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February is the unofficial season of love, with Valentine’s Day, and Minnesota’s cold climate must have something to do with why our fair state has had several leading ladies in Bachelor Nation. Along with Leslie Fhima, Michelle Young of St. Louis Park appeared as the runner-up on season 25 of “The Bachelor” and starred in season 18 of “The Bachelorette,” while Becca Kufrin of Prior Lake was the winner on season 22 of “The Bachelor” and the star of season 14’s “The Bachelorette.” We recently caught up with them.
Like Fhima, Kufrin knows a thing or two about public heartbreak. Her dramatic season in 2018 as the winner of Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s season of “The Bachelor” ended with Luyendyk changing his mind for the runner-up, which all played out in a two-night finale. The betrayal sparked billboards showing support for Kufrin and a fundraising effort. Kufrin reports she is now happily married, living in San Diego with her new husband and 3-month-old son.
“I currently work on my own wine label called Bourdon, which is based out of Lodi, California. It’s my other ‘baby,’” she says. “Since my time on the show, I’ve also toured the country while hosting Bachelor Live on Stage and previously co-hosted the Bachelor Happy Hour Podcast.”
Photo by Julia Mayorova
While Young and her pick, Nayte Olukoya, were engaged in December 2021, they are no longer a couple. Young explains she also is no longer teaching, after “hitting extreme burnout starting in 2022,” but has been traveling around Europe, following her passion in motivational speaking, and working with different foundations and causes close to her heart: “Although I’ve been out of the classroom, I’ve been working on a large project that will allow different programs to be created for underserved youth around the United States.”
For hometown fans hoping to spy Young around town, she explains she has been “bouncing back and forth from Los Angeles to Minneapolis, but I will be hunkered down for the Minnesota winter in 2024.”
As for Young’s thoughts on Fhima’s appearance on “The Golden Bachelor,” Young says the two have gotten to know each other personally. “Leslie has a big heart and a good head on her shoulders and has continued to represent what being a Minnesotan is all about,” Young says. Kufrin adds, “I truly wish her all the best and hope this experience was something she will always remember and look back fondly on.”
