The Bachelor: Heather Martin shocks Matt James with shocking arrival in white dress during party

Matt James was shocked when a woman he’d never met before showed up to compete for his hand on Monday’s episode of The Bachelor.

The 29-year-old reality star was conducting a pre-rose ceremony cocktail party when Heather Martin, 25, blazed in wearing what looked like a wedding gown.

‘Hi!’ she greeted Matt. ‘Do you think I could talk to you for a sec?’

Surprise visit: Matt James was shocked when a woman he’d never met before showed up to compete for his hand on Monday’s episode of The Bachelor

‘Heather?’ Matt asked, laughing as he recognized the woman, a contestant on season 23 of The Bachelor and the best friend of former The Bachelorette star Hannah Brown.

Hannah, 26, Matt and Matt’s best friend Tyler Cameron, 28, had quarantined together during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.

In an apparent coincidence, Tyler himself had been on set that week, paying Matt a visit, too.

Matt stared at Heather and asked the woman beside him—Pieper James, a 23-year-old graduate student from Happy Valley, Oregon—to give them a few minutes.

White dress: The 29-year-old reality star was conducting a pre-rose ceremony cocktail party when Heather Martin, 25, blazed in wearing what looked like a wedding gown.

White dress: The 29-year-old reality star was conducting a pre-rose ceremony cocktail party when Heather Martin, 25, blazed in wearing what looked like a wedding gown.

Best friend: Heather was inspired to meet Matt after her best friend Hannah  Brown insisted they should meet

Best friend: Heather was inspired to meet Matt after her best friend Hannah  Brown insisted they should meet

Warm greeting: 'Hi!' Heather greeted Matt. 'Do you think I could talk to you for a sec?'

Warm greeting: ‘Hi!’ Heather greeted Matt. ‘Do you think I could talk to you for a sec?’

Good times: Matt laughed and smiled as he met Heather for the first time

Good times: Matt laughed and smiled as he met Heather for the first time

‘Hi!’ Heather said again, hugging Matt after Pieper left. ‘It’s nice to meet you!’

‘What the heck?’ Matt asked, looking amused.

‘What the f***?’ a furious Pieper asked her castmates, calling Heather a ‘random-a** girl’ as she plopped down on a couch.

Stormed away: 'What the f***?' a furious Pieper asked her castmates, calling Heather a 'random-a** girl' as she plopped down on a couch

Stormed away: ‘What the f***?’ a furious Pieper asked her castmates, calling Heather a ‘random-a** girl’ as she plopped down on a couch

Chelsea Vaughn, 28, a model from Brooklyn, summed up the prevailing mood.

‘If you’re gonna let a new girl come in, or you’re gonna give a new girl a rose over some of us that have been here for this long, then you better marry that girl,’ she said in a confessional. ‘Cause the rest of us are gonna be pi**ed.’

Matt wasn’t the only one shocked when Heather showed up at the resort that week.

Past contestant: Matt wasn't the only one shocked when Heather showed up at the resort that week as earlier she surprised host Chris Harrison

Past contestant: Matt wasn’t the only one shocked when Heather showed up at the resort that week as earlier she surprised host Chris Harrison

She made a bold entrance by driving to the gates of the Nemacolin Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania, and asking the guard to call show host Chris Harrison, 49.

Heather then explained to a bewildered Chris that Hannah had insisted Matt was her perfect match, and she took that seriously.

‘I couldn’t let him get engaged and not meet him, or not try my best,’ Heather said.

Bold entrance: She made a bold entrance by driving to the gates of the Nemacolin Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania, and asking the guard to call show host Chris

Bold entrance: She made a bold entrance by driving to the gates of the Nemacolin Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania, and asking the guard to call show host Chris

Back story: Heather then explained to a bewildered Chris that Hannah had insisted Matt was her perfect match, and she took that seriously

Back story: Heather then explained to a bewildered Chris that Hannah had insisted Matt was her perfect match, and she took that seriously

‘We are in quarantine,’ Chris reminded her. ‘And we’re pretty far into this.’

He told Heather he couldn’t help her, but he’d ‘take it up the hill’ and see what he could do.

‘Just when you think you’ve seen it all,’ Chris mused, calling her arrival ‘bizarre.’

Best effort: 'I couldn't let him get engaged and not meet him, or not try my best,' Heather said

Best effort: ‘I couldn’t let him get engaged and not meet him, or not try my best,’ Heather said

The show had been in tumult all week, beginning with another difficult rose ceremony.

Before it even started, Matt had to confront two contestants about their behavior.

