In general, man can feel several types of beautiful emotions, but in most cases, the feeling of love is a joint package with all other emotions, thus putting it at the top of that list. As such, every time someone finds true love, it is particularly intriguing, especially when they are famous.
Will Jardell and James Wallington have been in the media for quite some time, even before they got on The Amazing Race, but that was what put them directly in the public eye. Since then, fans have been following their love story closely, and we do say, it’s been quite the ride for the pair. Here’s how far they’ve come.
8 How Will Jardell And James Wallington Met
Looking back at things now, it is highly unlikely that Will Jardell and James Wallington had even the slightest inkling that things would go this far. They met back in 2014 while the filming of America’s Next Top Model was underway. At the time, Wallington was actually working on set, while Jardell was a runner-up at the event. According to the pair, they hit it off almost immediately and got to talking, and from then on, it was just one adventure to another.
7 Will And James Love Traveling
One of the most endearing things about Will Jardell and James Wallington is their love for traveling. It later became a full-time job for them, as they were filming their adventures and putting out content, which was their first step into gaining recognition.
“Our very first trip together was to New York City, and it was probably the worst trip I think either of us ever had,” Jardell recalled in an interview. “Everything that could’ve gone wrong went wrong. We had to move to three different locations to spend the night, it was 17 degrees, we had three massive suitcases going around New York City in the snow! [But] we worked really well together.” Because of this foundation, it wasn’t very shocking that they landed on a reality show centered around that concept.
6 Will Jardell And James Wallington's 'Amazing Race' Adventure
A few years after Will Jardell and James Wallington officially started going out, the pair decided to get on The Amazing Race, a reality show where participants race each other around the world while touching down in different countries for the grand prize. The event marked a significant milestone in their lives and relationships. This wasn't only because they won the competition and by extension the $1 million grand prize, Will Jardell also proposed to James Wallington, and they sealed their engagement with a kiss on the mat at the Amazing Race finish line in New Orleans.
For the newly engaged couple, it was a pretty amazing experience because they’d been watching the show since they were kids. While speaking in an interview, Jardell stated, “That became our outlet as young people to see real people living out their truth. So for us to be able to run the race as a gay couple – for the show to never mention that we’re gay, to just refer to us as a dating couple – was huge. And then to end the season with us winning and then also getting engaged was massive for the show to showcase that.”
5 Will Jardell And James Wallington's 'Amazing Race' Experience Was A Win For The LGBTQ+ Community
While on the show and even after the show, Will and James have stated that they have been repeatedly reached out to by queer teens, parents, and adults in general about how much of a difference their time on the show meant for the LGBTQ+ community. And even though they aren’t the first gay couple on the show, or even the first to ever win, they believe that the demographic has changed significantly in their time.
While speaking in an interview, Jardell and Wallington said, “I think a huge leap forward for unscripted TV is the fact that not once during the show did they ever have to refer to us as ‘gay.’” Jardell muses now, “They only referred to us as ‘dating’ or ‘boyfriends,’ and I think that was massive. A different demographic watches The Amazing Race, and so they’re able to see a loving couple who they might not normally see in their day-to-day lives.”
4 Will Jardell And James Wallington's Wedding
Will Jardell and James Wallington, while they had been engaged since their Amazing Race win, the pair decided to make things official on the third of December 2021. “This moment has been a long time coming, and it’s such a relief to FINALLY be married and call ourselves husbands,” the couple tells US Weekly. “The best part is having everyone we love in the same space to be a part of this special moment. It’s going to take some getting used to saying ‘my husband’!”
The event took place at the New Orleans Athletic Club and of course, the guest space was filled with their family members, as well as most of their co-stars. Even though a few hiccups almost came down the line, the wedding was amazing for both the guests and the couple themselves. While speaking on the event, the couple told US Weekly, “We knew it was the right thing in order to eventually celebrate safely with our loved ones."
“We think it all worked out the way it was always meant to be because the date all our vendors were available was December 3, which after thinking back on it, happened to be the exact date we crossed The Amazing Race finish line in New Orleans and got engaged. We couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out and can’t thank our vendors enough for being flexible with us over this past year.”
3 A New Chapter For Will Jardell And James Wallington
After officially getting hitched, Will Jardell and James Wallington appear to be pretty excited about the next chapters of their lives. While they have been planning their wedding for quite some time, the newlyweds are happy that they have finally been able to execute their wedding plans. Now, they are completely focused on moving forward from here on.
After stating that he loved being able to share the special moment with Jardell, Wallington added, “We’ve been in this wedding phase for the past three years and finally being able to relax and start a new adventure together is so exciting. James is my favorite person to do life with and no matter what’s next we are ready to tackle it head-on!”
2 Will Jardell And James Wallington Get Back On The Road
Of course, Will Jardell and James Wallington weren’t going to miss their honeymoon for anything, especially after all the stress they went through planning a whole wedding. Only a month after saying their "I do's," the pair hopped on the Santa Cruz II to be part of its maiden voyage.
"We've always been passionate about eco-friendly and sustainable tourism," said Wallington. "It's very important to us because we love this planet and its endless travel opportunities, so we want to make sure we do our part to protect it all while continuing to experience its natural wonders!" He also added, "After our experience on The Amazing Race, this type of honeymoon feels very on-brand for us!"
1 Will Jardell And James Wallington's Plans For A Family
While speaking to People, Jardell and Wallington noted “We’re most excited to start a family together.” They added, “We’ve talked about adopting kids ever since we first met, and we’re even more so looking forward to the process because of how positive the experience was of reconnecting with James’ birth mom in 2017.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiuoqScYreivsOeo6Vlmpa6pr%2BMsJilpJmjtLW7zWaYppmqnruoedGamp5lp567r7HRrGSrnZyWwaq7zayfoqhdmbK1rcilZg%3D%3D