Carly Waddell left Bachelor in Paradise with a broken heart last year but found love outside of the show several months later. Now the 30-year-old cruise ship singer claims she split with her boyfriend, prompting rumors that she may be headed back to Paradise for another shot at finding love on TV.
Fans suspected that she had a new boyfriend when she frequently featured Erik in her Snapchat videos shortly after the Paradise season finale aired. In December, just three months after her on-screen fiasco with BIP Season 2 cast member Kirk DeWindt, Carly confirmed that she was dating a Nashville singer-songwriter, Erik DiNardo.
In December, she told Us Weekly that her new beau was “the best human” and confirmed that they met in her new hometown of Nashville. Since then, she posted cute couple’s pics and even started featuring him in her paid ads on Instagram for various products including Datebox subscriptions.
On Monday, Carly told Us that she split with Erik the day after Valentine’s Day, just one day after posting the ad for the Date Box with her now ex-boyfriend. The split appears to be mutual, although Carly states that it was “unexpected” for both of them, but they wanted “different things in the future.”
“Erik and I broke up the day after Valentine’s Day. It was really sad and completely unexpected, on both of our parts. We figured out that we both were wanting different things in the future. So we called it off before it got even more serious, which was hard when you love someone.”
There don’t appear to be any hard feelings between Waddell and DiNardo and she said she is “grateful” for their time together and thankful that he helped her write a song for her friend and BIP co-star Jade (Roper) Tolbert ‘s televised wedding to Tanner Tolbert.
What’s next for Carly now that she’s single again? Although fans would expect her to steer clear of reality TV after a failed attempt to win Chris Soules’ heart on the Bachelor and a devastating ending to her on-screen relationship with Kirk DeWindt on Bachelor in Paradise , she’s been dropping hints that a return to Paradise is on her mind.
Carly’s Instagram is filled with pics of her time on ABC’s summer reality show, but after her breakup with Erik DiNardo, she has been posting some throwback photos from the show and spending time with some of her Bachelor franchise buddies.
Two weeks ago, Waddell appeared on ABC’s Windy City LIVE show in Chicago to talk about Valentine’s Day with some of her Paradise pals including Justin Reich, Jonathan Holloway, and Amber James. She has also been out and about in New York City with former Paradise cast member Michelle Money and Tenley Molzahn, most recently using Snapchat to promote the movie How To Be Single.
A photo posted by Carly Waddell (@carlywad) on
It’s obvious that Carly Waddell is keeping her name out there, something many former Bachelor franchise contestants and leads do. Whether she will appear on Bachelor in Paradise Season 3 won’t be known until after the next season of the Bachelorette airs, but she won’t be the only former contestant who will head back to find love on TV.
JJ Lane has expressed interest in going back if one of Ben Higgins’ girls joins the cast, and there are also rumblings that Amber James, Ashley Iaconetti, and Jared Haibon will appear in the third season Paradise as well.
Would you like to see Carly return to Paradise this summer?
[Image via ABC Television Network]