Warning: Spoilers for The Golden Bachelor season 2 finale ahead. While ABC’s The Bachelor is best known for televised love stories and dramatic rose ceremonies, the long-running reality TV franchise also serves an important function: vacation inspo. Season 2 of The Golden Bachelor ended with a picturesque trip to paradise (no, not Paradise), as former NFL player Mel Owens and his final two contestants, Peg Munson and Cindy Angelcyk Cullers, headed to the Caribbean island of Antigua for the Fantasy Suites and finale. Mel’s installment of the hit dating show has been controversial, to say the least, so it was a welcome return to form that the season concluded with a tropical destination fans can immediately add to their bucket list.

As a diehard pop culture fan who has more than one reality TV filming location on her travel list, I jumped at the chance to visit the The Golden Bachelor resorts for myself. For any members of Bachelor Nation forming their next holiday plans, read on for everything to know about the filming locations for The Golden Bachelor season 2, including the Antigua resorts that Mel, Peg, and Cindy visited.

Where was the Mel Owens season of 'The Golden Bachelor' filmed?

The first five episodes of The Golden Bachelor season 2 kept the contestants stateside, with production staying around the Bachelor Mansion in Agoura Hills, California, near Malibu. Scenes were also filmed at the Orange County Fair in Southern California and Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre near Morrison, Colorado.

Where was 'The Golden Bachelor' season 2 finale filmed?

In episode 6, The Golden Bachelor headed to the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, with production taking place on the larger of the two, Antigua. Season 2’s final two episodes were filmed across four Elite Island Resorts properties along the Long Bay on the island’s northeast coast: Hammock Cove Antigua, Galley Bay Resort & Spa, The Verandah Antigua, and Pineapple Beach Club Antigua.

Hammock Cove, which served as Mel’s home base, is a five-star, adults-only resort designed for romantic getaways. Each spacious private villa comes with its own private deck featuring a plunge pool and ocean views, as well as an all-inclusive wet bar stocked with drinks. The property also features several restaurants—one of which hosts a Michelin-caliber seven-course meal—a luxurious spa, a private beach and boardwalk, six pickleball courts, and activities including cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, and candlelit gazebo dinners. During my stay in mid-November (outside the peak travel season from December to June), the resort has been quiet and tranquil…aside from the sounds of nature, which I became acclimated to over time. (Shout out to the tree frogs.)

The other three all-inclusive resorts feature similar rooms and amenities, with Galley Bay, The Verandah, and Pineapple Beach Club all offering beachfront villas or suites, excellent dining and spas, and leisure sports and water activities. I highly recommend visiting any of the spas for a relaxing massage, as well as booking a catamaran tour; my mini-cruise included drinks, charcuterie, and a visit to an island.

More specifically, while Mel stayed at Hammock Cove (see all the scenes at the start of episode 5), Peg and Cindy stayed in suites at The Verandah Antigua. Mel and Peg’s Fantasy Suite (the only one in the season) took place in a premium beachfront suite at Galley Bay. Mel and Cindy’s snorkeling date took place at Antigua’s Stingray City, a shallow area in the North Sound where stingrays gather to feed on squid. And for Antigua’s version of the classic dune-buggy date, Mel and Peg appear to head to a scenic area on the west side of the island, near the capital city, St. John’s.

Meanwhile, Mel and Cindy’s eventful dinner together, which ended with her declining the Fantasy Suite and leaving the show, took place on the boardwalk at Hammock Cove. The scenes featuring Mel’s family in the finale were filmed at Pineapple Beach Club, and of course, the Final Rose ceremony, where Mel gave Peg a promise ring, took place on Prickly Pear Island, an uninhabited island off the coast of Hodges Bay.

According to Kayak rates for late October/early November 2025, both The Verandah Antigua and Pineapple Beach Club average around $500 per night, while Galley Bay came in around $1,300, and Hammock Cove averaged around $1,900 per night. All four resorts often offer discounts, and they're currently offering special Golden Getaway deals for travel from April to October 2026.

Ah, reality television. A stellar way to ignore the state of the world and focus on what's important: other people's drama. The genre has been around since the '70s, but it didn't get popular until the '90s, when MTV gifted us the powerhouse that was and forever will be The Real World. After that, we saw a boom of reality TV content. From regular people going on national television to look for love, to belting your heart out for a golden ticket to Hollywood, networks (and audiences) couldn't get enough of the stuff.

And while the genre is great and all, there's also a lot of it. So, as certified reality TV obsessives, we've done the work for you and narrowed things down to the 25 most iconic unscripted series ever made. From The Real Housewives to Survivor, we've got a wide variety of shows on this list sure to suit pretty much anybody out there, whether you're looking for a competition show, a workplace drama, or just a bunch of rich people throwing drinks at one another.

Without further ado, these are the best reality shows of all time. Buckle in, because you're about to be entertained for hours on end.

The Best Reality Competition Series

'America’s Next Top Model' (2003–2018)

The most legendary of reality shows premiered in 2003. In each of its 24 “cycles,” supermodel Tyra Banks hosted a competition for aspiring models to compete for the title of “America’s Next Top Model” and the opportunity to kickstart a career in the fashion industry. It has since been followed down the catwalk by more than 50 international versions of the series.

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'American Idol' (2002– )

In case you’ve been living under a rock since the turn of the millennium, this long-running talent show sees aspiring singers auditioning for a panel of celebrity judges and competing to see who will be—you guessed it—the next American Idol. It’s responsible for introducing the world to the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, and so many other incredible vocalists.

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'The Great British Baking Show' (2010– )

This show is known as The Great British Bake Off in the U.K. and The Great British Baking Show stateside, but whatever you call it, it’s the most charming show on television. This devastatingly British competition series follows amateur bakers as they (very kindly) compete against each other in a series of rounds with different themes, hoping to impress a group of judges with their baking skills.

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'Project Runway' (2004– )

Across its 20-plus seasons, mostly hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum, aspiring designers compete in various weekly design challenges for a chance to break into the fashion industry. Perhaps the show's most iconic star is Christian Siriano, who won season 4 and went on to launch a highly successful fashion career—and who later paid it forward by returning to the show as a mentor.

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'Queer Eye' (2003–2007; 2018–2026)

This heartwarming makeover series, originally titled Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (they dropped the second half of the name for the revival, which is all-inclusive), focuses on the Fab 5, a group of queer and gay men who offer up their individual skill sets—including fashion, food, personal grooming, interior design, and culture—to perform a makeover on a person in need.

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'RuPaul's Drag Race' (2009– )

Hosted by the always-iconic RuPaul since it began in 2009, this competition stars drag queens going head-to-head to see who’s best—whether that’s in lip-syncing for their lives or in who "sashays away" the most creatively. If you can get past the “Vaseline filter” of season 1, definitely start from the beginning, as the series becomes more self-referential as it goes on.

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'Shark Tank' (2009– )

If you’ve ever absentmindedly channel-surfed in a hotel room to kill time, you’ve definitely seen Shark Tank. For the uninitiated, however, the show stars aspiring entrepreneurs pitching deep-pocketed investors for the opportunity to invest in their companies. Over the years, guests joining Mark Cuban and the rest of the always-savvy, often-sassy sharks have included Bethenny Frankel, Gwyneth Paltrow, and so many more.

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'Survivor' (2000– )

At its most basic, Survivor is about contestants competing on an island with limited resources to survive, with the winner receiving a cash prize. Over its more than 700 (and counting) episodes, however, it has become a much more complicated game of strategy and stakes-raising twists.

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The Best Reality Dating Shows

'90 Day Fiancé' (2014– )

The central show in the franchise follows couples made up of American citizens and their foreign fiancés, who have 90 days to decide if they’re going to get married before their K-1 visas expire. If they don’t, the non-American in the couple will have to leave the country. The hit series has since been followed by several spinoffs, including those subtitled Happily Ever After?, Before the 90 Days, and The Other Way, the last of which features Americans seeking to move abroad.

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'The Bachelor' (2002– )

The Bachelor began airing in 2002 on ABC, followed quickly by The Bachelorette in 2003, each featuring a single suitor narrowing down a pool of romantic interests in search of their future spouse. As the two flagship shows have seen their seasons number into the dozens, the franchise has spawned several spinoffs, including Bachelor Pad, Bachelor in Paradise, The Bachelor Winter Games, and, most recently, The Golden Bachelor.

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'Flavor of Love' (2006–2008)

After falling in love with Brigitte Nielsen on The Surreal Life, Flavor Flav seemingly decided that since reality TV had found him love once, it was worth another try, and thus Flavor of Love was born. Meanwhile, after coming in second place twice on Flavor of Love, Tiffany “New York” Pollard was gifted her own spinoff, I Love New York, which is also very much worth a watch. Sadly, as entertaining as they are, neither series was ultimately successful in their respective stars’s goals of finding love.

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'Love & Hip-Hop' (2012– )

This soapy reality TV franchise kicked off with Love & Hip Hop: New York, and installments based in Atlanta, Hollywood, and Miami soon followed, all documenting the lives of a sprawling cast of hip-hop and R&B musicians, performers, managers, and producers living in those hotspots. Perhaps most importantly, you can thank this show for giving us the one and only Cardi B.

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'Love Is Blind' (2020– )

In this instant-classic Netflix series, couples go through several rounds of dating without ever knowing what the other person looks like, culminating in a totally blind proposal. Once they finally meet each other in real life, they have only a couple of weeks to decide whether they want to follow through with a walk down the aisle. Several seasons—and international spinoffs—in, I’m not sure hosts Vanessa and Nick Lachey have proven yet that love is truly blind…but that won't stop me from tuning in for every second of the drama.

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'Love Island' (2015– )

The U.K.-based phenomenon kicked off a decade ago and quickly inspired nearly two dozen spinoffs, including in the U.S., which has recently started giving the U.K. edition a run for its money as the most entertaining of the bunch. Each version is basically about a bunch of hot people living in a villa together under constant surveillance, trying to “couple up” and be the winning pair (chosen by the public) to win a big cash prize.

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The Best Lifestyle Reality Shows

'Dance Moms' (2011–2019)

The name of the show only tells half the story. Sure, the titular mothers of the young dance students at Abby Lee Dance Company stir up plenty of drama with each other and, more often, with dance teacher Abby Lee Miller. But the show is also filled with pretty spectacular performances from the students themselves, including Gen Z stars like Maddie Ziegler and JoJo Siwa, as they battle to be at the top of Miller’s weekly pyramids.

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'The Hills' (2006–2010)

While the show uses the term “reality” loosely, The Hills follows the lives of Lauren Conrad, Audrina Patridge, Whitney Port, Heidi Montag, and more young adults in L.A. Once you’re hooked, you’ll want to go back, back to the beginning and revisit their equally messy high school years in Laguna Beach, another iconic MTV reality show.

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'Jersey Shore' (2009–2012)

Known as one of MTV's most-watched television shows, the first seasons of Jersey Shore followed eight roommates who spent their summer working and living together in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. Following seasons and spinoffs of the show included new locations like Miami, Florida, and Florence, Italy. The show gave us new lingo (GTL, anyone?) and probably helped self-tanner sales.

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'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' (2007–2021)

Across 20 seasons and countless spinoffs, the Kardashian family kept the world entertained—and built a multimedia empire—via this series, where we watched the Calabasas family start (and end) businesses, fights, romances, and prank wars, all while remaining a remarkably tight-knit family unit. And, if these nearly 300 episodes aren’t enough, you can follow the fam over to Hulu for The Kardashians, which picked up where KUWTK left off in 2022.

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'My Super Sweet 16' (2005–2017)

One of MTV’s better reality shows, it documented the lives of wealthy—and often outrageously bratty—teenagers planning over-the-top birthday extravaganzas. While most of the episodes focused on the big 1-6, other episodes included lavish quinceañeras, one titled "My Super Swag 18," and a "Super Sweet 21."

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'The Real Housewives' (2006– )

The simplest way to sum up this far-reaching franchise, which kicked off two decades ago with The Real Housewives of Orange County, is “wealthy women doing things.” It’s better than it sounds—just wait until you’ve visited Scary Island with the women of New York or seen New Jersey’s own Teresa Giudice flip a table, among other iconic moments from across the Housewives-verse, which now spans a long list of international editions and spinoff shows, on top of the 11 U.S. cities featured to date.

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'The Real World' (1992–2019)

The reality show that started it all! The opening credits, which remained mostly consistent across all 33 seasons, describe the premise better than we could: “This is the true story of seven strangers picked to live in a house, work together, and have their lives taped to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real.” And, oh, it gets so real.

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'The Simple Life' (2003–2007)

The Simple Life is the show that blessed us with Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton, and we have never been the same since. The show followed the two socialites as they were taken from the comfort of their lives in Beverly Hills and put into rural environments and given manual jobs, all to comedic effect.

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The Best Reality Workplace Series

'Below Deck' (2013– )

Below Deck and its many offshoots follow young yacht crews of multimillion-dollar charter boats as they juggle their jobs serving guests and, of course, plenty of interpersonal communication issues. Imagine being young, hot, and trapped at sea—the drama!

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'Selling Sunset' (2019– )

This Netflix franchise puts the real (estate) into reality—get it?!—and has since expanded beyond the Sunset Strip to Tampa, Orange County, and N.Y.C. Each series follows a group of glamorous real estate agents as they juggle selling multimillion-dollar mansions with managing their seemingly never-ending personal dramas.

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'Vanderpump Rules' (2013– )

Technically a spinoff of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills—but, truly, a reality TV staple in its own right—VPR follows the trials, tribulations, and tequila-drinking of the employees of Lisa Vanderpump’s empire of West Hollywood bars and restaurants. If it’s your first time watching, you may be tempted to skip straight ahead to the “Scandoval” of it all, but you really must begin with season 1, episode 1 to get the full effect—and thank me later.

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Spoilers for The Golden Bachelorette finale ahead. The first-ever season of ABC's The Golden Bachelorette has ended, wrapping up Joan Vassos's heartwarming search for a second chance at true love. (Or at least, more heartwarming and less messy than the more notorious seasons of The Bachelor franchise.) Arriving just a few weeks after the dramatic conclusion of season 21 of The Bachelorette, The Golden Bachelorette followed Joan, a 61-year-old school administrator from Maryland who first made waves as a contestant on The Golden Bachelor. Once it was her turn to lead the reality TV show, Joan took the task of dating 24 men very seriously, hoping to find love again after experiencing the loss of her late husband of 32 years.

After nine weeks of respectful, adorable dating, Joan eventually narrowed down her suitors to two charming seniors: Chock Chapple and Guy Gansert. (Yes, those are their legal names.) Ultimately, Joan went with her heart and chose Chock, a 61-year-old insurance executive from Kansas, as her winner and fiancé. So where are Joan and Chock now, and will their relationship outlast Golden Bachelor alum Gerry and Teresa's three-month marriage? Read on for a breakdown of The Golden Bachelorette finale.

What happened between Joan and Chock on 'The Golden Bachelorette?'

By the Golden Bachelorette finale, both Chock and Guy, a 66-year-old emergency room doctor in Reno, Nevada, are head-over-heels in love with Joan. Chock proved his commitment to the process earlier in the season when he left The Golden Bachelorette midseason following his mother’s death and still came back. However, fans and other cast members claimed that Chock seemed a bit possessive of Joan, with third-place contestant Pascal Ibgui calling Chock a "stalker" in a post-elimination interview with Glamour.

Meanwhile, Guy remained mostly under the radar due to his lack of screen time in the first season, before he showed that he was all-in and dropped the big "falling for you" bomb during the pair's hometown date. There has been fan speculation throughout the season that Guy's scenes may have been reduced due to his controversial past; in mid-October, USA Today reported that Guy's ex-wife filed for a temporary restraining order in October 2021, claiming that he physically threatened her.

When it came to the final days in Bora Bora, Joan made a quick and no-nonsense decision. Chock is the first of the two men to meet Joan's kids, and after he gets their approval, Chock sits Joan down and tells her he wants to marry her and get a place in N.Y.C. with her. The next day, while Guy gets ready to meet her kids, Joan reveals that she woke up that morning and realized she was in love with Chock. Rather than making Guy go through the motions, she visits him in his room and breaks things off, freeing Guy from the embarrassment of being turned down mid-proposal. When they talk at the live finale, Joan tells Guy that it came down to timing and that she also had strong feelings for him.

And with that, Chock heads into his beachside proposal uncontested. Before he gets down on one knee (on a noticeably windy day), Joan tells him that she could picture a future with him early on, adding, "We are living proof that no matter what life throws at you, that there is still hope, even at our age. I waited till this moment in this amazing location to tell you that I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to wake up next to you in the morning, and I want to kiss you when I go to bed at night." With that, he proposed, she said yes, and he got the Golden Final Rose.

Are Joan and Chock still together after 'The Golden Bachelorette?'

On the live Golden Bachelorette finale, Joan and Chock confirmed they are still going strong. Though they didn't elaborate on their long-term plans in the special (beyond a likely-sponsored mention of a family trip to Disney World), the pair revealed to Us Weekly that they're going to celebrate their engagement with a huge bash in L.A., which Chock described as "a coming-out party as a couple." The pair will then move to New York, while also spending time in their hometowns in Maryland and Kansas.

"This first year, obviously, we have to kind of figure out life," Joan told the outlet. "We know that we’re gonna spend time in Maryland and in Kansas, but then we have this really fun plan because both of us have always dreamed—and we’re finally at this weird stage in life for making this dream come true—that we live in a big city, and, specifically, we’ve always wanted to live in New York. So Chock surprised me and said, ‘I want us to go find a place.'"

Joan continued, "We both love the energy in the city and love that there’s always something to do. We just wanna go out and walk and experience life—go to fun restaurants and [experience the] culture. We both have friends there. We’re gonna be there during the holidays, which is the best time ever in New York City. I think it’s just a really different life than either one of us have ever lived."

Spoilers for The Bachelorette season 21 finale ahead. September 3, 2024, is a day that will go down in Bachelor Nation history, thanks to the season 21 finale of The Bachelorette. Over the past few months, the dating reality TV series has promised a finale that will give viewers they've never seen before in The Bachelor franchise history, and the resolution of Jenn Tran's season did meet that promise. However, it also sent the entire fandom (and even casual Bachelor viewers) reeling from the big reveals about Jenn Tran and Devin Strader's relationship. Read on to understand the ongoing drama and backlash surrounding Jenn's The Bachelorette finale, including why some fans are now boycotting the franchise.

