What Are Katie & Blake Up to After the ‘Bachelorette’ Finale?

The Final Rose

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Katie Thurston’s journey for love officially ended during the Season 17 finale of The Bachelorette on Monday, August 9. After Greg Grippo’s emotional Hometowns exit left her heartbroken, Katie decided to push through and finish out the season with Blake Moynes and Justin Glaze as her final two men.

During a romantic Fantasy Suite date with Blake, Katie broke her rule of waiting to say “I love you” until the very end, officially making up her mind that Blake was The One. Despite a rough meeting with her family, Blake got down on one knee and put a ring on Katie’s finger, marking the end of their time on the show and the start of their life together.

The happy couple appeared on the latest episode of the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast to talk with host Becca Kufrin and guest host Tayshia Adams about their journey and life after the show and what re-watching their proposal means to them.

Now that the world knows about their engagement, people will have their opinions on their relationship. On the podcast, Katie stated that she received advice from both Becca and Bachelorette co-host Kaitlyn Bristowe, who both advised her to put away her phone for a while and focus on spending quality time with Blake. Tayshia agreed, saying, “All is right in your world. You’re right next to each other. That’s all you need to worry about.”

Becca brought up the fact that Blake joined the show mid-season, asking if either of them thought their journey would have played out differently had he been there from the beginning. Katie and Blake agreed that the result would have remained the same, given their strong connection with each other from the get-go. In fact, his previous experience on the show made it easier for them to connect. “I think what maybe stood out, and like, kinda had in his favor, was he’d gone through this before, so there was a level of chill with him, in terms of, like, the cameras didn’t faze him and the environment, which then made me feel calm because I’m, you know, nervous as the lead.” Blake stated that if he had come out of the limo that first night, their relationship would only have been stronger, given that he would have been in the house longer.

Following up, Becca asked if Blake’s entrance into the house made her feel protective of him, worried about how the other guys would react. “Honestly, no. He’s so confident in himself that not once was I worried about how he was gonna handle it,” Katie said. “I was actually surprised that overall, everyone was pretty accepting of him, but ultimately, I was like, ‘Good luck! I have my own things to worry about. Wish you the best,’ and yeah, he did just fine without me being there to protect them.”

ABC/Craig Sjodin

Blake, who appeared on Tayshia’s season of The Bachelorette, knew what it was like being on the other side of the situation, as several men joined midway through Season 16. Blake stated that he tried to empathize with the guys in the house since he knew what it was like to be in their shoes. Katie agreed, joking, “They say Canadians are really nice, and I mean, it’s very obvious that is actually a thing!”

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While Blake’s picturesque proposal seemed perfect onscreen, Katie confessed that she didn’t think it was going to happen. “It might not be as obvious to viewers, but to me, I wasn’t sure he was proposing until he got down on one knee. So, as he’s talking, I’m thinking he’s gearing me up to say like, ‘I love you, but let’s, like, wait,’ you know,” she said. “And then when he gets down on one knee, I’m truly just so shocked that it’s happening because I had already, in that moment, accepted that he was not going to. And so, I cry every time I watch it. It makes me happy.” For those who stayed until the very end of the episode, Blake ripped his pants when getting up on his horse, which he confirmed actually happened on the podcast. Katie also mentioned that she noticed how tight his pants were and began to worry if he would propose because she couldn’t see a ring box in his pocket!

Post-finale, the couple is still doing well and is enjoying living together for the first time. “For me, it’s not even about things I’m getting to learn, it’s actually getting to truly measure the progression of our relationship,” said Katie. “We’re a lot stronger, our love’s a lot stronger, we know each other a lot more. It’s just fun to be able to kinda see of see it progress each and every time.” Blake commented on Katie’s maturity and how living with her shows him “how good of a wife she’ll be.”