, 32, and Katie, 26, hit it off after she told Wills Reid she wasn’t interested in pursuing a relationship with him ahead of the second rose ceremony of the season. While Chris made it clear that he was only there for Katie, she second-guessed their romance and told him to pursue other people during the August 20 episode. After Chris went on a date with Jen Saviano, however, the medical sales representative realized she made a mistake.
Fans first met Chris during season 8 of The Bachelorette, which aired in 2012. He was 25 years old at the time and Emily Maynard eliminated him after hometown dates. After appearing on Bachelor Pad season 3, Chris attempted to crash season 10 of The Bachelorette, but lead Andi Dorfman opted not to let him join the show. He later attempted to find love on seasons 1 and 2 of Bachelor in Paradise before announcing his “retirement.”
He confirmed in July that he was back for one more shot at love. “Coming back for my pension in paradise. #bip,” Chris wrote alongside his cast photo via Instagram.
Katie, meanwhile, was a contestant on Colton Underwood’s season of The Bachelor earlier this year. She was sent home during week 6 of season 23.
The Bachelor in Paradise season 6 reunion airs on ABC Tuesday, September 17, at 8 p.m. ET.