What happened between Jenn and Devin on 'The Bachelorette' season 21 finale?

Most of The Bachelorette finale seemed to be business as usual: After ending things with runner-up Marcus Shoberg, Jenn seemed excited to end her season by getting proposed to her final pick, Devin. She even decided to switch things up by proposing to Devin instead of letting him propose to her, fulfilling the show's season-long promise for a first-ever moment for the franchise.

However, instead of the big moment, The Bachelorette finale switched to the live After the Final Rose special to reveal that Jenn and Devin had split up in the few months between the Hawaii proposal and the finale's airing.

While fighting off tears, Jenn explained on the special that she and Devin's relationship shifted after leaving Hawaii engaged. She explained that he began pulling away and contacting her less after they returned to their separate lives. She felt at the time that he was "pulling away all the promises he had made," and that she'd felt "secondary" to everything else in his life.

Jenn revealed that Devin broke off the engagement over the phone two months after filming wrapped. "He called me, and he basically broke off the engagement. [He said] he didn't love me anymore, feel the same way and felt like something had been off since the second thing he proposed. He regretted getting engaged."

Jenn added that while they had been dating, she had tried to understand the pressures he faced after getting engaged on reality TV and how she wanted to make it work.

"[I said] 'Let's just be together. We don't have to be engaged—I want a life with you, I don't need a ring on my finger,'" she recalled. "He was checked out. It wasn't what he wanted anymore. And I've been fighting for the relationship, trying to do everything I can to empathize with him and try to make things work. He didn't want to go to couples counseling. He didn't want to fight for the relationship anymore."

How was Maria involved in Jenn and David's breakup?

When Devin joined Jenn onstage during the live After the Final Rose special, Jenn quickly confronted him about his actions following the breakup. In one notable moment, she called him out for following women on Instagram the day after the phone call—including Bachelor alum Maria Georgas.

Maria was Jenn's fellow contestant on Joey Graziadei's season of The Bachelor and a fan favorite. While appearing on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast last May, Maria confirmed that she was supposed to be the Bachelorette this season before she backed out and was replaced by Jenn. Now, fans speculate that Devin joined the series hoping that Maria would be the Bachelorette, and he possibly led Jenn on throughout the show.

"What I can’t understand is everything that you did after we’ve broken our engagement," Jenn said, per PEOPLE. "Ending the engagement on a phone call, and the next day, I wake up to you following girls on Instagram—not just any girl, but Maria ... It completely invalidated our entire relationship, everything that I had felt for you, everything that we’d felt for each other."

"Obviously I failed you," Devin said. "And there's nothing I can say other than that. But, everything I felt for you was real."

As they continued to talk, Jenn argued that his actions while the show was airing made it seem like he didn't "give a crap" about the breakup. "You're posting about the show, having a great old time, and I am heartbroken every Monday night watching the lies that you said to me on TV," she said.

Devin concluded later in the special, "I know that I fell short of a lot of your expectations to the point where you, like you said, you were doing things that were diminishing who you were," he conceded. "And you can sit here and say I'm a liar, this and that, I'm not gonna deny you on any of those things."

Have Devin and Maria been in touch since 'The Bachelorette?'

Even before the finale, fans had been speculating that Maria was possibly dating one of the suitors from Jenn's season. Over the past few weeks, Maria has reportedly been seen hanging out with Jeremy Simon, one of Jenn's suitors who was eliminated after Hometowns. While it's common for Bachelor Nation stars to hang out (and Maria and Jeremy are both based in N.Y.C.), After the Final Rose hinted that Devin could have also met up with Maria recently.

At one point in the former couple's confrontation, Jenn questioned whether he felt any pain from the breakup. She noted that, just hours before they ended things, he went clubbing in New York with Jeremy. Not only was his immediate answer rough—"Am I not allowed to live a life?"—fans also speculate that Devin, Jeremy, and Maria could have been in contact.

Two days after the Bachelorette finale, Maria responded to the speculation in a five-minute TikTok video, per PEOPLE. “Last night was hard to watch, and my heart goes out to Jenn,” Maria began, before explaining that she's only able to speak to her own side of the situation. “I can’t speak on her relationship. The only two people who can speak on her relationship are her and Devin.”

Maria went on to confirm that she hadn't been aware that Devin had followed her on Instagram. “I had no clue about that until people brought it to my attention,” she explained. “And by that time, when I found out, he had unfollowed."

"Let me clear the air on something: I have never met Devin before," she continued.

"I never went clubbing out with [Devin]. He did his own thing. Did I go out with Jeremy—a night with friends, a bunch of us together? Yes, I did," she said, adding that she will “not apologize” for meeting other Bachelor franchise stars.

“I can’t control who follows who,” she continued. “But what I can control is what I do about it. And what I’m doing is not following back. And I never followed back. Now seeing how things transpired, I will never follow that man."

“My character, my innocence, my peace is important to me. And I will not fuck that up for no one,” she said. “Just because [Jenn and I] separated our ways and are no longer friends doesn’t mean we hate each other, it doesn’t mean that if someone is going to disrespect her in my face, that I’m going to sit here and stand for it. Because I’m not.”

“I’m just a regular person who went on a reality TV show. Stop holding me to a standard that doesn’t exist,” she concluded.

What are Bachelor Nation fans saying after the season 21 finale?

Simply put: Fans aren't happy with Devin or The Bachelorette's producers. Much of the criticism stems from the most heartbreaking moment of After the Final Rose, when, after Jenn's tearful breakup reveal and her confrontation with Devin, the show still aired the exes' proposal, highlighting the "historic" moment where Jenn proposed to Devin. After host Jesse Palmer asked if they should watch it together—and Jenn responded, "Do I have a choice?"—the former Bachelorette had to stay on stage and relive the moment as a picture-in-picture shot showed her weeping through the clip.

Viewers across social media called out the producers, accusing them of mistreatment of their first Asian lead, calling the moment "cruel and unnecessary," "disgusting and shameful," and "the worst thing this show has ever done." In addition to airing the proposal, the Maria of it all also has left viewers side-eyeing The Bachelorette's producers for casting men who were interested in Maria, a white woman, and then replacing her with Jenn, the first Asian Bachelorette, without recasting more men with Jenn in mind. Some fans are even demanding that production make a public apology to Jenn, or vowing to quit watching the Bachelor franchise altogether.

Meghan Markle’s love life has certainly played out before the public eye, but, had she not met Prince Harry in 2016, living out her love story in front of ever-present cameras could have still happened—albeit in a very different way.

Mike Fleiss, the creator of the wildly popular The Bachelor franchise, confirmed that Meghan almost appeared on the show after she starred as a model on the game show Deal Or No Deal and before her star turn as Rachel Zane on the hit show Suits, which she started filming in 2011. 

“Just got the go-ahead to reveal this shocking fact,” Fleiss wrote on Twitter, now known as X. “Right after she left Deal Or No Deal, Meghan seriously considered applying to be on #TheBachelor !!! #slidingdoors.”

Meghan went on to marry film producer Trevor Engelson in August 2011; they separated in July 2013 and finalized their divorce in February 2014. She dated celebrity chef and restaurateur Cory Vitello for two years, until May 2016, and met Harry that same summer.

Although Meghan opted to not appear on The Bachelor, she did open up about her time as a model on Deal Or No Deal, where she appeared on 34 episodes as the holder of case No. 24 from 2006 to 2007. Speaking on her “Archetypes” podcast, Meghan said she was treated like a “bimbo” on the show, and added she didn’t appreciate how the show made her feel like she was “not smart”: “I didn’t like feeling forced to be all looks and little substance,” she said.

She added “That’s how it felt for me at the time, being reduced to this specific archetype—the word ‘bimbo.’” She said the models were forced to “line up” for beauty treatments, telling listeners “We were even given spray tan vouchers each week because there was a very cookie cutter idea of precisely what we should look like. It was solely about our beauty. I was surrounded by smart women on that stage with me, but that wasn’t the focus of why we were there, and I would end up leaving with this pit in my stomach. Like I said, I was thankful for the job, but not for how it made me feel, which was not smart.”

Though The Bachelor never happened in Meghan’s life—and thankfully so, as she could have missed the opportunity to find love with Harry—Meghan is clearly a fan of reality television. Meghan’s former Suits castmate Abigail Spencer appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show this week, where Spencer told Clarkson that Meghan is a fan of the singer’s and that Meghan voted for Clarkson when she was on season one of American Idol—which she won in 2002. “It worked!” Clarkson joked, adding “I love that.”

Spencer further detailed meeting Meghan, telling the talk show host that they “immediately had a connection” and soon learned that they share the same birthday, August 4. “It was just something between us,” Spencer said, adding “It was 2007, I was doing a pilot for NBC, and I went to read with the people who were supposed to play my best friend. They were testing other actresses. I walk in, I see this beautiful, gorgeous creature at the end of the table and I’m like, ‘Who is that?’ We had an immediate something, you know? And her name is Meghan Markle.”

Of their time on Suits, “Our friendship really developed during that time and deepened,” Spencer said. “She’s an incredible person.”

After hosting The Bachelor for 19 years, Chris Harrison is more than happy to have taken a step back.

The reality TV mainstay appeared on Bachelorette contestant Jason Tartick's podcast, Trading Secrets, where he said that his time hosting the ABC franchise was a "blessing"—but he's still glad it's over.

"I still look at it as a blessing because it changed my life on so many levels," Harrison said of hosting the franchise (via People). "Financially, of course. It changed my life. It changed my kids' lives … It changed my life, but at the same time, I can also be grateful that I’m gone."

Harrison also alluded to the circumstances surrounding his departure from the series in 2021. At that time, the host faced backlash for urging fans to have "compassion" and "understanding" for Rachael Kirkconnell, a Bachelor contestant who had previously participated in a plantation-themed event. "Is it [not] a good look in 2018, or is it not a good look in 2021?" Harrison said of the controversy while speaking to Bachelorette star Rachel Lindsay, a statement for which he later apologized.

Despite his apology, many fans called for Harrison to leave the show—and he did, with a temporary leave that became permanent. "What I went through was tumultuous. I don't wish it on anybody," Harrison told Tartick on the Trading Secrets podcast. "I knew I had to remove myself from what became a very toxic situation."

As shown by his appearance on Tartick's podcast, Harrison is still on good terms with many Bachelor alums. He's putting his work on the franchise behind him—and hopefully learning from the circumstances that led to his departure, too.

Unmistakably the most unhinged chapter of an already unhinged franchise, Bachelor in Paradise has it all: sun, sea, and dozens of extremely attractive people on the hunt for love and/or Instagram followers. Last year's Paradise was particularly out of control, thanks to the record number of contestants who showed up on the beach, many of whom were greeted by Lil Jon, Lance Bass, Titus Burgess, and David Spade (yes, really)—and spoilers for Bachelor in Paradise in 2022 suggest things get even more unhinged this year. How can ABC possibly outdo last year's season—which was light on viewership but heavy on drama—I hear you ask? (Perhaps I'm just hearing myself ask.)

Well. In spite of rumors in the spring that ABC could kill this chapter of the franchise, the network ultimately decided to renew Bachelor in Paradise for an eighth blockbuster season. (Phew.) This year's season is airing later than in past years, at the end of September, but there's no doubt about it: We're heasing back to Mexico, and everyone will get a second—or third, or fourth, or fifth—chance at said love and/or Instagram followers.

In spite of all of its unhinged-ness, Paradise is by far the most enjoyable edition of the franchise, mostly because most of the franchise's tenets—chastity until marriage or Fantasy Suites; strong religious undertones; the right reasons—are thrown out of the window. Basically, everyone just gets drunk on the beach.

'Bachelor in Paradise' Release Date

Bachelor in Paradise premiered on ABC at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, September 27. From there, it will air Mondays and Tuesday at 8 p.m. through October and into early November.

But this timing is unusual: Paradise typically airs in late summer. Most seasons of Paradise have run from mid-August through to mid-September, although the 2021 season ran all the way 'til October (like I said, a lot of contestants, a lot of drama). But the last season of The Bachelorette, featuring Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia, started in July, which was also unusual (most Bachelorette seasons start in May). Their Bachelorette season ran through September, taking Paradise's typical slot, which is why Paradise didn't start airing until the end of September.

Here's the first poster for Bachelor in Paradise 2022:

Trailer for 'Bachelor in Paradise'

On August 29, a month before the show's release date, ABC dropped the first trailer for the 2022 season of Paradise:

And...whew. We see Shanae Ankney and Jacob Rapini talking about having sex, Lace Morris feeling "so betrayed," several engagement rings, and host Jesse Palmer saying “so much happened that it’s easy to forget just how crazy it actually was." 

In this season's most substantial trailer, released September 20, ABC revealed that Rachel Recchia will be appearing on this season of Paradise on the tail of her Bachelorette season. 

"He's so great. He really is," Rachel is seen saying. "I'm, like, going to cry because I'm so happy."

ABC has also released some more tidbits and mini-trailers from the season:

Format

The 2022 season of Paradise will take a cue from Love Island and separate the contestants—all while bringing in new contestants—to ensure maximum drama. Palmer alludes to this in the trailer, saying, “A shocking twist divides the beach," and telling the women of the beach to pack immediately. (Per Reality Steve: "All the couples are separated with one gender going to another villa and meeting new singles...I think the women were the ones that moved to a new location in Mexico, and were introduced to five new men brought in. The guys stayed on the beach and were introduced to five new women brought in.")

Of the twist, Adams told Us Weekly: "From where I sat, I loved it. Now, the cast did not like it very much. You’ll see a lot of cast members be kind of angry at some of the things we throw at [them] this year."

Host of 'Bachelor in Paradise'

In May, the franchise formally named Jesse Palmer the host of the 2022 edition of Paradise—a move that suggests that Palmer will host all of the franchise's iterations going forward, permanently replacing Chris Harrison.

Speaking to Us Weekly's "Here For the Right Reasons" podcast, Palmer said of Paradise: "It’s insane down here. It’s absolutely crazy. There’s all these people. It is just so much chaos, so much drama and yes, never-before-seen things [are] taking place in Paradise. I’ve been watching this show for years, huge fan of it. And we’ve been switching things up. We’ve been changing things up. It’s hard to keep track of it all, to be honest."

Meanwhile, likable former contestant Wells Adams is serving once again as bartender, a demotion from his "master of ceremonies" role last year. (Adams' wife-to-be, Modern Family's Sarah Hyland, was recently named host of Love Island USA, so they've got the beach dating market covered.) "It's good. It's sexy. I'll say this: it's very sexy," Adams told People. "This season was different than years past," he added, noting, "And it's funny, we do a lot of really funny things this year."

Helping out Palmer and Adams in Mexico will be Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon, who both appeared on Bachelor in Paradise and, later, got married and had a baby. The couple "are also set to appear later in the season" in some capacity, per ABC.

Cast of 'Bachelor in Paradise'

Remember when Palmer said that "all these people" were on the beach? Yeah, well, it's because we've gotten another record-breaking number of contestants on the beach: 44, per Reality Steve. "We're gonna have more people than we've ever had coming down the beach, which means there’s gonna be a whole lot more drama," Adams noted to ET.

In Reality Steve's words: "With 44 different people showing up at some point this season, and 20 hrs of programming this month, get prepared for episodes and episodes full of drama."

Here's who ABC has confirmed will appear on the beach:

• Romeo Alexander
• Michael Allio
• Shanae Ankney
• Jill Chin 
• Brittany Galvin 
• Justin Glaze 
• Hunter Haag 
• Sierra Jackson 
• Brandon Jones
• Hailey Malles 
• Kira Mengistu 
• Lace Morris 
• Logan Palmer 
• Genevieve Parisi 
• Jacob Rapini 
• Rachel Recchia
• Serene Russell 
• Andrew Spencer
• Teddi Wright
• Casey Woods 

That isn't the full cast list, of course—as we all know with Paradise, surprise contestants are constantly coming and going. Here's who Reality Steve and other spoiler accounts are betting will join the above contestants in Mexico:

• Aaron Clancy
• James Bonsall
• Sarah Hamrick
• Tyler Norris
• Alex Bordyukov
• Rick Leach
• Mara Agreat
• Ency Abedin
• Lyndsey Windham
• Rick Leach
• Olu Onajide
• Victoria Fuller
• Cassidy Timbrooks
• Kate Gallivan
• Sarah Hamrick
• Kate Gallivan
• Eliza Isichei
• Jessenia Cruz
• Joey and Justin Young
• Eliza Isichei
• Jessenia Cruz
• Andrew Smith
• Tyler Norris
• Johnny DePhillipo
• Rodney Matthews
• Hayden Markowitz

And ABC has released a few photos of the initial group of castmates on the beach:

Other members of Bachelor Nation weren't so sure about showing up. Ben Smith, from Tayshia's season, wrote "Nah, girl" on Instagram when asked if he'd be joining the cast. And Demi Burnett said, “I cannot go on Bachelor in Paradise again" when asked, adding, “Also, I’m way out of their league.”

Meanwhile, former Bachelor Peter Weber almost agreed to Paradise, per E! News. “I always kept looking at [Paradise] as, like, the one venue I hadn't, like, really checked off yet or tried. I thought maybe [I could] give it one more try,” he said. “But [ABC and I] ended up not being able to agree on anything and get out there. I feel everything happens for a reason, so it’s all good.”

Spoilers for 'Bachelor in Paradise'

Per Reality Steve, the "villain" of the season may be Kate Gallivan, who you'll remember from Clayton's season. "Kate is possibly next villain, as she seems to be causing quite the ruckus down there," RS noted. "I don’t think her edit is gonna be great and she’s rubbing some of the contestants the wrong way from everything I’m hearing.”

