'Bachelor In Paradise Canada' season two may be over, but for Joey Kirchner and Tessa Tookes, the real-life romance has only just begun. After months of secrecy, the not-so-newly engaged couple is finally able to share what they’ve been up to in Toronto and what their plans are for the future. The duo sat down with Narcity’s Frankie Cena for a candid tell-all, dishing on everything from their favourite local haunts and future wedding plans, to where they might actually settle down in Canada. The reality TV stars weren’t afraid to spill some tea either, revealing exactly where they left things with Maria Garcia-Sanchez after all the drama that unfolded toward the end of the season.
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00:00I lived in New York for 10 years, but Toronto, I don't know.
00:03It may take the cake for food.
00:05I couldn't believe how seen I felt by Tessa
00:08on so many different levels.
00:10Why don't I flip the narrative and just, like,
00:11show him my commitment in one singular act?
00:14Hey, what's up?
00:15It's Frankie Chenna, and I'm here
00:17with Bachelor in Paradise Canada winners.
00:20I like to call it winners, Tessa and Joey.
00:25Finding love is winning, so.
00:26Yeah, for all intents and purposes, we won the show.
00:28Yeah.
00:29Exactly.
00:30I mean, game shows, you win cash.
00:32Cash, you spend cash quick.
00:34And love is forever, right?
00:36Some shows, you win people.
00:38And I won a person once we talked about it.
00:40As are diamonds.
00:41Diamonds are, in fact, forever.
00:42So yes.
00:43First and foremost, congratulations.
00:46I'm so, so, so happy for you two.
00:49Just huge congratulations.
00:52Thank you so much.
00:52Thank you very much.
00:53We appreciate it.
00:54We're also very happy for us.
00:55Tessa, you proposed first.
00:58Tell me the thought process.
01:00When did you decide to do this?
01:02How did you pick the ring?
01:03And was it nerve-wracking?
01:04So Joey kind of threw a curveball.
01:06Fantasy suites night, he was like, hey, I love you,
01:09but I'm not sure if I'm in love with you.
01:11And I don't know if I want to pursue this in the real world.
01:13And I was like, whoa.
01:15I knew we had two options here, but leaving together
01:17was always on the table.
01:19And I kind of convinced him that night
01:21that what we had was so special that it was worth
01:23pursuing in a real way.
01:25And then I was like, wait, why don't I flip the narrative
01:28and just show him my commitment in one singular act?
01:31So I decided to propose because I loved him and I wanted to.
01:34And I chose my own ring, which was pretty cool.
01:39It was definitely the most understated, I think,
01:41out of the options and definitely reflected,
01:43I think, my style.
01:45So didn't know that Joey would have it in a box for me,
01:48but it worked out.
01:51That moment was an encapsulation of just how authentic you
01:54were as a reality TV star.
01:55So thank you for giving us that.
01:57Joey, did it catch you off guard?
01:59Did it make your proposal even better?
02:00Like, what was it like for you?
02:02You know, even that night in the Fantasy Suites,
02:03it felt like Tessa really kind of just found
02:06the Rosetta Stone for Joey.
02:07And she just figured out how to talk to me,
02:09kind of put my mind at ease, and make me feel at home with her
02:14and realize that, like, yeah, this is, what am I doing?
02:16I was just like, just nervous.
02:18Guys always get scared, try to cut and run.
02:20But I was just like, no, there's no way
02:23I'm leaving this person ever.
02:25That's just crazy talk.
02:28So when she proposed to me, I mean, as you could see,
02:30I was just, I didn't cry at all.
02:32I had really good composure.
02:34I held myself together very well.
02:36So no, definitely just wasn't surprised at all.
02:40And definitely it made my job easier.
02:43So what's next for you as a couple?
02:45Maybe most importantly, where do you plan to live?
02:49Yeah, so we're right now living in Toronto.
02:51So I'm new to Canada.
02:53I'm now a resident of Canada.
02:56Yeah, I love it here.
02:57I honestly, like, I'm a big Degrassi fan
03:00from, like, back in the day.
03:01So I'm kind of living out my, like,
03:02childhood dreams of living here.
03:04But I think we're trying to find a place that's, like,
03:06convenient for both our families to have access to us,
03:08like, down the line with, like, getting married and having
03:10kids.
03:11So I feel like Toronto, maybe Calgary.
03:15Calgary's on the table.
03:16Not taking Alberta off the table.
03:17But for now, kind of just, you know,
03:19with our pursuits and career-wise and stuff
03:22like that, I think Toronto's going to be home
03:24for a little bit anyways.
03:25When is the wedding?
03:28Good question.
03:29Being that we're just finally getting to celebrate
03:32our engagement openly, we are going to start there
03:36and try to just, you know, celebrate our relationship
03:39that we've had over the past year being engaged.
03:41But with that being said, we're thinking maybe, like,
03:43fall 2024.
03:45I watch almost every single love show under the sun.
03:48And I must say, you guys seem to fall so genuinely in love
03:53so fast.
03:55Was it love at first sight?
03:56Was that an accurate depiction of the edit?
04:00Yeah, I would say, like, that.
04:02I don't know if I'd say love at first sight,
04:04because our first conversation was a little bit kind of,
04:06like, what are either of us doing?
04:08But that helicopter ride, like, when we went on our first date,
04:12I think that was, like, I don't know.
04:13For me, I was in an awestruck moment, for sure.
04:15I've never felt anything but at home with Joey.
04:18Like, even when you walk into, you know,
04:20a group of strangers and their cameras, and it's hot,
04:23and you're just, like, just having
04:24a safe space in those environments
04:26just to make you feel like any sort of semblance of home
04:29is super important.
