Former Chicagoan Chris Bukowski is becoming a bit of a pro at this party-crashing thing.
The west suburban Bartlett native is one of 11 “late arrivals” who will drop in on ABC’s new summer series “Bachelor in Paradise” at some point this season, ready to mix up the status quo among existing contestants ostensibly looking for love among the beaches, bars and hot tubs of Tulum, Mexico.
The latest spinoff of “The Bachelor” franchise debuts at 7 p.m. Monday on WLS-Channel 7.
At least this time, Bukowski was invited, host Chris Harrison said.
“He tried to break into ‘The Bachelorette’ mansion but we brought him into ‘Paradise’ — that was our doing,” Harrison said, referring to Bukowski’s “surprise” attempt to convince Andi Dorfman to let him join the pool of suitors last season on “The Bachelorette.”
“I think we had already started talking to him [about joining ‘Bachelor in Paradise’] but after that we’re like, ‘Yeah, he’s got to come,’” Harrison told me, sticking to his story that the show wasn’t in on Bukowski’s stalker-like stake out of the mansion.
A TMZ story in May suggested otherwise. Bukowski reportedly told the gossip website that producers knew he was going to crash Andi’s introductory cocktail party and even suggested he bring roses.
Harrison said that’s hooey. He recounted how it went down that night:
“I was literally in the control room half asleep and they’re like, ‘Chris is here,’” Harrison said. “It was so bizarre. I looked at all the producers and I said, ‘Everyone tell me right now, did you have something to do with this?’ They said, ‘No, we knew he wanted to be on the show but we did not know he was going to be here.’
“After word got out that we had orchestrated it I called him myself and said, ‘Tell me everything. I just want to know if someone lied to me on my own show.’ He said, ‘No, no, no. It was me. I did it.’”
Bukowski, 27, is fast becoming a “Bachelor” all-star. The former River North resident and ex-sales manager at Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates also was on season three of “Bachelor Pad,” where he came close to winning the $250,000 prize in the finale.
Now living in the Washington, D.C. area, Bukowski opened a “female-friendly” sports bar and eatery last year called Bracket Room in Arlington, Virginia.
Does Harrison think Bukowski would make a good “Bachelor?”
“I don’t know,” Harrison said. “He might have found love in ‘Paradise.’”
A couple of other scorned “Bachelor” survivors with ties to Chicago join Bukowski as “late arrivals” in the new series, which starts off with 14 former cast members: eight women and six men.
Monday’s rose ceremony will send two of those women packing. Each week, a couple of surprise newcomers will be sprinkled into the action to keep things fresh.
Unlike Bukowski, one of them — Cody Sattler — had a shot at winning Andi’s affections. The 28-year-old personal trainer from Chicago got bounced by the Atlanta attorney on their first and only one-on-one date.
Rounding out “Paradise’s” Chicago-area contingent is Juan Pablo-reject Christy Hansen, 25. The marketing manager from Aurora was given the boot by the Spanish-speaking single dad in season 18 after three short weeks.