We also know who left the beach engaged, according to Reality Steve: 

• Johnny DePhillipo and Victoria Fuller
• Brandon Jones and Serene Russell

Two more couples left together, but didn't get engaged. They are:

• Michael Allio and Danielle Maltby
• Tyler Norris and Brittany Galvin

And two more couples were together, but ended up splitting up before leaving Mexico:

• Aaron Clancy and Genevieve Parisi
• Logan Palmer and Kate Gallivan

"There are other things I’ve heard post-filming that I’m still trying to confirm, but those are the 6 “main” couples at the end," Reality Steve wrote.

'Bachelor in Paradise' Finale

According to Reality Steve, the last episode of this season of Bachelor in Paradise will air on November 1, 2022.

Reality TV can no longer be considered a guilty pleasure. What was once discussed solely on message boards or in hushed debate around the water cooler has now evolved to be considered case studies of human nature. Now it seems that everyone watches reality TV out loud, praising their favorite stars on Twitter and making podcasts about the history of the art form. All of this is thanks to the last decade of innovative new reality shows that are fun to watch and make you think.

The new reality shows coming out in 2022 are no different. While several beloved franchises are coming back, there are also new shows and docuseries that will shine a light on life experiences we may have never seen. Ahead, some of the best reality TV to check out this year.

'The Bachelor'

After a tumultuous, franchise-changing year, The Bachelor is back with a return to the status quo. The contestants are back in the mansion and the lead is Clayton, a sweet clean-slate of a Bachelor from Michelle's season. The new host, former football player Jesse Palmer, is filling Chris Harrison's shoes. For anyone who's been missing the pre-pandemic Bachelor, this season's definitely one to watch.

WATCH IT

'Joe Millionaire: For Richer of For Poorer'

The 2003 reality show Joe Millionaire existed in a whole different world: There was no social media where contestants to sleuth out whether or not the lead was actually rich. (MySpace wasn't even founded until seven months after its premiere.) So bringing it back for 2022 was a bold move. In the revival, there are two leads, one a millionaire and one working class, and the contestants have to suss out which is which while also trying to fall in love (minus the woman who immediately got eliminated after recognizing one of the men from Hinge). 

WATCH IT

'Too Hot to Handle'

Our favorite abstinence-promoting dating show is returning for its third season, with a new group of beautiful people being stopped in their tracks by an AI babysitter named Lana. Season 3 has the most rowdy contestants yet, all struggling to not have sex in a Turks and Caicos vacation villa.

WATCH IT

'My Mom, Your Dad'

If getting involved in your mom or dad's love life doesn't sound like the most awkward thing ever, this new dating show is for you. For the adult contestants, My Mom, Your Dad is like Bachelor in Paradise for an older crowd. Little do they know that their kids are watching them date behind the scenes, and manipulating events to either get them closer or steer them away from their dates.

WATCH IT

'Remix My Space with Marsai Martin'

Black-ish and Little star Marsai Martin hosts this new room-renovation show. For each episode, the young phenom surprises other teens doing big things in their communities and designs their dream space with the help of women designers and carpenters.

WATCH IT

'Selling the Hamptons'

You might recognize the realtors of Discovery+'s new answer to Selling Sunset on Netflix's short-lived Million Dollar Beach House. For this show, the agents of Nest Seekers International turn up the drama as they sell mansions in the popular East-Coast vacation hamlet, the Hamptons, during a market surge that led to record-high sales.

WATCH IT

'Take Out with Lisa Ling'

In this six-part series, CNN journalist Lisa Ling gives America's Asian restaurants the documentary treatment, introducing viewers to some of the people and families who run them. The series will showcase the family-run joints that support whole communities and serve as the less-recognized backbone of the American food industry.

Premiere: Jan. 27

'Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness'

Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness has turned his hit podcast into a new show, following the personality as he explores a variety of topics including wig-making, ice skating, entomology (bug science). For the show, Van Ness wants to honor his "relentless curiosity;" anyone who feels the same should definitely check it out.

Premiere: Jan. 28

'Love Off the Grid'

This new 90 Day Fiancé-esque dating show will explore whether love can survive outside of civilization. Four average people move in with their significant others who are homesteaders, people who live off the grid without running water or electricity. Will the couples thrive in their new circumstances, or will their radically-different lifestyles break them up?

Premiere: Jan. 30 on Discovery+

'Love is Blind'

The Netflix dating show and social experiment Love is Blind is finally coming back with a new set of singles ready to fall in love sight unseen. If you somehow missed the first season, the participants who couple up after meeting in the pods, having never seen each other, have a month to get married once they meet, proving whether or not love can truly be blind.

Premiere: Feb. 11

'Indian Matchmaking'

Another Netflix favorite dating show is returning this year, following elite Indian matchmaker Sima Taparia as she guides a new set of clients toward a perfect match. Though details are scarce so far, we can't wait for new episodes.

Premiere: TBD

It's that time of year again—some might say the best time of year: It's Bachelor in Paradise season! On this special spin-off show, we get to watch former Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants search for love amid their Bachelor Nation peers while dodging (and/or, creating) drama on a tropical beach. Does TV get any better? Ozark, you say? Game of Thrones, you suggest? No, it's a reality dating show set on an "island" (really, a resort in Mexico) that features Lil Jon and David Spade. I can't make this up, people.

One of the best parts of BIP is that it gives ample screen time to fan favorites. This season, that includes Serena Pitt from Matt James' season of The Bachelor. If you recall, Pitt broke up with James during hometowns, saying, "I don’t think that you’re my person." She was known on the season for being a straight shooter and for being unapologetically open about her feelings (remember when she was brutally honest about not being into that tantric yoga date?). Her candor is refreshing on a reality television show, and we're so excited to see what one-liners ("I'm falling into like!") she brings to the new season of Bachelor in Paradise.

She's a Canadian, eh?

Pitt hails from Toronto, where she works as a fashion and beauty publicist. According to her LinkedIn, her latest professional gig was an internship with the Toronto-based MacIntyre Communications firm. In 2020, she completed a certificate program in sport and event marketing at Toronto's George Brown College, a year after graduating with her bachelor's degree in communications and business management from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario.

During her time in college, Pitt specialized in digital and cultural theory and minored in psychology and, outside of class, was a member of WLU's competitive dance team.

She's wise beyond her years.

At 23, Pitt is one of the youngest contestants in the franchise of The Bachelor. But age is just a number to Pitt, whose old, official ABC bio leads with her belief that, when it comes to love, "no matter what your age is, when you know, you know."

She's also extremely practical: A major goal in Pitt's life is to learn how to change a tire, and her dream pet is a chicken, since it would be not just a pet, but also a source of fresh eggs.

She's a huge foodie.

Pitt may have held off on pursuing true love until now, but she already understands something very important about ensuring longevity in a relationship. As she said in her Bachelor bio of a potential partner, "If they don't let me taste their food, I don't know if the relationship could survive." Have truer words ever been spoken? She also claims to be perpetually hangry and, remember, is only in the market for a pet that can do double duty as a food source—all of which easily qualifies her as something of a down-to-earth, endlessly practical foodie.

Further evidence can be found on Pitt's Instagram, which is filled with plenty of shots of delicious-looking snacks and drinks, including my personal favorite, this absolutely stunning charcuterie board:

She broke up with Matt James on The Bachelor.

Serena ended things with James after a heart-to-heart with her mom that made her realize she didn't truly love James. She had been a (dare we say) frontrunner the entire season, but the pair lacked palatable chemistry. The breakup was emotional for both parties, but necessary. During the show's Women Tell All episode, she shared more about her decision: “I would’ve been doing him a disservice by staying," she explained. "As much as I deserve to be 100 percent on someone, he deserves to be with someone who’s 100 percent on him. I couldn’t give him that, and he had three other amazing women there.”

Good for Pitt for trying to make sure both she and James found the right person, even if that wasn't each other!

She has a game plan for Paradise.

Before she was even a confirmed member of the cast, Pitt shared that if she did do BIP, she'd be looking for genuine connection and chemistry. She told ScreenRant: "I would go in with a very open mind. I think it's easy to look at someone and think they're really attractive, but I'm definitely someone who bases a lot on chemistry and interaction." She added, “I wouldn't want to write off anyone going in because I had my eyes set on someone specific."

She's also looking for female friendship, which we fully support! "There [will] be a lot of great girls to potentially make friendships with" she said.

Pitt might find love with a familiar face...

...and this isn't a spoiler, because it's in the trailer!

It seems Pitt makes a connection with Joe Amabile, who was on Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette and the fifth season of Bachelor in Paradise, where he met Kendall Long. The two broke it off before the show's end, but ultimately did enter a relationship with each other (and even moved in together!) before ending things. And get this: Long is also on this season. So...things are about to get awkward. Those producers, man!

Spoilers ahead. OK, if you're not ready to find out exactly how this season of Bachelor in Paradise ends, stop reading. Still here? Great. We've got some news: Amabile and Pitt end up getting engaged on Bachelor in Paradise. That's in spite of the arrival of Kendall Long, who came back to Mexico and told Amabile that she still had feelings for him. Amabile explained that he had strong feelings for Pitt, and Long ultimately left the beach.

In the season finale, Amabile proposes to Pitt—and get this: Your new favorite Bachelor couple are still together and happily engaged, at least if recent photos are any indication. The two were spotted cuddling in public. So, shall we expect a wedding next Paradise, or...?

No matter what, we'll be able to spend the summer and fall of 2021 living vicariously through a group of very photogenic twentysomethings as they chug tropical drinks and attempt to fall in love with each other. That's right, folks: Bachelor in Paradise is back! The seventh season premiered on ABC on Monday, August 16, and is hosted by a range of celebrity comedians—David Spade, Tituss Burgess, Lance Bass, and Lil Jon—in lieu of Chris Harrison; bartender and Bachelor alum Wells Adams has been promoted to as "master of ceremonies." (If you want to find out exactly what goes down, check out our guide to Bachelor in Paradise 2021 spoilers.)

The series, which boasts A-list superfans like Jennifer Aniston and Daniel Radcliffe, was forced to take a year off in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the powers that be over at ABC scrambled to bring the no-holds-barred Bachelor spinoff back in time for the summer of 2021. The 2021 season is expected to have more contestants than any previous editions of the franchise, and you know what that means—more drama than ever before. “Of all the five seasons I’ve done in Paradise, the craziest stuff happens on this season," Wells Adams told the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast. "I think no one is going to expect what happens."

When does Bachelor in Paradise air in 2021?

Bachelor in Paradise began airing on ABC on August 16, 2021, between Katie Thurston and Michelle Young's back-to-back seasons of The Bachelorette. After that, Paradise airs Mondays and Tuesdays through to mid-September, then just Tuesdays starting September 13. The season culminates on October 5, 2021, two weeks prior to the beginning of Young's season.

Who's on the cast of Bachelor in Paradise?

Four seasons of The Bachelor and Bachelorette aired in the two years since the last group of Bachelor Nation alums flew to Mexico, meaning there were more than 100 (!) eliminated contestants to choose from for this season of BiP. The devil works hard, but Bachelor producers work harder!

Confirmed Bachelor in Paradise Contestants

• Abigail Heringer
• Brendan Morais
• Becca Kufrin
• Connor Brennan
• Deandra Kanu
• Demi Burnett
• Ivan Hall
• Jessenia Cruz
• Joe Amabile
• Joe Park
• Karl Smith
• Kelsey Weir
• Kenny Braasch
• Kendall Long
• Mari Pepin-Solis
• Maurissa Gunn
• Natasha Parker
• Noah Erb
• Serena Chew
• Serena Pitt
• Tahzjuan Hawkins
• Tammy Ly
• Tia Booth
• Victoria Larson
• Victoria Paul

Unconfirmed (But Rumored) Contestants

We also have an unofficial list of people who, per Reality Steve, are rumored to join the above cast in Paradise. These former contestants include:

• Kit Keenan
• Chelsea Vaughn
• Madison Prewett
• Connor Saeli
• Demar Jackson
• Ed Waisbrot
• Chris Randone
• Clay Harbor

Where is Bachelor in Paradise filmed?

As with previous Paradise seasons, Bachelor in Paradise 2021 was filmed at the Playa Escondida resort in Sayulita, Mexico.

Who is hosting Bachelor in Paradise?

Confirmed Hosts

With Chris Harrison ejected as host, a range of celebrity guest hosts filled in: David Spade, Tituss Burgess, Lance Bass, and Lil Jon.

Lance Bass, for one, enjoyed it so much that he's down to come back for good. "They've not asked me [to be the permanent host], and of course that's going to depend on Bachelor Nation out there...I mean, yes, of course, it would be a dream come true to be able to host a show like that," he told ET.

Wells, too, has made clear he's down for the role of permanent host. "I'm not sure what the next step is, but whatever ABC and Bachelor Nation wants I'll go do it. If they want me to host the show, sure I'll go do that, if they want me to be the janitor next season, OK, I'll go do that too." Reality Steve notes of Wells: "I have not heard any names outside of Wells. So while I wouldn’t be shocked if it ended up being him, I haven’t heard anything else on it."

Unconfirmed Hosts

It's possible that we'll see on the beach some Bachelor Nation mainstays who fell in love in Paradise, too: Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon, for example, who recently announced that Ashley is pregnant—technically they got together after two tumultuous Paradise seasons, but still—or Astrid Locht and Kevin Wendt, who announced the same. Or Raven Gates Gottschalk and Adam Gottschalk, newlyweds who are now expecting a "honeymoon baby." (So! Many! Paradise! Babies!)

What happens on Bachelor in Paradise this season?

The Final Couples

According to Reality Steve, the couples who get engaged at the end of Paradise are:

• Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt
• Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin
• Riley Christian and Maurissa Gunn

Which engaged couples are still together?

All of them! Joe and Serena were photographed out and about in Chicago, confirming that they're very much still together. (If you need any more evidence, Abigail from their season accidentally confirmed that Joe and Serena are still engaged.) Reality Steve reported that Kenny and Mari have also been photographed together—his intel that they're engaged is supported by the fact that a promo for Bachelor in Paradise shows someone holding out a ring with the same distinctive necklace and tattoo that Kenny has—and that Riley and Maurissa, two fan favorites, also remain engaged, though the latter couple have managed to stay out of the spotlight.

Did any other couples leave the beach together?

Becca Kufrin and Thomas Jacobs

Yes, as in beloved Bachelorette Becca and Thomas, the "villain" of Katie Thurston's season. The two hit it off in Paradise, but Becca ultimately broke up with him on the beach and they left separately. Per Reality Steve, Becca and Thomas got back together after filming, and remain together now.

Brendan Morais and Pieper James

Brendan and Pieper were unceremoniously kicked off the beach and broke up a couple months later. In September, after their episodes aired, Pieper told Us Weekly: "We’re working through things. This obviously isn’t something that’s super healthy for a relationship either, so it kind of is what it is. Every day...taking it day by day.” By October, the two had split.

Noah Erb and Abigail Heringer

Noah Erb and Abigail Heringer broke up before the end of the season and both of them left single, per Reality Steve. But they've been photographed together since, and eagle-eyed Bachelor fans noticed that in recent social media posts, Abigail is wearing a necklace that Noah has also been wearing recently. But then former Bachelorette Clare Crawley tagged Abigail in a post alluding to her breakup, and Bachelor Nation speculated that Abigail might be involved with Dale somehow. To add fuel to the fire, Noah posted to his Instagram Story, "A lot of interesting stuff swirling around..."

Ivan Hall and Alexa Caves

We never got to see Alexa, from Peter's season, on this season of Paradise—but Ivan Hall did. While the cast sheltered from the storm in a hotel, Ivan found out Alexa's room number and went to see her, leaving to an emotional exit from Paradise. It's not clear whether the two are still seeing each other: "[There's] a lot to talk about still,” he said via Instagram. "A lot to be explained...[I] can’t wait to have the opportunity to do that at some point in the near future because I think everything will make a lot of sense.”

Jessenia Cruz, Alana Milne, and Chris Conran

Another source of drama on the beach was the love triangle that was Chris, Alana, and Jessenia, which culminated in Joe getting real mad on Jessenia's behalf and Chris and Alana being forced to leave. (Poor Alana had been there 24 hours, and, well, didn't really do anything.) It's not clear whether Alana and Chris are still together, since they'd only been on a single date before they left the beach, but Alana said on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast that Chris had "taken [her] on a bunch of dates."

What has the cast of Bachelor in Paradise said about this season?

Well, first, there's been a lot of apologizing since the show began airing. Pieper James has apologized ("I’m not an extension of Brendan and his actions, and I don’t condone dishonest behavior"), as did Brendan ("I understand that the damage is already done and all I can do going forward is acknowledge the error of my ways"). Natasha, for the record, told ET of their apologies: "I saw his apology on his page, and the numerous attempts that she has said for press...It's like, 'Guys, hi. Again, the person who you're disregarding. Call me, text me, DM me.' They don't care about me."

Chris also apologized: "I take complete accountability for my blatant disrespect towards Jessenia, and handling the situation poorly."

Others have blamed "bad edits" for their image on the show. Wrote Blake Monar, who got into an argument with Tia Booth over his not trying hard enough: "I was there to build a connection, not just plan gestures solely due to a request to do so for a favorable 'edit' so someone 'doesn't look like a fool'— 'this dude.'" This echoes Pieper, who wrote: "Gentle reminder that reality tv isn’t real. "An edited, produced, and cut down show isn’t going to show you every single thing said and done. An edited and produced show can’t show you conversations that happened before filming between friends."

Some other contestants have spoken out about what to expect from the season in general. Speaking on the Click Bait podcast, Joe said: "A lot of people find love but don’t necessarily get it reciprocated...I think there’s a lot more heartbreak this time than when I was on it last time. It just seemed like a lot of people just weren’t on the same page." 

Tammy Ly told Entertainment Tonight: "I'm telling you right now this season is the most monumental season they ever released." Of Chris Harrison, she said: "Honestly I forgot he even existed."

You'd be forgiven for not remembering everything that's happened in Bachelor Nation in 2021. Michelle Young's season of The Bachelorette caps off an unforgettable year for the franchise—and not in a good way. From the departure of Chris Harrison to the racism that swallowed up the season starring Matt James, the franchise's first Black Bachelor, it's been...a lot. But Michelle Young, the college basketball player-turned-teacher, has been one of the best parts of a turbulent year. Fans are rooting hard for the new Bachelorette to find love...so, does she? If you're here because you're wondering if Michelle got engaged—or if you just crave spoilers in general—you're in the right place.