04:30So for me, yeah, our helicopter date
04:32was definitely when I knew that love was on the table.
04:35Oh, yeah.
04:36I mean, even for me, I don't think, even in that moment,
04:38I couldn't believe how seen I felt
04:42by Tessa on so many different levels
04:43just on a one date and a helicopter ride
04:46and having just spoken to her for that short of a time.
04:48I was like, how does this person see me so clearly?
04:50Whatever people believe in, I believe in.
04:52So I believe in love, and it was very, very fun to watch.
04:55What's something we didn't see on TV
04:57that you're wanting to share, if you're allowed to share?
05:00There was one moment that wasn't on camera,
05:02just, like, Joey and I in a very, like,
05:04just mundane morning scenario.
05:06And it was the first time that I saw Joey as, like, a person
05:09with, like, a cup of coffee in his hand, like, sitting down.
05:12And I became, like, a little kid who couldn't speak
05:15around her childhood crush, like, freaking out.
05:17I was so nervous.
05:19I, like, bopped him in the head with a water bottle.
05:21And it was just the most, like, awkward experience
05:24I think I've ever had.
05:25But I, yeah, I.
05:26It was so strange, because, like, we were off camera.
05:29And they didn't really let us hang out off camera.
05:31We somehow, like, snuck it.
05:32And we were sitting there.
05:33I was just like, I'm not a morning person.
05:35I need my coffee.
05:36But to wake up, I'm sitting beside Tess.
05:37And we're just hanging out.
05:38I have a coffee, and I turn, and she's like, oh.
05:39And I'm like, what just happened?
05:43Do I love her more now, or do I need more coffee?
05:45I don't know what's happening.
05:46It was just, it was a really kind of cute, strange,
05:49and genuine moment for us to, like,
05:50kind of see into each other's, like, you know,
05:53comfortable sides of each other.
05:54Very cute.
05:55OK, well, it wouldn't be a reality
05:57to be interviewing without a little bit of drama.
05:59How's Maria?
06:01Yeah, so that's a fun topic for me.
06:05I think it's most fun, because Maria and I actually
06:07had, like, a very mature Instagram conversation
06:11almost a year and two months ago,
06:14where essentially, I took accountability
06:16for, like, taking away from her experience finding love.
06:18Like, after getting engaged, I was like, holy crap.
06:21If I made someone have a harder time doing this,
06:24like, I should probably address that with someone.
06:27So she and I have been, like, good.
06:28I think when you rewatch the show, emotions come back up.
06:31You start kind of going back into the mindset
06:33that you were performing.
06:35But in hindsight, rewatching, I think
06:38I know why I was so passionate about my argument,
06:40because I was dealing with someone
06:42that I wanted to marry, like, from the start.
06:44So.
06:46Yeah, I don't know.
06:47I think for me, because I was not
06:49privy to any of the information, and I
06:51was told different stories.
06:52So when I was able to go back and just
06:55see the way in which Maria was dealing with and handling
06:59literally every situation with Tessa and things happening,
07:03I wish I'd known more at the time,
07:04so I would have said more.
07:05And I also just think seeing it back now
07:07that it was dealt with very just immaturely,
07:11and from not a great space, especially
07:14from someone who says that they were my friend
07:16to speak that way to someone that they
07:17know I do have an interest in.
07:19Whether you think it's real or not,
07:20that's not a choice for you to make.
07:23So at this point, there is nothing for me
07:27more to say to her.
07:29I mean, basically, don't fuck with my fiancee,
07:32because if you think I'm going to take anyone else's side,
07:34then that's just not going to happen.
07:35I love it.
07:36I mean, the love is real.
07:38The emotions are real.
07:40Sorry to bring us back to that place one more time,
07:42but we'll move on now.
07:43Let's go to something lighter.
07:45Let's do something lighter.
07:46Favorite place as a couple in Toronto.
07:49It can be a restaurant.
07:50It can be a landmark.
07:51Just favorite place as a couple in Toronto so far.
07:55Beach.
07:55I was going to say our beach.
07:56Our beach.
07:57The bottom of Spadina.
07:58It's just like this tiny little man-made beach.
08:00There's no water access, but it's just
08:02like so close to where we're living.
08:03We just hang out.
08:04We took our cat there the other day.
08:06Just hanging out at this fake little beach in Toronto.
08:08Funny enough, actually, the closest
08:10the internet came to realizing we were engaged
08:12was because we both Instagrammed a photo at the same beach.
08:16They're like, we must be together.
08:18I see Joey's shadow in Tessa's photo.
08:20Tessa, as a soon-to-be new Canadian,
08:22favorite restaurant in Toronto?
08:23That's a great question.
08:25Well, first of all, the food in Toronto is just next level.
08:28I lived in New York for 10 years, but Toronto, I don't know.
08:32It may take the cake for food.
08:34Oh, OK, good.
08:35I think my favorite food I've had thus far,
08:38Project Gigglewater in Ossington.
08:41So good.
08:42They have like, what is it?
08:43Like spring rolls, but they're actually Big Macs.
08:47It's like Big Mac spring rolls.
08:49It's a lot of different fusion food.
08:51It's really, really tasty.
08:52I took my brother and my sister-in-law over there
08:54like last month, and they were blown away.
08:57I cannot wait to see you out and about finally revealing
09:00your relationship in Toronto.
09:02Thank you so much for this interview.
09:04I wish you both the best of luck in your next journey in life.
09:06I'm Frankie Chena with Narcity, and this
09:09was our Bachelor in Paradise Canada interview.
09:11Thank you so much.