Reality stars Nicole Franzel and Victor Arroyo go way, way back.
The duo, who recently opened up about their life together in Michigan with their son Arrow, kicked off their romance back in 2018, when the pair met as cast members on the 18th season of Big Brother. The couple didn’t actually begin a relationship at the time, but rekindled their friendship at the premiere of Big Brother season 19.
Since then, it’s been smooth sailing for the now family of three. Nicole and Victor have been through a lot — including a slew of reality shows — together, and the highs and lows of life both on- and off-camera has only made their bond stronger.
From Big Brother to Amazing Race, here’s a look at the relationship between Franzel and Arroyo.
Who says true love doesn’t exist on reality TV? While it seems to be a trend that many marriages on reality TV end in divorce, there are still some reality TV couples out there beating the odds. Big Brother‘s Nicole Franzel and Victor Arroyo met while filming season 18 of Big Brother in 2016. The timing […]
September 2017
Victor Arroyo Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Nicole and Victor met when they each first appeared on the 18th season of Big Brother, even though they didn’t begin their relationship until after filming had wrapped.
“Everything came together for the premiere of Big Brother 19, where we were in New York and we just clicked,” Arroyo told ET in September 2017. “From then on, it was, I guess it was a love story, and now she’s my girlfriend.”
The pair spent a significant part of their early time together long-distance, since Nicole lived in Michigan and Victor lived in New Orleans. Victor also told ET at the time that the couple were taking their time to see how things between them would develop.
“So, kinda see how that plays out, but it’s exciting. She’s friggin’ awesome. A lot of people don’t know her beyond Big Brother, but she’s a sweetheart in real life and I love her to death,” he said.
September 2018
Nicole Franzel gotpap/Star Max/GC Images
During the season 20 finale of Big Brother in September 2018, Victor proposed to Nicole, telling her, “Nic, we met in the Big Brother house over two years ago. And right away, I thought you were the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, and I fell in love with your personality.”
“We formed a friendship in the Big Brother house, but our friendship really blossomed outside in the real world,” he continued. “I knew the moment that we had that first kiss in New York that I was in love with you.”
November 2020
Nicole and Victor were forced to postpone their wedding due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with an initial wedding date of November 2020.
May 2021
The pair ended up getting married in May 2021, after announcing they were expecting their first baby together in January of the same year.
“It feels amazing! We’ve been waiting for this moment for so long and it’s finally happened,” the couple exclusively told Us. “All the stress of having a wedding is lifted off our shoulders. Now all our attention is focused on having a healthy and happy baby.”
July 2025
The pair live in Michigan with their son, Arrow, but they aren’t opposed to appearing on reality TV again. In July, they each told Us what reality show they would choose to appear on if they could.
“Survivor!” Victor answered. “My strategy would still be the same [as Big Brother]. Just try to win as many competitions as I can, but I’d like it for the experience, to try to see if I can do that, live out there and compete and stay mentally strong.”
Nicole added, “Mine would be Traitors because I like games where there’s not much physical activity. And then I think Dancing With the Stars. That’s very physical, so I guess that could be a problem, but it would be so fun.”
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August 2025
Nicole announced she was pregnant with the couple’s second child via Instagram on August 24.
“We are PREGNANT !! Praise Jesus!! A HUGE thank you to those who have been praying alongside us for this miracle,” she wrote alongside a carousel of images that featured the pair’s first child, Arrow, 4. “3 years in waiting and God said it’s time … our little family is growing!!”