First, a refresher: Michelle came in second on Matt's season, later explaining that she was denied closure after Matt broke up with her on their final one-on-one date. "I had to walk away without closure, and I had to fill in the gaps of what our relationship really was," she told Matt at the After the Final Rose special early this year.

Announced as one of two Bachelorettes at the special, Michelle filmed her season between July and September this year (a schedule planned so that she could return for the new school year). Hers was the first season in almost two years that involved international travel, with Michelle and her final contestants flying to Mexico for the final few dates.

Does Michelle get engaged?

So, let's get down to it. Does Michelle find her perfect match—bad basketball pun intended—and get engaged at the end of her season?

Yes!

Michelle is engaged to Nayte Olukoya.

Per Reality Steve, Michelle leaves the season engaged to Nayte, a 27-year-old sales executive who lives in Austin, Texas. (Michelle lives and works in Minnesota, so there's likely a cross-country move in the works.) Per Nayte's ABC bio: "He has a smile that sparkles like the stars, he is always the life of the party; and to boot, he is a 6-foot, eight-inch Adonis of a man."

When she first met Nayte, Michelle was "honestly very attracted to him," she told E!. "I think the biggest part was when we sat down, we just had a natural conversation."

The love story at the crux of the season—presumably between Michelle and Nayte—"unfolds beautifully," co-host Tayshia Adams told E!. "It's like a fairy tale, which is different, I think...You guys will understand that word at the end." Of Nayte and Michelle's immediate connection, Tayshia said: 'There was just an unspoken chemistry there, which was really cool to watch.'"

As for Michelle's runner-up, that's a guy named Brandon Jones, per Reality Steve. Here he is:

While social media sleuths speculated that Reality Steve might be wrong and Michelle might actually be engaged to another man—Joe Coleman, a fellow college basketball player who lives close to Michelle and was spotted with her at a basketball game—it seems likely that Michelle and Joe just ran into each other at the local game, and that Michelle is very much engaged to Nayte.

And if you're curious about the many, many men that Michelle sent home before narrowing the field to Nayte and Brandon in Mexico, here's our guide to Michelle's cast of men.

If you watched Matt James's Bachelor season, you're likely familiar with Michelle Young—the 28-year-old elementary school teacher and college basketball star from Minnesota who was the runner-up to season 25 winner Rachael Kirkconnell. Fans were thrilled to learn during the After the Final Rose special that Young would be the lead of season 18 of The Bachelorette. Her season premiered on Tuesday, October 19, following Katie Thurston's season (which aired in the spring and early summer) and after Bachelor in Paradise (which ended in early October).

Notably, Michelle's season is airing on Tuesdays, rather than the Monday slot traditionally occupied by The Bachelor franchise. Ahead, everything we know so far about Young's Bachelorette season, including the premiere date, Michelle's contestants, filming location, and more. (If you're looking to find out who wins Michelle's season, here's our guide to Bachelorette spoilers.)

When did Michelle's season premiere?

Young's season premiered on Tuesday, October 19 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Filming began at the end of July and wrapped in early September. Apparently, ABC and Young coordinated this schedule so Young could film during summer vacation and wouldn't miss out on time with her students when school went back into session in the fall.

Who hosts Michelle's Bachelorette season?

Michelle's hosts are Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe, the former Bachelorette duo also hosted Katie's season earlier this year.

No long-term host for the franchise has yet been announced following the departure of Chris Harrison. For the 2022 season of The Bachelor, former Bachelor and sports commentator Jesse Palmer will host—a role we can consider an audition, in a way, for the role of permanent host. Reality Steve reports that there will be two seasons of The Bachelor next year, so it's not clear whether Palmer will reprise his role.

What happens on Michelle's Bachelorette season?

No spoilers here, but this season is expected to have tears, drama, and plenty of accusations about the "wrong reasons." Speaking to E!, Michelle said: "I am very happy just how this entire experience went. I have learned so much about myself, about what I'm looking for."

Meanwhile, co-host Kaitlyn Bristowe told E!: "I feel like Michelle is so authentic in what she was looking for. I feel like she wasn't there for the wrong reasons. She wanted to go right back to her students after filming, and that's who she is," Kaitlyn said. "[There is] a lot of authenticity, romance, and some really heartbreaking heartbreaks. I cried a few times."

Her co-host Tayshia Adams added: "It's like a fairy tale, which is different, I think...You guys will understand that word at the end. It unfolds beautifully."

Where will Michelle's season be filmed?

The show slightly relaxed its COVID-19 protocols for Michelle's season, meaning Young's Bachelorette season was able to film in multiple locations. Her season initially filmed at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa near Palm Springs, California, followed by the Marquette Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Towards the end of the season, Michelle and her final contestants were able to leave the United States and visit Punta de Mita, Mexico.

Who are the Bachelorette contestants for Michelle's season?

ABC dropped the full list of Young's 35 contestants earlier this month. Though most of the men look like typical Bachelor contestants, the roster does skew older, with most of the men in their late 20s to early 30s.

One thing we do know: One of Michelle's contestants is our next Bachelor. The Hollywood Reporter reported on September 9: "The star for season 26 is a contestant who will compete on the upcoming season." The man in question is named Clayton Echard, a former Seattle Seahawks tight end. In her interview with Entertainment Tonight, Young described Clayton as a "sweetheart."

What about the rest of the controversy with the franchise?

The Bachelor franchise is attempting to work on its diversity problem both behind the scenes and on camera; Variety reported that The Bachelor has named Jodi Baskerville its first Black executive producer. Baskerville has been with the franchise for a decade and will begin her new role during Young's season.

When asked by The Hollywood Reporter about her season, Young replied: "Having Jodi there, having another woman of color, if there’s any time something was concerning or I just wanted to talk about something, she was right there to do that with me, who can make me feel heard, as well as to sit down and have conversations and bring everybody else into those conversations as well."

Asked about her goal in taking the lead, Young told THR: "Number one, yes, to find my person. But number two, to just showcase diverse love stories. Walking into it, I didn’t have this type of “this is what my person physically has to look like.” And being able to have other young women of color, girls of color, be able to turn on their TV screens and be able to see somebody who looks like them is not something that happens often whatsoever. And so to give them that opportunity, to be that for even just one other person, I think is incredibly important."

Michelle Young's season of The Bachelorette—the second of two Bachelorette seasons in 2021—kicked off in October 2021. One of the standouts among Michelle's cast of men is the immediate frontrunner Nayte. The 27-year-old sales executive–full name Tundé Nayte Olukoya–gave Michelle butterflies when he stepped out of the limo, capping off a sweet introduction with his catchphrase, "It's better Nayte than never."

Described as a "6-foot, 8-inch Adonis of a man" in his ABC bio, Nayte struck a chord with viewers from his introduction, where he cutely gushed about how beautiful Michelle was. Later in the night, he saved the cocktail hour after Michelle had to send home a contestant, cheering her up and also opening up, being vulnerable about his parents' divorce. He ended up receiving the first impression rose, and he and Michelle shared the first kiss of the season.

Here's everything we know about the frontrunner.

He grew up in Canada.

The 27-year-old is originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada. He graduated with a Bachelor's in business administration and a minor in Africana studies from Eastern Washington University in 2019.

He works as a sales executive in Austin, TX.

According to his LinkedIn, which doesn't include his picture, Olukoya started working for Indeed in Austin, TX, after his graduation. He previously worked as a bartender and a sales rep for AT&T during college.

He previously worked as a teacher's aide.

Olukoya is familiar with the life of a teacher. His mom is a teacher, and according to his LinkedIn profile, he previously volunteered as a teacher's aide for Omaha Public Schools in Nebraska, where his mom lived at the time. He also talked about that connection with Michelle during the season 18 premiere.

"I have crazy respect for teachers," he said, "and knowing that she's a teacher has me believing at least that she's a person that's going to want to have like conversations that are, you know, not superficial because that's what I'm looking for."

He became a dog dad this year.

Olukoya adopted an English Cocker Spaniel puppy named Percy earlier this year, and he's already shared several adorable pics of the pup on Instagram. When he introduced Percy on social media last May, a month after he was adopted, he quoted a Drake lyric in the caption: "I wasn’t hiding my kid from the world — I was hiding the world from my kid."

He's an avid reader.

The 27-year-old likes a good nonfiction book, and often posts pics of his current or recent reads on Instagram. Some of the books he's highlighted are Robin DiAngelo's White Fragility, Vicki Robin's Your Money or Your Life, and Ryan Holiday's The Daily Stoic.

His other hobbies include outdoor activities like hiking and paddle boarding, but he "can't dance to save his life," per his ABC bio.

He's looking for a "teammate for life."

According to his ABC bio, Olukoya is looking for a long-distance relationship, now that he's approaching 30. It says his dream woman is "outgoing, spontaneous and has enough swagger of her own to keep up with him."

"He's looking for a connection filled with heat and for someone who will be just as passionate about him as he is about her," the bio continues. "Nayte is looking for a teammate for life and is confident that Michelle may just be the one he's been waiting for."

There will be some drama between him and his fellow contestants.

After Olukoya received the first impression rose, ABC revealed in the season teaser that the other Bachelorette contestants won't be fans of the frontrunner as the competition goes on. In one clip, as he and Young kiss, we hear a contestant saying, "Nayte is a player."

Another scene shows Clayton Echard saying, "You’re an actor and you’ve come on a reality TV show," to which Nayte replies, "What are you talking about?" Later in the teaser, Nayte breaks down and cries, and a few other contestants do as well. The clip gave no hint of Michelle's response to all the drama, though.

Bachelor Nation received a spoil of riches this year. Mere months after Katie Thurston's Bachelorette season and hot on the heels of Bachelor in Paradise comes Michelle Young's Bachelorette season. Not only are we looking forward to following the teacher and runner-up from Matt James' season's journey, the season is also being filmed in multiple locations, in the franchise's first return to a new normal amid the pandemic. For Michelle's suitors, the Bachelorette producers found a bevy of former collegiate athletes looking to find love with the former basketball player. The below is a full list of Michelle's potential contestants, with her frontrunners up top (if you want more spoilers, check out our guide for updates).

1. Joe Coleman, 28

Joe is from Minneapolis, Michelle's hometown, and he was crowned 2011 Mr. Minnesota Basketball while playing for the University of Minnesota. He's already been tapped as an early frontrunner, and there are even rumors that he and Michelle already knew each other from playing ball.

2. Nayte Olukoya, 27

Canadian account executive Nayte is from Winnipeg and currently lives in Austin, TX, where he works at Indeed. His Instagram is reportedly full of pics of his family, including his puppy, Percy. Nayte's also one to watch, with Reality Steve spotting him on two dates with Michelle.

3. Alec Thompson, 29

A former football player turned civil engineer, Alec is from Forest, VA, but he currently works in South Carolina. He has also volunteered for the Special Olympics.

4. Brandon J., 26

Born and raised in Portland, OR, Brandon J. loves basketball, swimming, and playing with his puppy, Little Mac. The feature quote on his Instagram (since made private) was reportedly "I am running away from my responsibilities. And it feels good." Which is... an unfortunate choice for a Bachelorette contestant.

5. Brandon Kieffer, 29

Brandon K. grew up in Sulphur, LA, and currently lives in Austin. He's a grad student in management and works a brand manager for SkinnyPop popcorn.

6. Brett Parker, 29

Entreprenur Brett is a Houston, TX, native who currently lives in L.A. with his dog, Beckham. Animal lovers who have a spare moment can check out the pup's growth on Brett's Instagram. He's also a proponent of "good vibes only" and has a Buddha quote on his Instagram bio.

7. Bryan Witzmann, 30

A former professional football player from Houlton, WI, Bryan has played for nine different NFL teams, most notably the Kansas City Chiefs. He's currently getting a Master's degree, and he describes himself as a world traveler and amateur chef in his Instagram bio.

8. Casey Woods, 36

Casey is a music producer and songwriter born in Parkland, FL, and currently working in Miami.

9. Christopher Gallant, 27

Canadian Chris G. is a Ted Lasso fan from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He's also a former collegiate soccer player and an animal lover who's tried his hand at spoken word poetry.

10. Chris Sutton, 28

New Orleans native Chris S. keeps pretty private on social media. He's also exactly Michelle's age. His Bachelorette time could go either way.

11. Clayton Echard, 28

Orthopedic sales rep Clayton is a former collegiate football player and former freestyle rapper from Eureka, MO. He spends a lot of his free time outdoors and with his family.

12. Daniel Tully, 26

Austin, TX, native Daniel works as a firefighter and a realtor, even maintaining a separate Instagram for his listings.

13. Edward Naranjo, 27

Brownsville, TX, native Edward currently works as a personal trainer in L.A. He also models, and Reality Steve found that he has an acting background.

14. Eric Tai, 25

Eric grew up in Bridgewater, NJ, and currently works in private equity in NYC. He graduated from UNC Chapel Hill, and he plays tennis in his spare time.

15. Garrett Aida, 33

Salt Lake City, UT, native Garrett has a degree in mechanical engineering. He's also an entrepreneur who has founded two companies and runs his second, which makes custom mobile devices. He also reportedly has a sporty and outdoorsy side.

16. Jack Russell, 30

Jack is a veteran from Greensboro, NC, who served in the Army for five years. He's currently getting his MBA in Pennsylvania, and he has the excellent IG handle, @jackrussellnottheterrier.

17. Jamie Skaar

Entreprenur Jamie grew up in Tacoma, WA, and runs is own indoor air purification company. He also loves to travel and has spoken out about social justice on his Instagram.

18. Joel Wilkinson, 31

Joel is a physical therapist who grew up in Prescott, AZ.

19. Jomarri Gable, 26

Jomarri is a personal trainer from Portland, OR. His feed is mostly workout pics featuring him and his clients, and he's a huge fan of weightlifting.

20. Leroy Arthur, 27

Durham, NC, native and current Dallas resident Leroy is a grad student in biomedical engineering. He's also a part-time model.

21. LT Murray IV, 38

LT hails from Bellevue, WA, and he works as a personal trainer specializing in yoga and spin. Fun facts: he teaches alpaca yoga(!) and he's actor Clint Eastwood's grandson.

22. Martin Gelbspan, 28

Personal trainer Martin is from Cordoba, Argentina. He specializes in bodyweight workouts that people can do without a gym, and he reportedly has a fitness app coming out soon.

23. Michael Sambol, 30

Omaha, NE, native Michael works as a software engineer for Intuit. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 2014, and he spends a lot of time shirtless at beaches and lakes.

24. Mollique Johnson, 36

Mollique was born in Jameshill, Jamaica, and currently works at San Diego State University as assistant director of operations. He has a Master's in Education and used to play minor league basketball for the San Diego Guardians.

25. Olumide Onajide, 28

Another former college basketball player, Olumide grew up in Woodland Park, NJ, who went to Rutgers University for both undergrad and grad school. His main job is as a field systems analyst, and he also models and writes a fitness column.

26. Pardeep Singh, 30

Brooklyn native Pardeep has two neuroscience degrees and one in neurobiology. He hosts the science and social justice podcast Deep Thoughts, and his Instagram bio says he's a gamer.

27. Peter Izzo, 26

Pietro "Peter" Izzo, born in Bellmore, NY, has his own pizzeria in Port St. Joe, Florida. When not running Peter's Pizzeria, he likes a good party, a day at the beach, and hanging out with his family.

28. PJ Henderson, 30

Austin, TX, native PJ is a former college football player for Lamar University, who now works as a firefighter and EMT. He and his family also run the Bakari Foundation, created on behalf of his brother, Bakari, who was killed in Greece in 2017. The foundation provides travel experiences for family who have lost loved ones.

29. Rick Leach, 26

Born in Munroe Falls, OH, Rick currently lives in L.A. with his pup Nana. He's a big family guy, with many IG posts featuring his little cousins.

30. Rodney Mathews

Rodney was born in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and currently works in LA as a sales representative. Another collegiate football player, he played for Fresno State University.

31. Romeo Alexander, 32

This IRL Romeo is a data scientist born and raised in NYC. He's studied at both New York University and Harvard, and currently works for a corporate card company called Ramp.

32. Ryan Fox, 30

Ryan is from Sanger, CA, and enjoys fitness and world travel. He also has already been a "Bachelor," playing the role for the franchise's "Bachelor Live on Stage" tour in February 2020, hosted by Becca Kurfin and Ben Higgins. No word on how long he sticks around, but the "right reasons" debate has already begun.

33. Spencer Williams, 25

Spencer is from Cleveland, OH, and is a dad to an adorable three-year-old boy named Bray. His IG is full of pics of the toddler, as well as travel pics. It also looks like Spencer played college ball, and professional basketball in Ireland.

34. Trevor Abrams, 26

Rocklin, CA, native Trevor is a former minor league baseball player who now works as a hitting instructor. He's also outdoorsy and enjoys snowboarding and hiking.

35. Will Urena, 29

Will is a fitness trainer who was born Santo Domingo in the Dominical Republic. He also has retweeted some pretty misogynistic tweets in the past, with Reality Steve posting the receipts as soon as Will was announced. Safe to say he probably won't stick around long.

The first of two The Bachelorette seasons this year just wrapped, and fans have been wondering which of Katie Thurston's contestants could get picked to be the next Bachelor. While there's still Michelle Young's season of The Bachelorette and an entire Bachelor in Paradise run to go before we return to the franchise's flagship show, now's as good a time as any to go over the rumored frontrunners for The Bachelor Season 26.

The next season of The Bachelor is expected to air in early 2022. It'll be the first season since the off-screen drama in Matt James' season led to a franchise-wide shake-up, with longtime host Chris Harrison leaving the show. We don't know yet whether the Bachelor producers are looking to play it safe or chose a lead that fits the historic Bachelor mold (a.k.a. another white dude). Either way, fans are clamoring for another charismatic leading man to root for on his journey to love.

Fan input will play a sizable role in who gets chosen, according to ABC entertainment executive Rob Mills. Mills told Variety, "The silent producer on the show is the audience so we’ll see on Twitter who people say they want to see. And then also, we’ll look at people who went home too early and were great and didn’t have enough time to shine. Sometimes the pond is really dry—this season will be the opposite case. The pond is overstocked."

