For more than a decade, Nick Viall has been a ubiquitous presence on American reality television. First stepping into the public eye 12 years ago on "The Bachelorette," Viall carved out a remarkably durable career in the entertainment sphere. His subsequent television footprint spans high-profile franchises including "Bachelor in Paradise," "Dancing With the Stars," and "The Masked Singer." Today, he continues to maintain a steady television presence alongside his wife, Natalie Joy Viall, co-hosting the reality dating series "Age of Attraction." Beyond his television endeavors, Viall has also built a massive digital media footprint as the co-host of The Viall Files, one of Apple’s most popular relationship advice podcasts, which releases new episodes three to four times a week.
Yet, away from the microphones, cameras, and studio recordings, a major transformation has taken place in Viall’s personal life. A native of Wisconsin and the second oldest of 11 siblings, Viall is now the father of three young children under the age of three. Following the arrival of their first child, a daughter named River, the family expanded dramatically in July with the birth of twin infants.
Stepping into the reality of fatherhood for three young children within a span of just a few years has offered Viall a completely new perspective on life. When discussing the expectations versus the reality of welcoming twins, Viall notes that prospective parents are often inundated with pessimistic projections from friends and acquaintances.
"When you tell people you’re expecting… people are more prone to just kind of, I call doomsday kind of advice," Viall explains. However, the actual arrival of the children quickly dispelled any lingering anxieties. "And then it happens, and you’re so happy and everything feels like a blessing."
Navigating the Reality of Twin Fatherhood
Reflecting on the day-to-day experience of raising newborns alongside a toddler, Viall maintains a grounded and humorous approach to the chaos. While acknowledging the physical demands of round-the-clock feedings and middle-of-the-night awakenings, he emphasizes that the early weeks are manageable once parents move past the initial shock.
"Overall, it’s great. I mean, I think every stage is different," Viall shares. "With newborns—it sounds like you’re a father as well, so as you know—they’re just little potatoes at first. And for the most part, other than the regular feedings and having to wake up multiple times in the middle of the night, which can get tiring, it’s not too bad. But obviously those moments… pockets of overwhelmingness of like, ‘Oh, no.’ One cries, and then you calm one down, and then another one cries."
Comparing the apprehension leading up to the birth with the reality of parenthood, Viall jokes that having twins feels like a retail promotion rather than a crisis. Much of the dread propagated by outside voices often proves unfounded once the infants arrive. For Viall and his wife, the experience has ultimately brought a sense of efficiency and profound joy to their growing household.
"For the most part, I was joking with Natalie, my wife, about it honestly, because you get so nervous about twins. A lot of times when you tell people you’re expecting… people are more prone to just kind of give what I call doomsday advice where it’s like, ‘Oh, get ready for hell,’ or something like that. And then it happens, and you’re so happy and everything feels like a blessing," Viall says. "For the most part, it just feels like you got a BOGO, like a buy one, get one free. And it’s like, great. Obviously, my wife during the pregnancy, different experience. Obviously, I think it’s a lot more on mothers to carry two than one."
With three children now added to their family through just two pregnancies, Viall views the current chapter of his life with immense gratitude, acknowledging the immense physical toll the pregnancy took on his wife while marveling at the rapid expansion of their family.
A Hands-On Approach to Parenting
Viall’s approach to parenting is deeply rooted in the cooperative dynamic he observed during his own upbringing. Growing up in a large, blue-collar Wisconsin family as one of 11 children, Viall learned early on that maintaining a household of that scale required absolute teamwork between parents. His father worked outside the home while his mother raised the children, yet the division of labor was driven by practical necessity rather than rigid gender roles.
"I was lucky enough to have the parents I had. And I think that the biggest takeaway I had from my childhood is just how my parents worked as a team," Viall notes. "I have 10 brothers and sisters. And my parents were very lower middle class, very blue collar. My mom stayed home and raised the kids, my dad worked, but that wasn’t based on some kind of a decision they made. It was more like that was the situation they had."
This collaborative philosophy carried directly into his relationship with Natalie Joy Viall. Long before they welcomed children, the couple shared domestic responsibilities fluidly. Whether dividing household chores or collaborating professionally on their media ventures, the Vialls operate on an all-hands-on-deck philosophy.
"In terms of the day-to-day, they shared their responsibility. My mom did a lot of the traditional day-to-day keeping up the house, but my dad would often make dinner. My mom sometimes would mow the lawn. It was just more like all hands on deck type of thing, and you just do things as a team. And that’s just something Natalie and I implemented into our relationship early on," Viall explains.
As a father, Viall defines his role as hyper-involved, rejecting the concept of assigned parental duties in favor of a flexible division of labor where both partners step in wherever help is needed.
"So I’m just hyper-involved. There’s no her thing, my thing. We conquer and divide, and certainly, we joke where I’m allergic to laundry, she’s allergic to dishes. I don’t mind doing dishes. She doesn’t mind doing laundry. So there’s definitely things that we have our preferences, but for the most part, we just share everything."
