Heather Martin, 25, who was on Colton Underwood’s season of The Bachelor, shocked everyone when she showed up to meet Matt James on the Feb. 8 episode of The Bachelor. Even Chris Harrison was stunned. “Hannah [Brown] came to my house and she just spent time with Matt in quarantine, and when she landed, she said to me, ‘This guy is the perfect match for you’,” Heather explained. “Hannah is one of my very best girlfriends. She loves Matt so much. Her telling me that meant something.”
Heather and Hannah met when they were both on Colton’s season in 2019. Hannah went on to become The Bachelorette, where she dated Matt’s best friend, Tyler Cameron. Although she dumped him during her season finale, they stayed friendly, and she met Matt while visiting Tyler in Florida back in March/April. Once Hannah told Heather about Matt, the 25-year-old just couldn’t resist meeting him.
Heather Martin looks gorgeous in a red jumpsuit on the red carpet. (Sthanlee B. Mirador/Sipa USA/AP)
“I couldn’t let him get engaged and not meeting him or not try my best,” Heather explained to Chris. “I truly just want to meet Matt.” Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be so easy. After all, Matt was already weeks into filming his season, and quarantine regulations amidst the coronavirus meant that Heather couldn’t just walk onto the show. “I wish I could be the one to say, sure, come on in, but I can’t,” Chris told her. “But I will take this up the hill. I need to talk to a lot of people. Even if we said yes, it wouldn’t be close to today. So go back to your motel and we’ll be in touch.”
Matt James on season 25 of ‘The Bachelor.’ (ABC)
Finally, Heather got the permission she needed to stay at the Nemacolin Resort where The Bachelor was filming, but she had to quarantine in her room and take several COVID-19 tests before she could meet Matt. Meanwhile, Matt was none the wiser about her arrival, and he continued as usual with the other 11 women. He had a great date with Pieper James, and gave her the rose at the end of it. There was also a group date, where Michelle Young got the rose, as well as another one-on-one for Katie Thurston, who was eliminated by the end of the night.
By the next cocktail party, Heather was finally cleared to join the group and meet Matt face-to-face. “I think Matt could be my husband,” Heather admitted in a confessional. “I really do. The butterflies are already kind of there. I’ve envisioned this moment for so long and I’m ready to meet him and see if Matt and I could fall in love and become engaged. That’s my dream.”
The rest of the women were shocked — and not happy — when Heather showed up, but Matt couldn’t help but laugh, as he recognized her right away. As the other women vented to each other about how unfair it was for Heather to just show up, Heather prepared to explain herself to Matt. The episode ended there, though, and we’ll have to wait until next week to see what happens!