So who has already risen up in the Bachelor race? Possibilities include:

Michael Allio

Single dad Allio quickly won Thurston's and the viewer's hearts on Season 17. Besides being handsome and charming, the 36-year-old widower movingly shared that he lost his wife, Laura, to breast cancer in early 2019. Allio and Thurston had a strong early connection, but Allio was concerned about spending time away from his four-year-old son, James. Allio ended up leaving the show to go home to his son, though he did return for a conversation with Katie during the "Men Tell All" episode.

A social media campaign supporting Allio as the next Bachelor popped up immediately after his self-elimination. Allio told People after the "Men Tell All" episode that he's a little hesitant about the job. "I literally just got my heart broken on TV, so I am trying to mend those wings. And I have to think about what it would be like to get engaged in and introduce someone to my son in such a quick timeframe. I'm not sold on the idea!" It's still early days, but it seems like Allio has a lot to consider, especially whether his son would be comfortable with him taking the role.

ButBachelor Nation's latest casting call has fans wondering whether Allio is a shoo-in for the Bachelor gig: The franchise's official Instagram page posted a casting call last Friday seeking "eligible bachelorettes, divorcees, and single mothers." The new emphasis on divorcees and single mothers suggests that the new Bachelor may be seeking contestants with more life experience, or who are open to becoming a mom very soon.

Andrew Spencer

The football player was a fan favorite throughout Thurston's season, where he was eliminated right before the hometown dates. Spencer also had one of the show's more dramatic exits, with Thurston asking him to rejoin the season the day after he was eliminated and Spencer turning her down.

Spencer opened up during "Men Tell All," sharing that he is a hopeless romantic who is now he's waiting for someone to "pick me for me." He also told host Tayshia Adams that he didn't want to shy away from discussing interracial relationships, which is a conversation that the Bachelor franchise can likely have in the near future.

When asked whether he would say yes to being the Bachelor, Spencer told E!, "I don't know. I definitely wouldn't jump into a yes right away. I am still looking for, you know, that supernatural walk into a grocery store love, or you know, go to a bar and see her and fall in love that way. And you have to understand, it's definitely a process doing this. It's a lot, so it's definitely something I would have to have conversations about and really think about it."

If it means anything, Spencer has Thurston's vote for the role. "My two votes are going to be Andrew and Michael for the next Bachelor," Thurston told Us Weekly. "I think they just both have a lot to offer and I think they are in a place where they are ready to really settle down and they've really grown a lot as men."

Greg Grippo

Grippo was the frontrunner for Thurston's whole season, winning over fans the very first night and winning Thurston's first impression rose. Up until the hometown episodes, fans loved Grippo for being caring and vulnerable during his dates with Thurston. And then... the Hometowns episode happened, and Grippo left the show with a dramatic self-elimination that divided Bachelorette Nation.

Though his fellow season 17 contestants have had Grippo's back, many Bachelor fans who were rooting for him have changed their tune, especially after his actor past was exposed. He redeemed himself a bit on After the Final Rose, taking Thruston's harsh comments on the chin and wishing her the best. Though his troubled exit from Thruston's season may be enough to lower his chances at being the next Bachelor, the Bachelor producers have made stranger choices.

To many fans' surprise, Reality Steve announced August 19 that multiple sources have told him that Grippo would be the next Bachelor. Though the choice is not set in stone until ABC announces it, Steve said that he would be "very surprised" if Grippo doesn't get the gig. Steve said of the polarizing choice, "By all accounts and everything I’m being told, he’s your next Bachelor so, I guess let’s get the hot take machine fired up."

Tyler Cameron

A notable Bachelor Nation alum and runner-up from Hannah Brown's season, Cameron made waves last week when he confirmed his breakup with model Camila Kendra. Some Bachelor fans have wondered whether now-single Cameron is in talks for the role, since he's remained in Bachelor orbit since he competed on The Bachelorette (not to mention, he's BFFs with Matt James). It wouldn't be the first time that the show went back several seasons to find their Bachelor or Bachelorette. Plus, Cameron, who's recently been promoting his new book You Deserve Better, included a cryptic caption on a recent IG post: "Time for a record year."

Ivan Hall

The aeronautical engineer made it to the final four of Clare Crowley and Tayshia Adams' Bachelorette season, and he won fans over with his dedication to his family. He and Adams also had deep conversations about race and the Black Lives Matter movement, with the pair connecting over being biracial. Fans have been promoting Hall as a great choice for Bachelor since December 2020, and he'll likely get another boost after he appears on Bachelor in Paradise.

Joe Amabile

Grocery Store Joe was an instant Bachelor Nation favorite, making it onto Bachelor in Paradise Season 5 after only lasting one episode on Becca Kurfin's Bachelorette season. The former grocery-store owner dated BiP cast member Kendall Long for several months after they met on the show, and the couple broke up in early 2020.

Amabile's currently having his own star turn on this season's Bachelor in Paradise, so much that some Bachelor Nation alums believe that he's getting a Bachelor edit, preparing us for when he possibly lands the gig. Wells Adams first hinted that a member of the BiP cast would become a fan favorite for the next Bachelor during an appearance on Nick Viall's podcast.

"I think there is one particular person that everyone is going to want to be the Bachelor, and whether or not they are even available to be the Bachelor at the end of it still remains to be seen," Adams said. After watching the premiere of BiP, Viall said he was "almost certain" that Amabile was the subject of Adams' hint. However, sources say that Amabile ends up leaving Paradise with Serena Pitt, so he may not be free to take the Bachelor gig.

Abigail Heringer may not have won Matt James' heart on season 25 of The Bachelor—Heringer, who received James' first impression rose, was ultimately sent home before hometowns—but she did win the love of Bachelor Nation. Fans loved the contestant's sweet disposition, openness, and empathy. Heringer, who was the show's first Deaf contestant, has also been open about the lack of disability representation on TV. Here's what we know about the a 25-year-old financial manager, who is back for Bachelor in Paradise this season.

She's a lifelong Oregonian.

Heringer grew up in Salem, Oregon, graduated from South Salem High School, attended Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, and has since settled in Portland with her older sister Rachel, according to an October feature in the Salem Statesman Journal. As a student at South Salem, Heringer was an avid golfer and a studious high schooler, reportedly graduating with a near-perfect GPA. She studied finance at Linfield, and is now a client financial analyst at Beaverton, Oregon-based marketing firm Opus Agency.

According to her official ABC bio, Heringer spends much of her time exploring the gorgeous landscapes of the Pacific Northwest—including the local microbrewing scene. For photographic evidence of this love of the great outdoors, look no further than her Instagram account, which is filled with breathtaking shots of the region's lakes and mountains.

She battled adversity at a young age.

Heringer wears cochlear implants after she and her sister were both born with congenital hearing loss. She and Rachel each underwent successful cochlear implantation surgery at the age of two.

Heringer not only mentioned the experience in her application to be on The Bachelor, but also speaks openly about it on the show—a decision that came as a surprise to her own family. "I was surprised she was willing to share her story about her hearing loss. It's something she usually doesn't talk much about," her mother, Suzie Heringer, told the Statesman Journal. However, Suzie added, "With her disability, if that can impact one other person, it's worth sharing the story."

Her family was supportive of her Bachelor experience—up to a point.

Though Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants' behavior can range from cringeworthy to downright embarrassing—and all of it broadcast on national television, no less—Heringer's mother told the local newspaper that their family was not looking forward to watching her dalliances with James play out onscreen.

For one thing, Suzie noted to the Statesman Journal, with all of the precautions the production team has taken to ensure the entire experience is as safe as possible, "in the age of COVID, it's a safe way to date." For another, she added, "She's always made us proud, and she's got a really good head on her shoulders, so I'm not worried about anything. Hopefully, she'll have fun."

Still, that support only goes so far. Before Heringer set out for the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, her mom offered her a valuable piece of advice to help her avoid any of the aforementioned humiliating behavior: "I jokingly told her to remember her grandparents will be watching. I know that will stick with her," Suzie said.

And, cringey or not, Heringer's mother admitted that she's not sure just how genuine of a connection can be made on a reality show, musing that, "To be honest, I don't think this is a great way to meet your forever person."

No word yet how they feel about her BIP appearance...

She was nervous to come on the show, but has been "blown away" but the support she's received.

On the Women Tell All special, Heringer opened up about her experiences coming on the show and sharing her story. Though she says she was initially nervous, she shares that the outpouring of support she has received has been incredible.

“It’s been incredible. I was really scared when I decided to come on, just because I think people kind of view the hearing community and the Deaf community as black and white. I’m kind of that gray space in the middle that hasn’t had a lot of light shone on. I was born profoundly deaf, so that means I have no hearing. So if I take my cochlear implant off, I can’t hear anything," she said. She added: "But I’m also not a member of the Deaf community because I don’t use sign language. I’m able to communicate vocally. So, I had no idea how people were going to receive me. But the response has been incredible. I’ve had so many people reach out and say, ‘Thank you for sharing your story. I have a very similar one.’ I’ve been blown away.”

On Bachelor In Paradise, she's looking for a man with confidence.

Heringer shared that she found confidence during the COVID-19 lockdown and is looking for someone to share in that. She also wants someone with a good sense of humor. She also shared a lesson she learned on James' season: It's okay to be vulnerable.

No spoilers here, but you can see from the trailer that her journey on Paradise is off to a good start:

Here's wishing Heringer all the luck in finding her person!

It's a Bachelorette season—or should I say seasons?—like no other. In 2021, Katie Thurston is the first of two Bachelorettes, followed in the fall by fellow Matt James contestant Michelle Young. You'll remember Katie, whose season premiered June 7, 2021 and will end August 9, as the straight talker who wasn't afraid to put the other girls in their place—and as the girl who hilariously brought a vibrator to meet Matt on night one. If you're here because you're wondering if Katie got engaged—or if you just crave spoilers in general—you're in the right place.

First, some context: Thurston's season comes at a turbulent time for the Bachelor franchise. As the first Black Bachelor, Matt James's season was meant to be historic—but instead, it was marred by bullying and, later, the racist social media activity of James's winner Rachael Kirkconnell. (They broke up, but it seems they're back together now.) Chris Harrison went on Extra to defend Kirkconnell's behavior—something even Kirkconnell had begged people not to do—and tried to mansplain the situation to former Bachelorette, and Black woman, Rachel Lindsay. (Lindsay has now said she's removing herself entirely from the franchise). Harrison was suspended as host, which is why he isn't on Thurston's season—her hosts are former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe—nor on Bachelor in Paradise. The day after Thurston's season began airing, ABC confirmed that Harrison will not be returning to the franchise at all.

Ahead, everything you wanted to know about Katie Thurston's season, start to finish. Spoilers ahead, obviously.

Does Katie get engaged?

Let's get straight to the big question, shall we? Namely, did Katie find the man of her dreams on her season and get engaged to him?

Yes, she did! Per Reality Steve: "Katie definitely got engaged at the end of this. And unless she breaks up before the finale, which I guess anything can happen, but she’s happy and engaged as we speak, so I’d expect that to last til the finale you’d think."

Reality Steve is usually, but not always, correct about his end-of-his season predictions. But even outside of that, we know that filming ended a week ahead of schedule. Obviously, we don't know why—but it's possible that Thurston was so certain about her decision that she didn't want to waste any time.

Katie, for her part, revealed to The Hollywood Reporter: “I found love more than once, I’ll say that! Through it all, everything happens for a reason, and I am happy.”

And even though Katie ends up engaged (more on who she gets engaged to in a minute), the ending may be...messy. “The end gets crazy. It’s, like, not traditional at all. And I’m like, ‘What the f—k is happening?’" Katie said on Nick Viall's podcast. She also said she got her "heart broken." Speaking to Us, she said: “I don’t think that this has ever happened. I’ll say that. So it’s a first, for sure. And a shocking ending."

Says Reality Steve: "We know who she eventually ends up with, but how she gets there is another story. Seems like it’s gonna be pretty messy."

Who wins Katie's season?

The even bigger question! Her final four are:

• Justin Glaze
• Michael Allio
• Greg Grippo
• Blake Moynes

Allio self-eliminated to be with his son, and Grippo dramatically stormed out after a meltdown that many Bachelor fans–and Katie herself–described as "gaslighting." Which left Justin and Blake as Katie's final two men.

And the winner of Katie's Bachelorette season, according to Reality Steve, is...

Blake Moynes.

Moynes, of course, was a contestant on the last season of The Bachelorette, falling first for Clare Crawley and then for Tayshia Adams. You'll remember Crawley left her own season to be with Dale Moss, leaving Moynes heartbroken—and Adams ultimately rejected him too. Meaning that Moynes gets engaged to Katie (yay!) while his ex watches (oof).

Some in Bachelor Nation have questioned Moynes ~intentions~. Said Nick Viall on Us Weekly's podcast about The Bachelor: "Blake is going to get crap, obviously, for someone who fell in love with Clare without validation, fell in love with Tayshia, without validation. So, when he’s [saying], ‘I’m in love with Katie,’ it’s fair to question.”

One thing is certain: Thurston and Moynes were in communication before her season. "I definitely knew who he was, which also Tayshia’s ex-boyfriend! So that’s weird," Thurston told Us Weekly. "We had chatted before, but usually what happens is, like, the guys will reach out to the women once they’re eliminated and be like, ‘Good luck, you did great.’ Like very generic, you know? And so to see him, I was like, ‘Why is he here?’ Like, ‘What’s happening?’"

She went into more detail on the Chicks in the Office podcast. “I will say coming off my season with Matt, people were really shipping [Blake] and I before...So I was a little familiar with who he was and his background.” But she was still thrown when he showed up, she added. "I was shocked. I was not expecting that at all."

As for Moynes, he's said of the exchange: "It was right after her first episode, it was right away...She came out of that limo with that vibrator, I was like, ‘Yeah, I like what she’s about.' It was a simple reach out,” he told Us Weekly. "It was like, ‘I f–king love that you did that. That was f–king awesome, like, good for you,’ this and that...When I actually reached out that first time, after the first episode, her responses were very cold back. She was nice, but she didn't open up her dialogue in any way. It was shut down right then and there."

But what about Katie and Michael?

Michael Allio made the final four, but self-eliminated to be with his son in a bittersweet moment that saw fans clamoring for him to be the next Bachelor. (Michael, for his part, told People: "I have to think about what it would be like to get engaged in and introduce someone to my son in such a quick timeframe. I'm not sold on the idea.")

Although Reality Steve is certain that Katie is happily engaged to Blake, there have been hints that things may not be completely over between Michael and Katie: In late July, he left a very thirsty comment on a lingerie photo that Katie posted—"Can't say what I'd like to," he wrote, alongside an embarrassed emoji and two flame emojis—which is interesting. He then promptly deleted the comment. Plus, Ben Higgins told E: "I think [Michael] was 'the one,' if he was around...At the end of all this, if it doesn't end in that one true love that she's been talking about, I think they're going to try."

It does seem like Katie is not single, for what it's worth: She tweeted: "Woke up this morning and realized I used toy cleaner instead of lube last night," on July 30.

And what about Katie and Greg?

During the overnight date portion of the season, Grippo turned into a late-stage villain. Weeks earlier, on Viall's podcast, Katie had hinted that there would be another villain towards the end of the show: "I tried to get rid of the villains. I tried to get rid of them... ‘Boom, boom, boom, go,’ and then they just keep reappearing."

After the episode aired, Katie wrote on Twitter: "Thank you for the virtual hugs tonight." Katie also shared to her Instagram Stories a guide to gaslighting, implying that she—and plenty of Bachelor Nation—believed that was what Grippo had been doing:

Other Bachelor alums weighed in on the fight between Grippo and Thurston. Bekah Martinez, from Arie's season, wrote: “I know he opened up to her and she said ‘the wrong thing’ but shutting down emotionally being like, ‘wut, nothing’s wrong why would you think that’ and then punishing with silence is emotional manipulation 101."

The men on Katie's season were divided. Andrew Spencer, who was on Katie's season, wrote on Twitter: "Most importantly hope they get to smooth things over they’re two very good humans with a lot of great moments together.” John Hersey wrote on Instagram: "Watching these actions get defended (and therefore normalized) strikes me as extremely unhealthy and a step in the wrong direction." And Connor Brennan wrote: “There was no gaslighting in this episode, there was a fight between two people that you saw maybe 20 percent of."

What'll happen on After the Final Rose?

Co-host Kaitlyn Bristowe had strong words about Grippo's exit. On the Click Bait podcast, she said: "He just wanted to quit before he got fired...I think his ego was so hurt in that moment that he was like, ‘I’m gonna just flip this sh*t and get out of here." And in regard to Grippo's acting background, which has caused some controversy among Bachelor Nation, her co-host Tayshia Adams said, “That will be addressed. So just wait.”

Adams is talking about After the Final Rose, which will feature a "tense confrontation" between Greg and Katie, according to an ABC press release. In the teaser, we see Katie tell him, “I don’t think you know what love is.”

It's likely to be an explosive confrontation. After Greg's exit, Madi Prewett from Peter's season wrote, in a seemingly unrelated tweet: "Never trust your tongue when your heart is wounded. Hush until you heal"—and Katie replied on Twitter: "should have read this before AFTR" and a side-eye emoji.

The best/worst time during any given season of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette is when a random, former contestant from another season makes a ~surprise~ guest appearance in an effort to win over the new lead's heart. And it quite literally always causes drama. (See: Nick Viall on Kaitlyn Bristowe's season; Heather Martin on Matt James's season; many, many more.) For Katie Thurston's season, that time came during week four: We saw the return of 29-year-old Blake Moynes, who vied for now-host Tayshia Adam's final rose as a contestant on her season. Moynes made it all the way to Katie's final four—even amid controversy about his quote-unquote being there for the right reasons and their communication before he joined the show. So, what do we know about Moynes?

Blake fell for both Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams.

Blake was a contestant on Clare Crawley's (short) season of the The Bachelorette—you might remember that he also reached out to Crawley prior to filming. After she picked Dale Moss early on, Moynes become a part of Adams' cast, where he fell quickly and hard for the new leading lady.

