Hannah Ann Sluss knows a thing or two about Bachelor Nation being overly invested in her love life, which is why she’s the perfect person to give Taylor Frankie Paul advice on her journey as the next Bachelorette.
“I would just say, enjoy it, because I feel like she’s really going to take off and have so many fun opportunities,” Sluss, 29, exclusively told NewsPlop on Monday, December 8, while promoting Hallmark’s Keepsake Ornaments ahead of her first Christmas as a new mom.
The Bachelor alum — who fans remember from Peter Weber’s season 24 in 2020 — expressed her excitement about watching Paul, 31, on The Bachelorette this upcoming season.
“I cannot wait to watch her on TV. I haven’t watched the show in a few years, but seeing her, I’m such a fan of her,” Sluss confessed. “I love how authentic she is, and I think she’s really going to bring in the views. So I would just say, enjoy it, because I know she’s going to do such a great job, and have so many people support her.”
Sluss also revealed why she believes The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is the “perfect pick,” noting fans have already watched her relationship struggles unfold on TV. (Paul was previously married to Tate Paul from 2016 to 2022. The exes share two kids: daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5. Following their divorce, she had an on-again, off-again relationship with Dakota Mortensen, the father of her third child: son Ever, 1.)
Her turbulent romance with Mortensen, 32, played out on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, as did the aftermath from #MomTok’s “soft-swinging” scandal, which ultimately ended her marriage with Tate.
“She’s already very comfortable on camera, and I feel like she’s already gone through, you know, the first time when you’re on TV, like all the backlash,” Sluss shared of Paul. “So I feel like she’s going to feel very confident and comfortable being able to take on whatever comes her way. I think she is the absolute best pick, and I cannot wait.”
Sluss — who welcomed her first child, son Lucas, with husband Jake Funk last month — told Us that she’s still tight with several Bachelor stars and even got advice about motherhood from her reality TV besties.
Hannah Ann Sluss Reveals What’s ‘Most Surprising’ About New Motherhood
“I’m really close with Andi [Dorfman], Amanda Stanton and Lauren [Bushnell Lane]. She just had her fourth little baby in September. So leading up to the big day, I felt like I watched all of their birth stories on YouTube, along with calling them up and just getting the full scoop,” she said. “What’s really fun about pregnancy is that everyone’s journey is so different, and so you can take pieces of everyone’s story and just apply it to your own. You can connect with them and just be more prepared for your own journey.”
One piece of advice stood out to Sluss most during her pregnancy.
“My friend Amanda [Stanton] gave me advice that throughout my whole pregnancy, there’s so many milestones you’re hitting and it can be very nerve-wracking. And she always told me (she has three kids) that the worry never stops as a parent. So learning to control that anxiety, you’ll be able to bring that positive energy to your baby. And that’s something that I really tried to focus on, is just being positive and not allowing any kind of worry take over enjoying the moment,” she noted.
While she remains close with Dorfman, 38, Stanton, 35, and Bushnell Lane, 35, Sluss told Us she hasn’t spoken to her Bachelor costar Madison Prewett about her baby journey. (Sluss wasn’t aware of the latest controversy in which Prewett, 29, caught backlash for saying she loves being a “submissive wife.”)
“I haven’t seen that one. That must be recent,” Sluss responded when asked about Prewett’s comment. “We haven’t talked in a while, but I hope she’s doing good.”
Sluss is gearing up for her first Christmas as a mom after giving birth to Lucas on November 20. She and Funk, 27, whom she married in Italy in June 2024, announced their bundle of joy in a joint Instagram post.
“His name lived in our hearts long before we ever met him. Lucas was chosen in Cabo San Lucas, the place where we got engaged. 🤍 James is for Jake’s dad—a piece of him now gets to live on through our son🕊️,” they captioned their first-ever family photos. “Lucas James, you are a dream come true. We’ll cheer you on for the rest of our lives. We love you, big boy!!”
Paul’s season of The Bachelorette airs on Sunday, March 22, at 8/7c on ABC.