Jessenia Cruz, 27, a social media marketer from San Antonio, Texas, had accused MJ Snyder, 24, a hairstylist from Hudson, Ohio, of being one of the season’s ‘mean girls.’

Tense situation: Jessenia Cruz, 27, a social media marketer from San Antonio, Texas, had accused MJ Snyder, 24, a hairstylist from Hudson, Ohio, of being one of the season's 'mean girls' and talked to Matt about it

Tense situation: Jessenia Cruz, 27, a social media marketer from San Antonio, Texas, had accused MJ Snyder, 24, a hairstylist from Hudson, Ohio, of being one of the season’s ‘mean girls’ and talked to Matt about it

MJ had said that some contestants were ‘varsity,’ while others were ‘JV.’

She still bristled at the idea that she was anything but kind, claiming her heart was ‘so big’ and she was trying to unite everyone.

But as soon as she left Matt’s side, MJ confessed, ‘I’m gonna keep being a bad b****. This is not gonna shake me at all.’

Matt decided to let MJ go, which she attributed to Jessenia ‘sabotaging’ her.

Tough decision: Matt had to decide between the two and sent MJ home

Tough decision: Matt had to decide between the two and sent MJ home

Early exit: MJ was sent home and blamed her exit on being sabotaged by Jessenia

Early exit: MJ was sent home and blamed her exit on being sabotaged by Jessenia

Exhausted by the drama, Matt canceled the evening’s cocktail party and went straight to the rose ceremony, which infuriated Serena Chew, 24, a flight attendant from San Francisco.

She lashed out at Katie Thurston, 29, a bank marketing manager from Renton, Washington, who’d secretly told Matt about the ‘mean girls’ days before.

Other women, so stressed out by the lack of time to talk to Matt, went outside to scream.

Party canceled: Exhausted by the drama, Matt canceled the evening's cocktail party and went straight to the rose ceremony, which infuriated Serena Chew, 24, a flight attendant from San Francisco

Party canceled: Exhausted by the drama, Matt canceled the evening’s cocktail party and went straight to the rose ceremony, which infuriated Serena Chew, 24, a flight attendant from San Francisco

That night, Matt sent home Magi Tareke, 32, a pharmacist from Adwa, Ethiopia; Brittany Galvin, 23, a model from Chicago, and Ryan Claytor, 26, a dancer from Brooklyn.

Just 11 women remained at the resort, and tensions were quickly escalating.

Serena attacked Katie, claiming that her ‘antics’ distracted Matt from the women in the house.

Rose ceremony: Matt during the rose ceremony sent home Magi Tareke, 32, a pharmacist from Adwa, Ethiopia; Brittany Galvin, 23, a model from Chicago, and Ryan Claytor, 26, a dancer from Brooklyn

Rose ceremony: Matt during the rose ceremony sent home Magi Tareke, 32, a pharmacist from Adwa, Ethiopia; Brittany Galvin, 23, a model from Chicago, and Ryan Claytor, 26, a dancer from Brooklyn

She compared Katie’s truth-telling to an arsonist who keeps lighting fires everywhere.

Katie called Serena’s attack ‘pathetic,’ and the two of them screamed at each other.

‘I’m not going to sit here and let mean girls be mean girls in this house,’ Katie told Serena, setting her straight. ‘There is some high school f***ing s*** happening here.’

Serena stomped off to complain to the other women, and Katie defended herself.

In the middle of that drama, Pieper got the episode’s first one-on-one date with Matt.

Mean girls: 'I'm not going to sit here and let mean girls be mean girls in this house,' Katie told Serena, setting her straight. 'There is some high school f***ing s*** happening here'

Mean girls: ‘I’m not going to sit here and let mean girls be mean girls in this house,’ Katie told Serena, setting her straight. ‘There is some high school f***ing s*** happening here’

The two of them rode rides at a private carnival, and won a stuffed dragon at fairway games.

Over dinner, Pieper told Matt that she’d grown up with parents who weren’t expressive, so she struggled to share her emotions.

She still said she was ‘falling in love’ with Matt, who smiled and gave her a date rose.

Private carnival: In the middle of that drama, Pieper got the episode's first one-on-one date with Matt

Private carnival: In the middle of that drama, Pieper got the episode’s first one-on-one date with Matt

The two of them then danced to a live performance of ‘Everything I Love,’ by Temecula Road.

That week, Matt also went on a group date, and took nine of the women bowling.

They competed in teams, with only four women getting to attend an after-party with him.