He had strong feelings for both women. After his breakup with Adams, he told Us Weekly: “The connection [I had with Tayshia] was very slow. But every time that we’d make a step, I think I opened her eyes more and more and more...I walked in with a red flag over my head [because I had feelings for Clare Crawley]....If it was Tayshia from the beginning, I think my story would have been a little bit different." (Adams, of course, is one of the hosts of Thurston's season, so that's...interesting!)

Some in Bachelor Nation are wary of Moynes, given his history of falling hard and fast for leads (just as we now know he has for Katie). Nick Viall said on his podcast: "Blake is going to get crap, obviously, for someone who fell in love with Clare without validation, fell in love with Tayshia without validation. So, when he’s [saying], ‘I’m in love with Katie,’ it’s fair to question [it]...[Not to] question that he believes what he says. I just kind of question, like, ‘Do you just kind of love hard, bro?’”

Blake reached out to Katie before her season.

Thurston confirmed this, saying to Us Weekly: "I definitely knew who he was, which also Tayshia’s ex-boyfriend! So that’s weird. We had chatted before, but usually what happens is, like, the guys will reach out to the women once they’re eliminated and be like, ‘Good luck, you did great.’ Like very generic, you know? And so to see him, I was like, ‘Why is he here?’ Like, ‘What’s happening?’”

She spoke more about their initial communication on the Chicks in the Office podcast. “I will say coming off my season with Matt, people were really shipping [Blake] and I before...So I was a little familiar with who he was and his background.” But she was still thrown when he showed up, she added. "I was shocked. I was not expecting that at all."

And Moynes said on the Click Bait podcast: "When I actually reached out that first time, after the first episode, her responses were very cold back. She was nice, but she didn’t open up her dialogue in any way. It was shut down right then and there...She came out of that limo with that vibrator, I was like, ‘Yeah, I like what she’s about.’ … It was a simple reach out, It was like, ‘I f–king love that you did that. That was f–king awesome, like, good for you,’ this and that.”

Later, Katie said: “He wasn’t very obvious with his intentions, and we brought that up. I was like, ‘I didn’t even know you were interested in me.’ He just very casually tested the waters but didn’t try too hard. I wasn’t interested.”

Moynes, for his part, has poked fun at his repeated Bachelorette experiences. When a fan wrote of Michelle's season on Instagram, "And on what episode can we expect Blake to come in?” Moynes joked, "Waiting on Michelle to respond to my DM first …”

Some in Bachelor Nation are a little wary of him. Said Ashley Iaconetti to Us Weekly: "Honestly, like, I don’t feel it with any these guys. Blake is just a little crude for me. He’s so not my cup of tea. I don’t know, there’s just been certain conversations where it’s just, like, there’s a lack of romance there. There’s a lot of sexuality…I’m so much of a romance person it’s hard for me to connect with that. I think that’s also just total personal preference. If he’s right for Katie, then that’s awesome."

Blake works in wildlife management.

Moynes is an outdoorsy dude and he dreams of an outdoorsy girl. As a wildlife manager, He has his own line of merch (proceeds support wildlife conservation). According to his ABC bio, he supports a different endangered species every year. He's also passionate about the environment and runs yet another Instagram account that supports conservation.

He adopted a rhino via the nonprofit Care For Wild Rhino Sanctuary, the world's largest orphaned rhino sanctuary that specializes in the care of orphaned, injured or sick rhinos. He also is a cat and dog dad. (And again, has the merch to prove it.)

Blake is from Hamilton, Ontario, in Canada.

Thurston is from Renton, Washington, so should Moynes win, someone is moving or they have a 16-hour commute for dates. As for Moynes' family: His mom, Emily, is a life coach who runs her own company, Rebuild a Kick-Ass Life, and specializes in coaching women to break away from toxic relationships and know their own self-worth. She separated from Moynes' father when Moynes was a kid, and he was raised by his mom alongside his brother and sister, Taylor and Cody.

So what do we think—third time's the charm? No spoilers in this post, but if you do want to know how the season goes for Blake, Katie, and the others, you can read our spoiler-filled guide.

Hello, by now you and the internet are probably talking about Bachelorette contestants Greg Grippo. Right away, on the very first night of the 17th season of the show, Grippo made the new Bachelorette Katie Thurston and viewers *swoon* when he gifted her a pasta noodle necklaces that one of his nieces made. Romantic! Wholesome! The adorable move earned the sweet contestant Thurston's coveted first impression rose. I'd normally be like, well played, Greg, but coming from him, the gesture actually seemed sweet and sincere and jusssst the right amount of saccharine instead of scheme-y or too try-hard-y.

From there, Grippo maintained his spot as a frontrunner and Thurston seemed very keen on making sure he feels solid in their relationship. He also flawlessly maintained his wholesome demeanor. (Remember when he cuddled Cat Guy?! We love a bromance!) He was vulnerable on dates (he's gotten two one on ones, which is a testament to Thurston's obvious feelings for him), fun in the group, and relatively ~low drama~ in an otherwise drama-packed season.

But then. In the show's penultimate episode, Greg...fell apart. He turned on Katie in a way that Katie—and many fans—have described as gaslighting, and promptly stormed off the show, leaving Katie in shock and devastated. “I want to leave, if I’m being completely honest, because I didn’t see any of this happening,” she sobbed. Greg lost a lot of fans with his behavior, and divided Bachelor Nation—some of whom said he was just really upset, while others called out his behavior as derogatory.

Here's everything we know about Grippo.

He's from New Jersey.

According to his ABC bio, Greg is from Edison, New Jersey. He went to Edison High School then transferred to Rutgers Prep.

He played basketball for St. Michael's College in Vermont.

After some light online stalking, we discovered that Grippo was a college athlete, and often posted about his teammates on Instagram. Academically, he majored in business and minored in gender studies.

He's a family guy.

When we first met Grippo, he shared with Katie that he loves hanging with his many nieces and nephews and is super close to his family. On Grippo and Thurston's first one on one date, he opened up about his father's passing. (Thurston's father also passed away.) He has a brother named Joe and a sister, Samantha.

He likes farm animals.

We actually do not know this as a fact, but just look at this Instagram picture:

Seems like a solid bet to me.

He works in marketing.

Grippo currently is an account manager at Mondo, a national marketing staffing agency. Prior to his current gig, he worked in marketing at Melaleuca, a health and wellness company.

He's a "hopeless romantic"

His ABC bio divulges how he cries during movies and hates slow drivers, but more importantly that he's looking for genuine love with someone he can travel the world with.

He was cut from Clare Crawley's season.

In July, Reality Steve shared that that Greg was one of 15 guys who didn't make it on Clare Crawley's season, for reasons unknown.

He reportedly pursued a career in acting before coming on the show.

According to an unverified source cited in The Sun, Grippo deleted posts from his social media accounts before coming on the show, including removing evidence that he attending an acting school, William Esper, between 2017 and 2019. The source told The Sun: "Greg thought he could pull a fast one on the audience by just not acknowledging he’s a trained actor and pretending to be some marketing guy." The insider continued: "I don’t think he has the purest intentions going on the show… it just doesn’t add up."

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with being an actor. But it does seem a bit shady that he's, allegedly, trying to hide it. Wannabe actors can be like the kiss of death on the Bachelor/Bachelorette.

At first, the internet loved him.

Grippo's wholesome hotness not only won over Thurston, but Twitter (which is a HARD task). Bachelor Nation was thrilled when Thurston gave Grippo her first impression rose and swooned over their first one on one date during episode 2. Since, every time we see him on screen, Twitter explodes. Some delighted reactions below:

But then, things went south.

Much of Bachelor Nation weighed in on what had happened with Greg. Bekah Martinez, of Arie's season, wrote on social media: "I know he opened up to her and she said ‘the wrong thing’ but shutting down emotionally being like, ‘wut, nothing’s wrong why would you think that’ and then punishing with silence is emotional manipulation 101."

Kaitlyn Bristowe, who was seen onscreen comforting Katie after Greg's meltdown, said on the Click Bait podcast: "He just wanted to quit before he got fired...I think his ego was so hurt in that moment that he was like, ‘I’m gonna just flip this sh*t and get out of here."

As for the other men on Grippo's season? Andrew Spencer wrote on Twitter: "Most importantly hope they get to smooth things over they’re two very good humans with a lot of great moments together.” John Hersey wrote on Instagram: "Watching these actions get defended (and therefore normalized) strikes me as extremely unhealthy and a step in the wrong direction." And Connor Brennan wrote: “There was no gaslighting in this episode, there was a fight between two people that you saw maybe 20 percent of."

Katie and Greg will reunite on After The Final Rose.

Tayshia Adams promised that Greg's acting background will be addressed, and ABC confirmed that Greg will return for ATFR with a press release promising a "tense confrontation" between the two.

Katie Thurston's Bachelorette season comes at a difficult time for the Bachelor franchise. What should have been a breath of fresh air for the Bachelor-verse—the casting of Matt James as the first Black Bachelor—went up in smoke at the beginning of 2021, when Matt's season was marred by bullying and racism. Longtime host Chris Harrison attempted to defend said racism and was ejected from the franchise, leaving Katie's upcoming season the most uncertain yet. But the lead's refreshing candor and sex positivity, in addition to an intriguing slate of contestants and two charismatic hosts, has made Katie's season a rare win for the franchise. The below is a full list of Katie's original contestants, with her final four up top (if you want full spoilers, check out our guide to everything that happens, including Katie's top four and eventual winner). And Katie's season might not be the last you see of these men—as we've marked below, several of the below show up on Bachelor in Paradise this year.

Greg Grippo, 27

One of two carryover contestants from Clare/Tayshia's season (not including Moynes), Grippo is from Edison, NJ, and (spoiler alert!!) got Thurston's first impression rose. So he's absolutely one to watch. He went to St. Michael's College, where his attractiveness was noted thanks to an anonymous, unofficial school Twitter (lol).

Current status: Still in the competition

Blake Moynes, 30

If you're thinking Hang on, I've seen that guy before, it's because Moynes was a major player in the last season of the Bachelorette, competing for both Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams's hearts. Moynes wasn't in the initial ABC lineup of Katie's men, but joins the show mid-season.

Current status: Still in the competition

Justin Glaze, 26

From Ellicott City, MD, Glaze did track and field at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, is a sales consultant at T. Rowe Price, and is also a (pretty good!) artist.

Current status: Still in the competition

Michael Allio, 36

This single dad of a son, James (per Instagram), lives in Akron, OH. His wife Laura, who passed away in 2019 of breast cancer, spurred Allio to create The L4 Project. He's also a business founder.

Current status: Made final 4, then left

Connor Brennan , 29

Brennan's from Columbia, IL, and is a musician (according to Reality Steve, this is him, which would mean he now lives in Nashville. Just like Jed Wyatt...).

Current status: Gone, but will be on Paradise

Aaron Clancy, 26

Clancy hails from Walnut, CA. It looks like he was a swimmer at UC San Diego and is an impressive 6'4". He's now an account exec at Health IQ.

Current status: Gone, but will be on Paradise

James Bonsall, 30

Thanks to Instagram, we know that Bonsall lives in San Diego (he's from New York, NY). It looks like he works for Paycor after having gone to State University of New York College at Cortland.

Current status: Gone, but will be on Paradise

Tre Cooper, 26

Cooper hails from Covington, GA, and does have Instagram. Aside from knowing he potentially went to Georgia State University and works as a software engineer at the Home Depot, that's about all the info we have.

Current status: Gone, but will be on Paradise

Andrew Milcovich, 31

Milcovich is from Walnut Hill, CA, and he has Instagram. He played water polo at Pepperdine and now works as an associate attorney.

Current status: Gone

Andrew Spencer, 26

This Waukegan, IL, native might look familiar—he's apparently Clay Harbor's cousin. Via his Instagram, he played football at Winona State University and now plays for the Dacia Vienna Vikings in Austria.

Current status: Gone

Austin Tinsley, 25

Tinsley hails from Mission Viejo, CA, and his Instagram is here. Per his LinkedIn, he's a graduate of California State University-Sacramento, where he did track and field.

Current status: Gone

Bao Wu, 36

This Concord, NH, native lives in San Diego and is into real estate and stocks, per his Instagram (it looks like his realtor profile is here). He's also a fur-daddy to two adorable animals.

Current status: Gone

Brandon Torres, 26

Torres is from Mokena, IL, but per his Instagram he moved from Chicago to Tokyo to New York. Also per his Instagram, he's family-oriented and into motorcycles and travel.

Current status: Gone

Brendan Scanzano, 26

Scanzano's a Toronto, Canada, native, customer rep at Scotiabank, Texas A&M grad, part-time model, and dog-lover, per his Instagram.

Current status: Gone

Christian Smith, 26

From Newburyport, MA, this life coach and real estate agent is a "professional optimist," per Instagram.

Current status: Gone

Cody Menk, 27

Menk, from Montclair, NJ, currently lives in San Diego, CA, per his Instagram. He went to High Point University and now is an account manager for Zip-Pak.

Current status: Gone

Conor Costello, 28

Costello lives in Newport Beach, CA, but is originally from Edmond, OK. He played baseball for Oklahoma State (per Instagram) and in the minor leagues and is now an account manager at Apex Systems.

Current status: Gone

David Scott, 27

Another Nashville, TN, resident, Scott hails from New York, NY, and does have Instagram.

Current status: Gone

Dennis Walega, 26

Walega, who's from Chicago, IL, is a police officer at Village of Barrington Hills and a Western Illinois University grad. He is, per Insta, huge into travel.

Current status: Gone

Gabriel Everett, 35

This Charlotte, NC, might be familiar to you if you watched season two of Make Me a Supermodel on Bravo. Apparently he went to Belmont University and studied PR.

Current status: Gone

Garrett Schwartz, 29

Schwartz is from Salinas, CA and apparently still lives there, per Instagram. He played baseball at Sonoma State University and is now a product marketing manager at Adobe.

Current status: Gone

Hunter Montgomery, 34

This San Angelo, TX, native has something in common with Tayshia Adam's final pick Zac Clark: He's a former addict who is now a "motivator and mentor," per LinkedIn. He works at Workday, is a single dad who now lives in Houston, per Instagram, and is apparently on TikTok too.

Current status: Gone

Jeff Caravello, 31

Caravello, from Cranford, NJ, lives in Brooklyn, NY. He still channels that athleticism A LOT, according to his Insta.

Current status: Gone

John Hershey, 27

Paging Pilot Pete: this Santa Cruz, CA, is apparently training to be a pilot. He had an Instagram @johnalexhershey, but it's not available. His Facebook is still active.

Current status: Gone

Joshua Tylerbest, 25

Per Insta, this Pembroke Pines, FL, native is a University of Florida alum and a sales consultant at Invisors in Miami.

Current status: Gone

Karl Smith, 33

The second of the "carryover" bachelors from Crawley/Adams' season, Smith's a motivational speaker from Miami, FL, and founder of Next Level Success per Instagram. His website has clips of his speaking work.

Current status: Gone

Kyle Howard, 26

The "original golden retriever," per Instagram (lol), Howard is from Sarasota, FL, and is a two-time University of Florida alum and huge traveler. He's now a technical recruiter at Lorien.

Current status: Gone

Landon Goesling, 25

Now living in Dallas, TX, Goesling is from Bakersfield, CA, played college football at the University of Houston, and is a high school basketball coach and a trainer, per Insta.

Current status: Gone

Marcus Lathan, 30

This realtor is also a model and DJ (thanks, Instagram!) from Vancouver, WA. He went to Washington State University Vancouver.

Current status: Gone

Marty Hargrove, 25

This Reno, NV, native is a model and actor who played football and did track and field at Dakota State College.

Current status: Gone

Mike Planeta, 31

"Mikey" is from Surprise, AZ, and lives in San Diego, CA. He played college at Point Loma Nazarene University and baseball in the minors; he's a trainer and dog-lover, per Insta.

Current status: Gone

Quartney Mixon, 26

This Arlington, TX, native is a sales rep at CPM Medical, and got a degree from Stephen F Austin University. His mom passed away when he was in college. He's also owner of Iron Muscle Nutrition, per Insta.

Current status: Gone

Tanner Guisness, 28

This native of Del Mar, CA, is now the owner of Dyeislife (bringing together Beer Die and Snappa players, per Instagram). He's a University of Colorado Boulder alum and lives in San Diego now. Huge dog-lover, too!

Current status: Gone

Thomas Jacobs, 28

Jacobs is from (and lives in) San Diego, CA, thanks to his Instagram. He's a real estate agent, and per his bio, he grew up in a military family and played basketball at the University of San Diego.

Current status: Gone

Viktor Simco, 32

Simco's from Galveston, TX and, per, Instagram, is a veteran housing advocate who's super into fitness, surfing, and snowboarding. He's rapper Riff Raff's younger brother(!) and regularly talks about his mom and late father.

Current status: Gone

It was a long, long Bachelor season with Matt James, complete with a ton of disappointing and revelatory off-screen drama. But in recent news that's being called "the big reset" of the franchise: There will be two Bachelorettes in 2021! One of them will be Ms. "I brought a vibrator to my meet-cute with Matt" herself, Katie Thurston, who became a fan favorite for being sex-positive and vocally supportive of the other contestants. The other Bachelorette in 2021 will be Michelle Young, who made it to the final two before James eliminated her, and who behaved with utter class at After the Final Rose.

Early spoilers from Reality Steve revealed that Thurston had been selected for the lead role, then both Thurston and ABC denied this was the case, and then we finally got the big reveal of two leads during James' Bachelor finale. If having two seasons and two Bachelorettes sounds a little confusing to you, I get it: This is the first time in franchise history that the producers are doing things this way, and there'll be some adjustments as we go along. I'm...actually excited for these seasons?? Here's what we know so far about Thurston's, which apparently wrapped a week ahead of schedule and "went great," according to Us Weekly.

When will The Bachelorette with Thurston premiere?

ABC has confirmed that Katie Thurston's season of The Bachelorette will premiere June 7, 2021, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Is there a trailer?

You bet. Here's the first-look trailer, featuring a blowup doll, plenty of crying, and...a guy dressed up as a cat:

And here's another sneak peek, complete with proof that Blake Moynes, one of the most memorable suitors from Clare and Tayshia's season of The Bachelorette, shows up to date Thurston:

Who will host Katie Thurston's Bachelorette season?

