2 Fan-Faves Are Missing From The "Men Tell All" & Bachelor Nation Is Not OK

The July 26 “Men Tell All” special helped Bachelor Nation reflect on Katie Thurston’s journey to find love so far, from Connor B.’s kissing skills to all the drama with Karl and Thomas. But despite ABC’s claim that everyone’s favorite men would be present during the special, two fan-favorites were noticeably absent: John Hershey and Christian Smith were missing from The Bachelorette’s “Men Tell All.” But why?

John and Christian were both eliminated during Week 3, but each of them won Bachelor Nation over with their sweet faces and chill demeanors. It was hard not to fall for John when he gave the camera his signature million-dollar smile during a mud wrestling group date and chuckled, “I’m hoping to last, like, 10 seconds out there before I’m unconscious.” (He did, by the way!) Christian unfortunately didn’t get quite as much screen time, but come on — the guy is basically a human golden retriever, so what’s not to love?

Although neither of these men was present at the season’s big onscreen reunion, there are some potential explanations for their absences. John is currently in the process of becoming a pilot (watch out, Pilot Pete!), so his training regimen could have conflicted with his availability for “Men Tell All.” Meanwhile, Christian could be busy continuing his work as a real estate agent. Or perhaps they felt called to be with their families or stay home amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Either way, audiences certainly noticed their absences, because Twitter was full of sad tweets highlighted how much fans missed John and Christian.

So far, it doesn’t seem like audiences will see either John or Christian in Bachelor in Paradise, but they clearly haven’t forgotten Bachelor Nation — especially John. Recently, he, Katie, and TV personality Stephen Lovegrove even met up IRL and a shared a sweet polaroid of their hangout on social media.

Although this may look like the end of these men’s careers in Bachelor Nation, who knows? Maybe one of them will even get the Grocery Store Joe treatment and we’ll get to see them on our screens all over again.

The Bachelorette Season 17 continues Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.