Private concert: Matt and Pieper danced to a live performance of 'Everything I Love,' by Temecula Road

Private concert: Matt and Pieper danced to a live performance of ‘Everything I Love,’ by Temecula Road

Group date: That week, Matt also went on a group date, and took nine of the women bowling

Group date: That week, Matt also went on a group date, and took nine of the women bowling

Competition time: Chris told the women they would  be competing for time with Matt

Competition time: Chris told the women they would  be competing for time with Matt

The other five were distraught, until Chris delivered a letter from Matt telling them to come.

After spending time with Michelle Young, 27, a teacher from Edina, Minnesota, Matt gave her the date rose.

The next day, his roommate and best friend Tyler came to visit him from New York City.

Best friend: The next day, Matt's roommate and best friend TylerCameron came to visit him from New York City

Best friend: The next day, Matt’s roommate and best friend TylerCameron came to visit him from New York City

The handsome model was the runner-up from Hannah’s season of The Bachelorette, and he had been rumored to date her post-show.

As Matt and Tyler played pool, Matt said he looked forward to his next one-on-one, with Katie.

‘She’s unapologetically herself,’ he told Tyler. ‘That’s what I like about her.’

Pool game: As Matt and Tyler played pool, Matt said he looked forward to his next one-on-one, with Katie

Pool game: As Matt and Tyler played pool, Matt said he looked forward to his next one-on-one, with Katie

Date talk: 'She's unapologetically herself,' Matt told Tyler about Katie Thurston before their one-on-one date. 'That's what I like about her'

Date talk: ‘She’s unapologetically herself,’ Matt told Tyler about Katie Thurston before their one-on-one date. ‘That’s what I like about her’

Tyler asked Matt if he saw himself proposing to anyone yet, and Matt said, ‘I do.’

When Katie showed up, Matt said they were going to prank Tyler for their date.

While Tyler got a massage at the resort’s spa, the two of them gave hilarious instructions to his masseuse, an actor.

Marriage talk: Tyler asked Matt if he saw himself proposing to anyone yet, and Matt said, 'I do'

Marriage talk: Tyler asked Matt if he saw himself proposing to anyone yet, and Matt said, ‘I do’

Massage prank: When Katie showed up, Matt said they were going to prank Tyler for their date

Massage prank: When Katie showed up, Matt said they were going to prank Tyler for their date

They told her to twist Tyler’s nipples, mount him, and roll his back out hard, even calling her mid-massage to hear her rave, ‘He’s even hotter in person!’

Matt sneaked into the massage room and rubbed oil on Tyler’s back until he was busted.

Over dinner, Katie told Matt she was there ‘to the end,’ but he had to confess he didn’t have the same feelings for her.

Good one: The massage actress told her to twist Tyler's nipples, mount him, and roll his back out hard, even calling her mid-massage to hear her rave, 'He's even hotter in person!'

Good one: The massage actress told her to twist Tyler’s nipples, mount him, and roll his back out hard, even calling her mid-massage to hear her rave, ‘He’s even hotter in person!’

Dinner talk: Over dinner, Katie told Matt she was there 'to the end,' but he had to confess he didn't have the same feelings for her

Unrequited love: Katie's feelings for Matt were not reciprocated

Dinner talk: Over dinner, Katie told Matt she was there ‘to the end,’ but he had to confess he didn’t have the same feelings for her

Katie took it bravely, wishing him luck and telling him, ‘I hope you find everything you’re looking for.’

In the limo, she admitted she had already begun imagining a future with him.

The remaining women in the house then gathered for a second rose ceremony.

Second ceremony: The remaining women in the house then gathered for a second rose ceremony

Second ceremony: The remaining women in the house then gathered for a second rose ceremony

Suddenly Heather swanned into their midst, wearing that white beaded gown.

‘I believe Matt could be my husband. I really do,’ Heather said privately. ‘I am ready to meet him, to see if Matt and I could fall in love and be engaged. Like, that’s my dream.’

She had passed at least two COVID-19 tests and was ready to go, she affirmed.

White gown: Suddenly Heather swanned into their midst, wearing that white beaded gown

White gown: Suddenly Heather swanned into their midst, wearing that white beaded gown

All of the women were stunned to see her walk in, but Heather bypassed them with a wave and made a beeline for Matt himself.

‘Heather?’ Matt asked, as she strode into the room.

In a preview of the next episode, Heather was shown being attacked by the other women, and crying as she swore she had never met people so mean.

The Bachelor will return next week on ABC.

Silent entrance: All of the women were stunned to see her walk in, but Heather bypassed them with a wave and made a beeline for Matt himself

Silent entrance: All of the women were stunned to see her walk in, but Heather bypassed them with a wave and made a beeline for Matt himself

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