Here's Everything We Know About The Mysterious "Box Man" On The Bachelorette
He really committed to the bit.
When the official cast for Katie Thurston’s Bachelorette season was revealed, one contestant stood out from the rest. It wasn’t because this guy had a previous Bachelor Nation connection, or because he had a special fun fact, or anything like that. The contestant was literally an unnamed box whose true identity wasn’t revealed until the season premiere aired. Spoiler alert: His real name is James Bonsall, and he’s certainly a Bachelorette contender to remember.
ICYMI: James showed up hidden in a giant, gift-wrapped box on Night 1, keeping his true identity a secret and asking Katie to come “find him inside” after all the limo entrancers were wrapped up. When she finally did during the cocktail hour, he stepped out of the box to reveal himself — and to the irritation of the other guys, he and Katie seemed to genuinely hit it off. Whether he ends up becoming a lovable prankster, a season villain, or Katie’s final rose pick is unclear, but let’s break down what to know about James in the meantime:
For starters, the 30-year-old actually has ties to three different countries. He was born in the U.K., has New Zealand citizenship thanks to his dad, and currently resides in La Jolla, California, where he works as a software salesman for Paycor.
While I definitely would’ve been sore all over after hiding in a box for hours, I doubt James had that problem, because he is built. Apart from travel shots, gym photos are the star of his Instagram page. Even his Bachelorette bio proclaims that “to say he takes care of his physique is an understatement.” So even if James doesn’t win Katie’s heart in the end, he can definitely win some new gym buddies.
Although James’ Night 1 stunt proves he has a strong sense of humor, he’s not messing around when it comes to finding his future wife. According to his bio, he’s looking for an energetic woman with big goals of her own and who isn’t afraid to embrace mystery and spontaneity (which you definitely need to crawl into a giant box). Hopefully he and Katie continue to build on their initial connection, because I would love for him to become the first “box guy” to receive that final rose.
Season 17 of The Bachelorette continues on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
