Though you’ve surely seen his face on your screen, there’s a lot you probably don’t know about Jesse Palmer, host of Summer Baking Championship. There are few television personalities with as varied a resume as him. From his early beginnings as a sports star to his current host work across multiple networks and genres, the man truly has done it all. Dive in a little deeper and get to know this Canadian-born talent.
Watch Jesse Palmer on new episodes of Summer Baking Championship, Mondays at 9PM ET/PT on Food Network Canada. Also Available on STACKTV with Amazon Prime Video Channels, fuboTV, Rogers Ignite TV and Ignite SmartStream.
He’s a Canadian Boy
Though he’s popular on US television series, Jesse is Canadian-born. He was born in Toronto, Ontario and spent most of his childhood in Ottawa.
Jesse Comes From a Talented Family
Jesse was destined for a future on screen (whether playing sports or otherwise). His mother Susan was a prominent fashion model, so no surprise that good looks run in the family! She later became the co-founder and owner of a modelling agency. His father might be the spark that lit his love for sports. He, like Jesse after him, played football semi-professionally for the Ottawa Rough Riders.
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His NFL Era
After playing football in college at the University of Florida, Jesse was drafted by the New York Giants in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played with the Giants as a backup quarterback until 2005. He was then signed by the San Francisco 49ers until 2006.
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Famous Family
Talent certainly runs in the Palmer family. His cousin is Canadian country singer, Griffen Palmer.
From Bachelor Beginnings
The next chapter in Jesse’s journey was quite the departure from his footballer fame. In 2004, Jesse Palmer was on the hit show, The Bachelor. Jesse was the first Canadian lead for the show during his time on The Bachelor season 5. Ultimately, he did not find a lasting love on the show, but he did find something even better… a new job.
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…To His Triumphant Return
Today, Jesse is back with the franchise, but this time as host! In 2022, Jesse was named the new host of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise. After looking for love on the show himself, this empathetic king is an ideal guide for new leads looking for their person on reality television.
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Acting Chops
Besides his stints on unscripted television, Jesse has also tried his hand at acting on scripted dramas. Look out for his appearance on an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit where he appropriately played a professional sports player.
His Own Love Life is Looking Bright
Jesse met his wife, Brazilian model and photographer Emely Fardo at a boxing class in 2017. The pair were married in a private ceremony in Connecticut in 2020 after the pandemic forced them to change the original plans of a destination wedding in Provence, France. They did eventually make it to France though, where they had a second wedding ceremony in 2022.
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Today, New York is Home
Now Jesse and his wife share a home in New York with their Aussiedoodle LouLou (who they share plenty of sweet shots of on social media).
Always a Foodie
In addition to his hosting duties (of which he has many), you can catch Jesse cooking up a storm on his social feeds. He also shares some of his favourite meals out, including his absolute favourite, Wagyu beef tartar (cooking contestants take note)!