May 03, 2021 • bachelor insider
This Week in Bachelor Nation History: 'Listen to Your Heart' Winners Chris & Bri Give a Show-Stopping Performance
This week marks one year since Chris Watston and Bri Stauss professed their love to each other on "The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart."
The chills-inducing declaration from the talented duo came after a show-stopping duet performance of Taylor Swift’s “Lover” — which, as viewers will recall, left the panel of celebrity judges very impressed.
"That’s what I’m talking about. Absolutely! I was feeling it. I was uncomfortable, but it was good,” remarked Grammy-winning songstress Toni Braxton. “It was wonderful, splendid. I see love. I see a connection."
Rachel Lindsay couldn’t help but note Chris and Bri’s palpable chemistry on stage.
"OK, we were having this conversation of, 'How do you sing and then show you’re in love at the same time?' That’s how you do it!” the Season 13 Bachelorette enthused. “That is exactly how you do it. It was beautiful. You guys were singing to each other as if nobody was in the audience. You were lost in each other."
She jokingly added, "I’m not even a Swiftie, but I might be after hearing you guys sing this song!"
Meanwhile, singer-songwriter Andy Grammer complimented Chris’ “really special” falsetto and Bri’s "power" as an artist. “You guys were fantastic,” Andy elaborated. “Really good.”
After letting the positive feedback sink in, an elated Bri told the crowd, “Well, funny that you guys just all witnessed this — but I just hugged [Chris] after and I said, ‘I love you.’” She then turned to her partner, “But you didn’t hear, and I haven’t told you that yet.”
Chris then responded, “I didn’t hear it or else I would have said, ‘I love you, too.’”
The couple then embraced as the studio audience erupted in applause, celebrating the progression of their relationship.
Chris and Bri went on to win “Listen to Your Heart” and, following their victory, they dropped a self-titled album with 10 songs, including their debut hit “Found You.” In December, they released a Christmas LP called “Wrapped Under the Tree,” which featured their cheeky single “Santa Claus Stole My Girlfriend.”
Despite their romantic and musical success, Chris and Bri announced their decision to split in January.
“With deep admiration and respect for one another, we have decided to end our relationship and go our separate ways,” the pair told “E! News” in a joint statement. “We will always look back on our journey with deep fondness, and will continue to support each other both personally and professionally.”
Commemorating the one-year anniversary of the series’ premiere in April, Bri explained that she is “forever grateful” to have appeared on “Listen to Your Heart” no matter how her love story with Chris ended.
“[The show] literally changed my entire life,” she said in an Instagram Story video. “I met some of my absolute best friends on the show. It’s something I’ll be forever grateful for because it was the best decision I’ve ever made, the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”