Jesse Palmer is back on "The Bachelor," returning to the franchise 18 years later. He isn't handing out roses this time and is instead serving as host.
Palmer, 43, told "Good Morning America" Tuesday, the day after Clayton Echard's season premiered, that "hosting the show is way less stressful than actually being the 'Bachelor.'"
"It was so nostalgic being back at the mansion on that first night watching the women get out of the limo, watching Clayton at his first rose ceremony," Palmer reminisced. "I had this tidal wave of emotion reminding me of my time doing the show years and years ago, so really it's such a cool experience having this come full circle now."
MORE: 'The Bachelor' recap: Clayton's journey begins with a shocking franchise 1stPalmer, who was the "Bachelor" in 2004, said he and Echard, 28, have a lot in common, as both are former football players who were new faces to the women hoping to fall in love with them on their respective seasons.
While it's now commonplace to have the "Bachelor" be a former contestant from "The Bachelorette," that wasn't always the case early in the franchise's history and wasn't the case for Palmer.
As for Echard, his season as the "Bachelor" was filmed before his time on Michelle Young's season of "The Bachelorette" had even aired, so he hadn't been introduced to viewers yet either. Luckily, though, he had Palmer to lean on for support.
"What I told Clayton was, 'Just because you're the 'Bachelor' does not guarantee or mean these women have to or will fall in love with you,'" Palmer recalled. "So my advice to Clayton was, 'You have to make an effort, you have to be intentional, you have to try to impress these women and not rest on your laurels, and I think Clayton did a good job at that."
Palmer teased "lots of firsts" ahead this season, promising that Echard's "not afraid to break the rules and go off script to find love and to find what he's looking for."
This was proven true in Monday's season 26 premiere when Echard, in a shocking franchise first, offered a rose to one contestant before the women even arrived at the mansion.
MORE: 5 things to know about 'Bachelor' star Clayton Echard"I think, for viewers at home, this season they're going to see a lot of things that they haven't seen in 20 years of watching the show," Palmer said.
While Palmer's season of "The Bachelor" didn't end with a happily ever after, he recently found love with wife Emely Fardo. The couple got engaged in July 2019 and secretly tied the knot in June 2020, Palmer confirmed last October.
"It's about time," he said of finding love with Fardo. "Took me long enough."
"The Bachelor" airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