Reclaiming Childhood Memories for the Next Generation
When considering what aspects of his own childhood he hopes to pass on to his children, Viall looks to a very specific physical location that holds deep personal significance. A couple of years ago, Viall was fortunate enough to purchase his grandfather’s former lake house in Wisconsin, a property that served as the backdrop for his happiest childhood memories before it was sold following his grandfather’s passing when Viall was in the fourth grade.
Describing the loss of the property as a formative childhood trauma that produced recurring dreams well into his adulthood, Viall expresses immense gratitude for the opportunity to reclaim the space for his own children.
"I feel very fortunate to say that I was lucky enough to try to be able to give the best part of my childhood to my children because I was lucky enough to buy back my grandfather’s lake house a couple years ago. And that was a place that in my childhood was like my Nirvana. It was my special place," Viall shares.
Beyond physical locations, Viall contemplates how childhood experiences are shifting in the modern digital era. Drawing inspiration from contemporary discussions surrounding the upbringing of younger generations—such as Jonathan Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation—Viall hopes to encourage his children to disconnect from screens and embrace the outdoor freedoms and imaginative play that characterized his own youth in Wisconsin.
"I have such fond memories of going to the movies as a child, going to Blockbuster and picking on a movie and things like that. And some of those moments I hope we’ll still be able to do. Or just maybe I hope there’s a renaissance of people wanting to get outside, touch grass type of thing," Viall says. "And certainly, in the lake houses up in the middle of nowhere in Wisconsin will be a great tool to help our kids want to be outside and play in nature and just make-believe. Most of my childhood was a lot of just make believe with my friends outside. And we would ride our bikes all over the place."
Navigating Marriage and Postpartum Pressures
Balancing a high-profile media career, three children under three, and a marriage requires conscious effort, particularly when it comes to supporting his wife through the demanding postpartum period. Viall views his primary role within the partnership during this intense phase as that of an active cheerleader and emotional anchor.
"I like to think I’m her rock. There’s so much burden and pressure on moms postpartum. I like to think that my job is just to be a cheerleader. When I get a sense that she’s stressed out or feeling overwhelmed, I’m quick to try to give her a break, tell her to go lie down if that’s what she wants to do. I’m always there and always available," he explains.
At the same time, Viall is candid about the inevitable friction points that arise in domestic life, offering a self-deprecating assessment of his own household habits.
"Oh, my God, the list is so long. Well, I don’t know how to close a cupboard. I don’t put things away. I leave a trail of destruction wherever I go. I’m messier than our two-year-old. So there is that," Viall admits with a laugh.
He also acknowledges that his return to playing video games occasionally tests household patience, though he maintains strict personal boundaries to ensure his hobbies never interfere with his responsibilities as a partner and father.
"I’ve recently got back into some video game playing, which definitely gives her the ick, but she is kind enough to let me decompress with a game here or there… The trick for any dad out there who enjoys a video game or two is to never let it get in the way of being helpful. So that’s the trick to get it in when you can, but never let it come in the way of, obviously, being a partner and being a father."
Finding Ultimate Purpose in Fatherhood
For Viall, the overarching experience of parenthood has fundamentally reshaped his relationship with success and ambition. Having spent years pursuing individual accolades, public recognition, and career milestones in the entertainment industry, he notes that none of those achievements provide the same grounding effect as raising a family.
"I’ve been fortunate enough in my life to accomplish a lot of cool things and it’s nice to have individual accomplishments and accolades and awards, but they’re not always as fulfilling as you think they might be when they happen. Fatherhood, parenthood is just… you always know why you’re doing something. You always know what the purpose is," Viall reflects.
As a self-described high-stress individual prone to workplace anxiety, Viall relies on the structure of his family life to bring a sense of calm. He credits his wife with establishing a deliberate routine that helps him transition immediately
from the pressures of work to total presence at home, particularly through a simple practice implemented when he walks through the front door.
"I’m a fairly anxious, high-stress guy. It’s easy for me to get worried about work and all the things that are going on in this world. And then I have the benefit of coming home, and especially with River now when she greets me. I’m constantly on my phone with work, and I’m never not working in a sense, but when I walk into the house, Natalie’s incorporated this kind of best practice of making sure I’m off my phone and I’m very present to greet River. Even if it’s for a few minutes, even if I still have some work left to do, I never walk in on the phone and I’m not giving her my undivided attention. And it’s something like Natalie incorporated, which I really appreciate that she did, and I think it’s just a really great best practice that we do."
Reflecting on the broader cultural conversation surrounding parenting today, Viall observes that raising children has increasingly become a deeply passionate and sometimes polarizing topic of discussion among his peers, though it remains a subject he finds himself drawn to exploring more deeply.