Former Bachelorettes Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams will be taking over as co-hosts this season as Chris Harrison continues his hiatus from the show (you can see them in the promo above). Bristowe is coming off her win on Dancing With the Stars, and Tayshia Adams' season wrapped up last year.

When asked about viewers who said they wouldn't watch the show without Harrison, Thurston replied, "I think they're on the wrong side of history. It's 2021...I support Chris and everything that he's doing, and I think that this is the best decision...I really feel like this is the big reset. There have been a ton of uncomfortable conversations, but important conversations."

Harrison is also being replaced as host for Bachelor in Paradise (more on that below), and we don't have confirmation on who will serve as host of Young's Bachelorette season.

Hang on, what's happening with Bachelor in Paradise?

Don't worry, your favorite hot mess of a show will be back on our screens on Monday, August 16, 2021 after a two-year absence (it's my favorite of the bunch, so I'm delighted).

Thanks to the lack of Paradise in 2020, there are about 150 (!) contestants to choose from. “How do you make that in to 15 to 18 cast members? It’s going to be really tough,” ABC executive Rob Mills said. But they're "hell-bent" on bringing the show to our screens, bless 'em, and cast members are likely to include Ben Smith, Joe Park, and Bennett Jordan from Adams/Crawley's season. Chris Harrison will not host, however, and will be replaced by "guest comedians," which sounds...interesting. You can learn more about the next season of BiP here.

And what do we know about Michelle Young’s Bachelorette season?

Young's Bachelorette season will air in fall of 2021, meaning she'll likely starting filming in July, around the time Bachelor in Paradise wraps. So if you're keeping track, the 2021 franchise order will be:

• Kate Thurston as Bachelorette, starting June 7
• Bachelor in Paradise, staring August 16
• Michelle Young as Bachelorette, premiere date TBD

Where will Thurston's Bachelorette season film?

Thanks to spoilers from Reality Steve, we know that filming took place in the Hyatt Regency Tamaya, which is outside Albuquerque, New Mexico. Due to ongoing COVID quarantine procedures, it was almost certainly a closed set, without travel, with the guests likely flown in and quarantined.

As for dates, the 550-acre resort has plenty of options. The resort has five restaurants, three pools, a full-service spa, an 18-hole golf course and tennis courts. Expect to see plenty of adventure dates, where the contestants could be horseback riding, cycling, fly fishing, hiking, hot air ballooning or doing equestrian yoga.

Who are Bachelorette contestants?

ABC announced the 34 contestants for Thurston's season on their Facebook page, and you can get to know them all here. The men range from ages 26 to 36, an older than average age range for the show. One standout with Bachelor Nation ties is Andrew Spencer, a 26-year-old from Waukegan, IL, who's Bachelorette and Paradise alum Clay Spencer's cousin. Michael Allio, a 36-year-old from Akron, Ohio, founded a nonprofit in honor of his wife who passed away from breast cancer. Another standout is Bao Wu, a 36-year-old real estate agent from San Diego, CA. And Moynes, of course. We also have a potential villain: Thomas Jacobs, who's "an early favorite that quickly wears out his welcome with some of the others," per Reality Steve.

Warning: Spoilers. 

We also have a little intel about some of the contestants, and Katie's final picks. Per Reality Steve: "As you know by now, Blake Moynes shows up rather early in the season, he of Clare/Tayshia’s season. [Spoilers ahead.] Blake makes the final 4 along with Greg Grippo (the first impression rose recipient), and John Hersey. Those 3 I know. I’m not sure who the 4th guy is in the final 4 yet. I’ve heard names but nothing I’m confident about. Those three I am.” One thing we do know: Thurston reportedly leaves the season engaged, per Us Weekly.

Tayshia Adams, a longtime Bachelor Nation fan favorite who has appeared on The Bachelor, then Bachelor In Paradise, then headlined her own season when she took over Bachelorette duties after Clare Crawley ended her season early, is back for her fourth (!!!!) season of the franchise: She'll be co-hosting Katie Thurston's season, along with former bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe. Here's everything you need to know about the new host.

What happened to Tayshia on Colton's season of The Bachelor?

Adams made it to the final three on Underwood's season, a.k.a. the Fantasy Suite round, but was abruptly dumped by Underwood, along with fellow contestant Hannah Godwin, when Underwood decided he wanted to be with contestant Cassie Randolph. Remember the "fence jump" scene? Well, right after that is when Adams was dismissed.

That weirdness aside, Adams made it through the season with a reputation of being low-key and drama-free, and she actually comforted Colton when he broke up with her. She was also clearly devastated, and fans were heartbroken for her.

And what about Bachelor In Paradise?

This was an interesting one. Much like her predecessor Crawley, Adams appeared on Paradise and fell in love before she became The Bachelorette, but the relationship didn't work out. The object of her affections—well, vice versa, if you watched that season; JPJ was much more into Adams—was John Paul Jones, the sweet, floppy-haired guy from Hannah Brown's season.

Though Adams and JPJ broke up on the show, they were together by the time it aired—she flew out to see him to ask him for another chance—but they dated for just two months before calling it quits.

What does Tayshia do for a living?

Adams is a phlebotomist, trained to draw blood—in her Bachelor intro video, she joked that the first thing she notices about a person is their veins.

That said, on her season, almost two years after she introduced herself as a phlebotomist to Colton, she told her contestants that she worked as a lifestyle and travel influencer, which makes sense—it's a career path that a lot of Bachelor Nation choose to pursue when they have a strong enough following. It's a sign that she'll probably continue working as an influencer and reality TV personality after her season, like a number of Bachelorettes before her.

Does Tayshia have an Instagram?

In the past, Adams didn't post very much on social media, at least compared to typical contestants, and her Instagram was private until she started The Bachelor. One reason for the silence is that Adams got divorced in 2017, so she may have gotten rid of photos with her ex-husband.

But since leaving The Bachelor and going on Paradise, she's been posting more, and her fans absolutely love it. You can check out her IG here.

Where is Tayshia from?

Adams hails from Orange, California, and went to college in Irvine to study biology; she's still based in Orange County, telling ABC7, "I'm an Orange County girl!"

What happened during Tayshia's season?

Admas took over the 16th season of the Bachelorette from Clare Crawley after Crawley found love early on. She was loved for her no BS attitude, down-to-earth personality, and commitment to having real-world conversations with her contestants.

Who won Tayshia's season?

Zac Clark won Adam's heart during her season. The pair are still together and live in New York City. She told Cosmo: "Any wedding planning? No, not really. I’m really just trying to enjoy New York. And I think that’s where our energy is just because, I don’t know, we just want to enjoy each other. Really, that’s what it is. Engagements are supposed to be fun as well, so we’re just making the most of it."

What is Tayshia's new role with the franchise?

Adams and fellow former bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe will jointly be taking over Chris Harrison's role as the show's host for the upcoming season starring Katie Thurston. In addition to the classic duties ("Gentleman, this will be the final rose tonight") Adams and Bristowe will also support Thurston on her quest to find love. In the season's promo, Thurston even described having the pair on set like having sisters around.

If you're interested in spoilers, you can get all of them here.

After 19 years leading The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, and all those other Bach spinoffs (remember Bachelor Pad?), Chris Harrison is leaving the franchise. "I’m excited to start a new chapter," Harrison wrote on Instagram. "While my two-decade journey is wrapping up, the friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime."

The host's departure comes after he announced that he'd be "stepping aside for a period of time" back in February. At the time, Harrison was receiving backlash for an interview with Extra correspondent Rachel Lindsay—who was also the franchise's first BIPOC lead—in which Harrison asked for "grace," "understanding," and "compassion" for Bachelor contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who has been called out for old posts on social media that feature her dressed in Native American attire and attending a plantation-themed event.

"During that conversation, his privilege was on display. He never gave me room to talk, and he never gave me room to share my perspective. He wasn't trying to hear it, he was just trying to be heard," Lindsay said of the conversation with Harrison.

At the time, Harrison shared an apology via Instagram. "Now just as I taught my children to stand up, and to own their actions, I will do the same," he wrote. "By excusing historical racism, I defended it. I invoked the term 'woke police,' which is unacceptable. I am ashamed over how uninformed I was. I was so wrong."

Reports Deadline's Dominic Patten: "Harrison will receive a rose of his own in the form of mid-range eight-figure payoff and promise to keep his mouth shut, I hear." Neither ABC nor Harrison have commented on Patten's report.

The current season of The Bachelorette is hosted by former leads Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams, and this summer's Bachelor in Paradise season will be hosted by a revolving door of guest comedians. So, the big question: Who will step in as the permanent host of The Bachelor going forward? Possibilities include...

Jojo Fletcher

Yes, a lot of former Bachelorettes aside from Fletcher have guest hosted at this point, but hear me out. When Harrison stepped aside from Matt James's season to take his son to college, ABC first turned to Fletcher—a fan favorite who has had enormous TV success from the franchise, and remains engaged to her final rose pick, Jordan Rodgers. Fletcher has always been one of the franchise's most beloved members, and her fiancé (who is Aaron Rodgers' brother—I'm just throwing that out there) also has hosting experience, so the couple could potentially co-host dates together and reminisce on their own Bachelor meet-cute.

Emmanuel Acho

An unlikely pick, considering Acho was clear that he would only step in to host After the Final Rose at the end of Matt James's season, but I'd be surprised if ABC didn't want him in the gig. Acho is a devout Christian and former football player—both of which are like catnip to The Bachelor producers, at least when to comes to contestants—and did a tremendous job hosting a difficult After the Final Rose. He also has a wealth of broadcasting experience, both in sports and with his webcast, Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man.

David Spade

Yes, you read that right. David Spade is a Bachelor superfan, having made that abundantly clear via Instagram, and he was the first celebrity to agree to help host Bachelor in Paradise this season. Clearly, Spade has an emotional connection to the show—but he's currently working on Hotel Transylvania: Transformania and, after that, an 18-episode series called The Netflix Afterparty, so he may have a scheduling conflict (or, you know, not want to!).

Rachel Lindsay

Perhaps the number-one pick for ABC—but also someone who may not want the long-term gig—Lindsay is a former Bachelorette who, like Fletcher and Acho, has seen a successful second career in broadcasting. She's been refreshingly open about the racism that underpins The Bachelor franchise—but she's also faced an onslaught racist cyberbullying from fans of the franchise, and she's noted that her relationship with the franchise is fraught.

"How much more do I want to be affiliated with this? How much more can I take of things like this?...I can’t take it anymore. I’m contractually bound in some ways. But when it’s up, I am too. I can’t do it anymore," she said in February. Still, if the franchise was able and willing to make lasting structural change, and Lindsay was willing to be on board, she'd be undeniably brilliant in the role.

Other Contenders Include...

• Wells Adams, the unofficial co-host of Bachelor in Paradise—potentially along with his wife-to-be, Modern Family's Sarah Hyland
• Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe, current hosts of Katie Thurston's season of The Bachelorette
• Michael Strahan, reportedly thought to be the right combination of "news and show business" for the role
• Nick Viall, who has appeared on more Bachelor spin-offs than pretty much anybody aside from Chris Harrison

It's been a weird year. I get it. A lot has happened. We've been indoors too long. Dale and Clare are like, maybe back together? I'm weird. You're a little weird. But The Bachelorette's just released contestant bios? They are just too weird.

As is tradition, ABC released the names and bios of the men hoping to win bachelorette Katie Thurston's heart/TV proposal fun facts and today tweeted out some highlights, posting graphics for each of the men that are...well:

First of all, the graphics themselves are a resounding, what? But the facts presented... There doesn't seem to be a "chicken enthusiast" this season, but I would say "skin salesman" is definitely an eyebrow-raiser. I'd assume they mean skincare salesman, as in someone who sells products to care for one's skin, but since this is The Bachelorette, I'm preparing for the literal interpretation and what that means. Makes it extra !!! that one of his fun facts is "all animals love him" then too.

Anyway, I had a lot of weird feelings. And the internet agreed.

Can't wait for this season to start!

For all the stars of Bachelor Nation, there is one man every potential fiancé is happy to see (and, no, it’s not Chris Harrison!): Neil Lane. The engagement ring designer started doling out engagement rings on the 13th season of The Bachelor and the first season of The Bachelorette. But before Lane took over, there wasn’t one sole designer helping with proposal jewels, although that didn’t take away the excitement of seeing the leads pick out a ~symbol of love~.

Take a trip down memory lane to see every engagement ring from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Trust me, each one is a sight for sore eyes.

1. Clare Crawley and Dale Moss

The gorgeous model got down on one knee at the beginning of the current plot-twist of a season of the Bachelorette with a 4.5-carat Neil Lane sparkler. The ring, according to People, the middle stone is a massive radiant-cut diamond with two shield-shaped diamonds on either side. Oh, did I mention that there are also 145 smaller round diamonds on the ring and band?

This latest Bach proposal even had Neil scrambling. "It was a miracle we got it done!" he told People. "Nothing was regular this season but I think it all worked—it was an exciting hullabaloo but really everyone was just rooting for Clare and her love story."

2. Andrew Firestone and Jen Schefft

Andrew Firestone proposed to Jen Schefft with a gorgeous, oval-shaped Harry Winston ring on season three of The Bachelor. Jen went on to be the third Bachelorette, so you all know how that ended.

3. Bob Guiney and Estella Gardinier

Season four with Bob Guiney in the lead role didn’t ~technically~ end with an engagement, but the ring giving still occurred. Bob gave his final woman Estella Gardinier a Harry Winston promise ring worth a whopping $45,000. That seems like more than a promise to me, but what do I know? It was moot anyway because the couple broke up shortly after the show aired.

4. Kaitlyn Bristowe and Shawn Booth

Kaitlyn Bristowe’s dramatic season came to a close when she chose Shawn Booth. He proposed with a 3.5-carat, brilliant-cut diamond that sits on an intertwining band. The pair was together for three years before calling it quits. Kaitlyn has found love again with Bachelorette alum and fan-favorite Jason Tartick.

5. Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney

Jason proposed to Molly on a totally casual weekend trip to New Zealand in October 2009. Even though they didn’t get engaged on the show, Jason still gave her a huge Neil Lane, oval-shaped sparkler that looks damn good on her finger. Jason’s son, Ty, became a big brother in March 2013.

6. Chris Soules and Whitney Bischoff

Prince "Farming" Chris Soules popped the question to Whitney Bischoff, sending Becca Tilley home. He proposed with a stunning ring visible from miles away. They called off their engagement two months later, though.

7. Josh Murray and Andi Dorfman

Josh Murray gave Bachelorette Andi Dorfman a ring fit for the queen she is. The stunning oval-shaped, halo-set ring was gor-geous. But the relationship didn’t last. Their tumultuous engagement ended eight months later.

8. Joelle Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers

It was obvious from the beginning that JoJo Fletcher was going to pick Jordan Rodgers. Their chemistry and connection was palpable. Jordan picked a simple ring with an oval-shaped center stone positioned on a band full of diamonds.

9. JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers (Take Two!)

Three years after their engagement, Jordan re-proposed with a new ring that is not from the Neil Lane family. This one is from Ring Concierge (Nicole Wegman) and is an oval on a thin band.

10. Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo

Rachel Lindsay’s final man, Bryan Abasolo, chose a trendy pear-shaped sparkler when he proposed on her season of The Bachelorette. Their love story continues as they married in August 2019.

11. Sean Lowe and Catherine Giudici

Sean Lowe found an ever-lasting love on his season of The Bachelor. He proposed to fan-favorite Catherine Giudici with a 3.15-carat, cushion-cut ring positioned on a split band. The couple tied the knot on live TV in 2014.

12. Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi

Vanessa Grimaldi exuded elegance on Nick Viall’s season of The Bachelor. When Nick proposed to Vanessa, he chose a ring that fit her style. The captivating 3.75-carat ring is a head-turner. As for the relationship, the pair called it off six months later.

13. Arie Luyendyk and Lauren Burnham

Arie started seeing his runner up, Lauren Burnham, after proposing and then dumping Becca Kufrin. He even proposed on the After the Final Rose with an antique-style engagement ring. The couple is now married and have a daughter.

14. Becca Kufrin and Garrett Yrigoyen

The same night Becca’s ex Arie got engaged, she started her own journey to find love on The Bachelorette. Her final man was fly fisher Garrett Yrigoyen. The classy, three-stone ring set in yellow-gold fits Becca’s glamourous, yet down-to-earth personality. The couple is still together, and Garrett even went on the Bachelor: Live On Stage tour with his fiancé.

15. Desiree Hartsock and Chris Siegfried

Desiree Hartsock gave her final rose to Chris Siegfried, which proved to be the right fit for her. Chris gave her a symbolic 3.5-carat ring with a rose gold and platinum intertwining band that represents their life together. Desiree and Chris wed nearly two years later in a ceremony that was surprisingly not filmed for TV.

16. Hannah Brown and Jed Wyatt

I think we all can agree that Jed Wyatt was not there for the right reasons, and Hannah Brown deserved better. But the man knows how to pick a ring. He selected a beautiful oval-shaped stone with a halo of diamonds surrounding it, which weighed three carats. Hannah broke up with Jed on her season finale after she found out he had a girlfriend while on the show.

17. Brad Womack and Emily Maynard

On his second season as The Bachelor, Brad Womack proposed to Emily Maynard with a shimmering cushion-cut diamond set on a split band. The ring featured 263 stones, but no amount could keep the couple together. Emily went on to become The Bachelorette.

18. Emily Maynard and Jef Holm

Jef “With One F” Holm proposed to Bachelorette Emily Maynard on the season eight finale. He selected an amazing emerald-shaped ring that sits on a thin band of diamonds. Their relationship didn’t last, though. They broke up later that year.

19. Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi

Jake Pavelka, the OG pilot Bachelor, gave his final rose to Vienna Girardi. He proposed with a 2.72-carat platinum diamond ring that was eventually returned to producers. In one of the most dramatic breakups of all time, ABC took time out of The Bachelorette to air all of the couple’s dirty laundry on national TV. The pair addressed infidelity rumors, and their vicious breakup is hard to watch.

20. Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell

The bling is real. Bachelor Ben Higgins gave Lauren Bushnell a 4.6-carat engagement ring valued at $95,000. A year and half (and another reality TV show) later, the couple broke off their engagement. That’s okay, though. Lauren is happily married to country singer Chris Lane, and Ben just got engaged to Jessica Clarke, who was not part of the franchise.

21. Ashley Hebert and JP Rosenbaum

Ashley Hebert provided Neil with plenty of inspiration when he designed her potential engagement rings. Her suitor, JP Rosenbaum, selected a breath-taking cushion-cut ring with a halo setting, which came out to 3.5 carats. The couple got married in an ABC special that aired in 2012. Ashley and JP have two children and continue to open up about their relationship.

22. Ali Fedotowsky and Roberto Martinez

Ali Fedotowsky and Roberto Martinez got engaged on the season six finale of The Bachelorette. Roberto proposed with a classy Asscher-cut ring valued at $50,000. After 18 months and many wedding postponements, the couple broke off their engagement and ended their relationship.

23. Wells Adams and Sarah Hyland

Okay, fine. Sarah Hyland is an actor, and not from the Bachelor franchise, but Wells was the best bartender ever on Paradise. Come on. They met via social media and are set to wed. (Scroll for ring pics!)

24. Ben Flajnik and Courtney Robertson

Ben Flajnik picked a gorgeous ring for his final rose recipient, Courtney Robertson, who was also dubbed the villain of his season. The 3-carat ring valued at $60,000 was returned when the couple (unsurprisingly) broke up nine months later.

25. Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter

Trista Rehn is the OG Bachelorette and is still married to the man who got her final rose, Ryan Sutter. Trista lost the ring Ryan originally proposed with, so Neil upgraded it to a four-carat, emerald-cut sparkler with a halo setting on their 10th anniversary.

26. Meredith Phillips and Ian McKee

Meredith Phillips’ season of The Bachelorette ended with Ian McKee getting down on one knee. Ian selected a mesmerizing 3.25-carat Tacori ring featuring a square center diamond and band full of emerald-cut diamonds. The pair lasted a year before calling it quits, which is pretty impressive by the franchise’s standards.

27. Aaron Buerge and Helene Eksterowicz

The first season of The Bachelor didn’t end with a proposal, so Aaron Buerge became the first lead to get on one knee. He gave Helene Eksterowicz a three-stone, 3.75-carat Harry Winston ring. The couple broke off their engagement five weeks after the finale aired.

28. DeAnna Pappas and Jesse Csincsak

DeAnna Pappas didn’t give her final rose to lovable dad Jason Mesnick to many people’s dismay. Instead, she chose Jesse Csincsak, who gave her a 2.3-carat, square-cut Tacori diamond. The couple broke up that same year by posting a video to their website, which was taken down.

29. Byron Velvick and Mary Delgado

Season six lead Byron Velvick proposed to Mary Delgado with a 3.5-carat, three-stone stunner from Tacori. The couple never tied the knot, but they were together for five years until a domestic dispute caused strain on their relationship.

30. Matt Grant and Shayne Lamas

Matt “British Bachelor” Grant proposed to his final woman Shane Lamas on the season 12 finale of The Bachelor. He gave her a 2.85-carat Tacori eternity ring, which she supposedly kept when the couple broke up about a month after the finale aired. Now that’s a power move.

31. Prince Lorenzo Borghese and Jennifer Wilson

Italian Prince Lorenzo Borghese—FWIW, he had never been to Italy before going on the show—didn’t propose to his final woman, Jennifer Wilson. In fact, the ring he gave her wasn’t even a promise ring. He called it a “family ring.” Lorenzo’s mother designed the tasteful, multi-diamond sparkler with a beautiful round center stone. The couple broke up a year later, and it was rumored Lorenzo started dating his runner up, Sadie Murray.

On November 3, 2020, as the United States was preoccupied with the presidential election, Mearg “Magi” Tareke had just returned home to Washington, D.C. from the Pennsylvania resort where she had been filming season 25 of The Bachelor.

Excited to tell her mother about her experience as the first Ethiopian contestant ever to appear on ABC's blockbuster reality dating show, Tareke picked up the phone but couldn't get through. It was her first clue something was wrong back home in Tigray.

“All the connections were cut off,” she says. “I didn't even get to talk to her about what happened. Now I was freaking out about her safety, my entire family's safety.”

Government forces in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa had launched a military offensive in Tigray, the northernmost region of the country and the home to an ethnic group known as Tigrayans (or “Tegaru”), an estimated 7 million people with a distinct language and culture. Thirty years ago, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) political party overthrew the Mengistu dictatorship, and has dominated Ethiopian politics for much of the last three decades. Their refusal to be part of a 2019 merger of ethnic parties into the countrywide Prosperity Party set the stage for the current conflict: In early November, the regional government—controlled by the TPLF—besieged a key Ethiopian military base in the Tigrayan capital Mekelle. In response, the Ethiopian National Defense Force (EDNF) quickly ousted the militia and took control of the city.

Since then, reports have emerged of rape and massacres of Tigrayan civilians committed by Ethiopian and allied Eritrean soldiers, including hundreds killed on November 28 at the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion. The church, believed to be the home of the Ark of the Covenant, is located in the holy city of Aksum, about 15 miles from Tareke’s hometown of Adwa.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed—who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2019—has denied the atrocities, but recently U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken used the term “ethnic cleansing” to describe the violence. “We are seeing very credible reports of human rights abuses and atrocities that are ongoing,” Blinken said during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on March 10. The Ethiopian government released a statement calling his accusations “unfounded and spurious” and expressing willingness to cooperate with international human rights investigations. (In February, the United Nations had announced the Ethiopian government’s approval to allow humanitarian aid in the Tigray region.)

But with no journalists or aid workers allowed unrestricted access into Tigray, the conflict has been slow to receive the kind of international attention that tends to accompany such dire warnings. Activists in the Tigrayan diaspora have been working to amplify videos and witness accounts on behalf of those back home who have been muzzled by the communications blackout—and in recent weeks, thanks to Tareke, they have received a boost from a seemingly unlikely place: the fandom collectively known as “Bachelor Nation.”

“My sweet friend @magitareke needs our help, please spread awareness,” Rachael Kirkconnell posted to her Instagram stories on March 7, sharing Tareke’s International Women’s Day post about weaponized rape and hunger in Tigray to her nearly half a million followers. “Donate if you can. Pray.” (Kirkconnell, who has been criticized for a pattern of problematic social media behavior—more on that below—was revealed during the March 15 finale as the woman Bachelor Matt James had given his final rose, though he had already broken up with her by the time it aired.)

Fan-favorite Abigail Heringer re-shared one of Tareke’s posts to her 450,000 followers. And Serena Pitt, who made it to the final four before self-eliminating, wrote: “Please check out @magitareke page to learn about what is happening in Tigray and how you can help,” with a link to a relief fund.

The flurry of International Women’s Day posts by these and more than a dozen of Tareke’s fellow cast members came just as the season headed into its buzziest stretch. “Her contribution has been tremendous,” says protest organizer Marta Niguse, a member of multiple Tegaru diaspora organizations in the greater Washington, D.C. area, who credits The Bachelor with helping the movement expand its reach to people beyond Tigrayans in the United States and around the world. “The video campaign [that Magi participated in] is by far the most widely viewed and shared by [the] non-Tigrayan diaspora.”

Having a sense of purpose has been a lifeline for Tareke, who found herself in the surreal position of being thrust into the national spotlight during the most difficult time of her life. When the show premiered in January she was sick with worry over her family, of whom there was still no word. “I couldn't celebrate because I'm crying inside,” she says. “I couldn’t laugh knowing my family's lives are in danger, with all this killing, all this looting, everything going on. I don't know how I survived the last three months.”

Bundled in a puffy black coat against the New York chill on February 11, Tareke was one of hundreds of protesters gathered outside the United Nations to mark 100 days since the start of the conflict. The red and yellow flag of Tigray fluttered throughout the chanting crowd alongside homemade signs that read “STOP GENOCIDE.”

“Who are we?”

“Tegaru!”

“What do we want?”

“Peace!”

Her face covered by a black mask, Tareke might have been indistinguishable from any other protester, but a group of Tegaru teen girls spotted her and stopped in their tracks.

“Are you Magi?” one of them asked.

Tareke posed for several photos with the girls before thanking them for coming. After she left their circle, they spoke about what it meant to them to see someone like her on a show at the pinnacle of popular culture.

“She’s an inspiration to all of us,” says Zeima Sebhatu, 16, who came up from the D.C. area to attend the protest. “We’re glad that we met her today because it’s really rare to meet a famous Habesha [Ethiopian], especially one from Tigray.”

Tareke, 32, came to the United States 10 years ago after winning the green card lottery (a.k.a. the U.S. Department of State Diversity Visa Program). A pharmacist who also works as a model, she was scouted by The Bachelor casting folks, who reached out and invited her to be on the show.

She was a little nervous about how conservative Ethiopians might react to seeing her date a man who was simultaneously dating dozens of other women. Still, she agreed to be on the show, she says, because Matt James was her type. It wasn’t his race that mattered to her, what was important was that he was Christian and seemed to really live his faith by doing nonprofit work with children. Remembering her own mostly barefoot childhood in Ethiopia, Tareke herself was already the founder of a nonprofit providing shoes to schoolgirls in developing countries.

“I always wanted to be with someone who likes helping people,” she says. “So I thought that was sweet.” She enjoyed her time on the show, becoming close with many of the other women. She didn’t get much screen time, but fans warmed to the understated, mature way she carried herself.

“A lot of girls ask me, ‘Magi, why didn’t you fight for Matt? Why didn’t you make out?’ But for me, in my culture, we take our time with a guy,” she says. She made it about halfway through the season before James let her go, setting off a torrent of tweets calling for “Justice for Magi!”

Her supporters needn’t have worried. The day her elimination aired, she got something far better than televised validation from a man: She finally got a call through to her mother. She found out her family was safe.

“The first time hearing my mom's voice was… I just cried,” she says.

Because young men of fighting age have been targeted, she learned, one of her brothers had fled to neighboring Sudan. The rest of the family reported they were holding up well at home. She spent the next two days on the phone sending money and finding out how the last few months had been for them with limited access to water and food.

Finally, she got around to sharing her own news.

“I said, ‘Hey, you remember how I told you I'm going somewhere and don’t worry about me, everything is good, and I will call you? So, you know… it’s called The Bachelor.’ ”

Her mother needed a little explanation.

“She was in shock,” Tareke says, adding, “but she’s happy I’m happy.”

Over the course of the show’s season—which has been notable for a reckoning over racism it has brought about—Tareke has found herself speaking out about more than the conflict in Tigray. Longtime host Chris Harrison took a step back from the franchise after publicly defending Kirkconnell, when photos emerged that showed her attending an antebellum-themed party in 2018, among other insensitive behavior. Harrison later apologized for “speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism” and promised “to do better.”

In the finale, it was confirmed that James—the first Black Bachelor to be cast in the show’s history—had split up with Kirkconnell after these revelations.

“When I first heard about [the racism], I felt like, is there any safe place for me?” Tareke says. “I can’t go to Tigray, and here I’m fighting this. I’m fighting for my people, and in America I’m fighting for me.”

Most of the women from this season banded together to release a joint statement denouncing any defense of racism. Tareke remains close with Kirkconnell, who has been supportive of her both publicly and behind the scenes during this painful time. But Tareke was shocked and disappointed by Harrison’s interview because, she says, he had become one of her favorite people over the course of filming.

She thinks it’s too soon for Harrison to come back as host of spinoff show Bachelor in Paradise—though she says she would consider an appearance on that show if invited. “It’s on the table,” she says.

“Chris Harrison promises he’s doing his best, he’s learning,” she says. “The learning is not something that comes really quick. Racism is a very sensitive thing. I don’t think it’s doable to learn in a month or two.”

It’s something she herself was naive about in the United States, her chosen home. “When I came here, I was like, everybody is going to live happy. You’re Black, you’re white—okay, so what? We are all the same people created from the same God. What’s the problem? That’s what I used to think,” she says. “It’s going to be 10 years in this country and I still have so much to learn.”

The international response to the crisis has been gaining steam, which Tareke finds heartening. But as she receives videos of new atrocities in Tigray almost daily with a hunger crisis looming—because of missed harvests and a breakdown of infrastructure, the U.N. estimated in January that 4.5 million people in the region need food aid—she worries that many people who are displaced or in hiding may be running out of time. She has tried to send food, but the shipments have been confiscated en route.

Tareke says she has received online harassment from anti-TPLF Ethiopians who seek to discredit the reports of war crimes. She believes it shouldn’t be controversial to point out that Tigrayan civilians need not pay the price for TPLF’s actions.

“I am not political; I stand for humanity,” Tareke says. “I had never been to a protest ever before. The one thing that pushed me was my family: They can’t speak. We are their only voice.”

A fresh season of The Bachelor started airing in January 2021, and you know what that means—a new very tall, very handsome man to alternately swoon over and angry-tweet about every Monday night, a new group of catfight-prone women battling it out (sometimes literally) for his heart, and a new set of baffling stunts disguised as "dates" and "bonding activities" for the group. Right away, lead Matt James seemed especially captivated by a handful of his initial contestants, including Rachael Kirkconnell, who not only had a few meaningful interactions with James right off the bat, but was also shown having even deeper conversations with him in the promo for the rest of the season.

Kirkconnell eventually won the season and got his final rose—but the two broke up in the months thereafter, for reasons they both discussed in the March 15 edition of After The Final Rose. Here's what to know about her.

She's been at the center of a racism controversy.

During James's season, Bachelor fans dug up screenshots of racist Instagram posts that Kirkconnell had "liked," including a photo that included a Confederate flag, as well as a pro-Trump post. In addition, Kirkconnell was photographed at what was allegedly a plantation-themed ball; she wore what looked to be an antebellum-themed dress. Her cousin confirmed that the posts were real.

Chris Harrison added fuel to the fire by defending Kirkconnell in a painful-to-watch interview with Rachel Lindsay, who was the first Black woman to be cast as The Bachelorette, on Extra: "These girls got dressed up and went to a party and had a great time and they were 18 years old." He repeatedly referred to the "woke police," and said of the "plantation ball" photos: "Is it [not] a good look in 2018, or is it not a good look in 2021?...[The franchise] is not in the business of dealing with every problem that you have."

As you can see in the clip, Lindsay emphatically disagreed, pointing out that Kirkconnell was actively "celebrating the old South" by attending the party and should not be defended by anyone. Harrison was widely condemned for the interview, and he quickly apologized: "What I now realize I have done is cause harm by wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism, and for that I am so deeply sorry."

Bachelor Nation was not convinced. Days later, amid calls for him to resign permanently, Harrison stepped aside from his hosting duties in light of the backlash. It's not clear when, if, or how he'll be back.

But one voice was missing for much of the controversy: Kirkconnell's. After Harrison stepped aside, Kirkconnell posted a heartfelt apology of her own to Instagram, writing: "At one point, I didn't recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn't excuse them. My age or when it happened does not excuse anything. They are not acceptable or okay in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist...As I was thinking about what I wanted to say, I couldn't help but think about how sick people must be of reading these kinds of statements; how a person didn't realize the trauma that their actions would inflict on other people. It must get so exhausting. I want to put my energy towards preventing people from making the same offensive mistakes that I made in the first place, and I hope I can prove this to you moving forward."

Reality Steve's take? "As you can see, Rachael’s apology was 10x better than Chris’...[What I heard was] she was going to own it, she was embarrassed by her actions, she knows it was racist, and even was aware her apology wouldn’t be enough and that it would take time for her to earn people’s trust. At this point, that’s really all she can do." He also alleged that Kirkconnell had wanted to speak out sooner: "Rachael has wanted to speak out for weeks now. But production was telling her not to. She’s 24 years old, everyone in America is calling her a white supremacist/racist, she has a giant NDA contract that she signed..."

Then James himself spoke out:

Kirkconnell was forced to asked fans to stop defending her actions. "“If you are in my comments or defending me anywhere, telling people that I did nothing wrong, that there’s nothing to be hurt about, there’s nothing to be angry about or offended about, please stop,” she added. “That’s not our place to tell people what they can and can’t be offended about. That’s wrong, and that’s part of the problem.”

ABC went on to announce that Emmanuel Acho would be hosting "After The Final Rose" in lieu of Harrison. When it aired on March 15, James was candid about why he and Kirkconnell had broken up: "You want to believe that you know your person better than anybody else knows your person,” he said. “When she spoke out and publicly acknowledged that she would do better and she apologized is when I was finally able to take check on myself and see where I was at, and I wasn't OK...Rachael might not understand what it means to be Black in America...It's work I can't do for you."

He continued: "And so when I questioned our relationship, it was in the context of you not fully understanding my Blackness, and what what it means to be a Black man in America, what it would mean for our kids, when I saw those things floating around on the internet. And it broke my heart."

Kirkconnell, meanwhile, fully owned up to her actions. "There's no excuse," she said. "I lost the love of my life and in the process of that, I hurt him while doing so."

She's from the South.

Kirkconnell is a 24-year-old from Cumming, Georgia, a suburb outside of Atlanta. She attended Georgia College & State University—where she made the Dean's List twice, FYI—and graduated in 2019 with a degree in marketing. She now works as a graphic designer and, judging by her Instagram, appears to have settled in the Atlanta area.

According to her official ABC bio, Kirkconnell's likes include doodling, good movies, and charcuterie boards, while her biggest pet peeve is slow driving. Relatable! Her Instagram also shows off a love of travel, beach days, wineries, and, of course, feral donkeys.

She had never been in love.

Buried among the requisite claims of loving low-key date nights and having a tight-knit family in her ABC bio is Kirkconnell's claim that she's never been in love, despite being a self-described hopeless romantic. Not only does she need that romance to be "huge and life-altering," but she's looking for a partner who will help her live every day to the fullest.

She also added, "At the end of the day, love is what makes your life more special than others. Life can be hard and really difficult and dark at times, but if you have someone by your side that loves you more than they love themselves, that makes it all worth it in the end."

It's been a long and rocky road, but in a three-hour broadcast on March 15, this season of The Bachelor will finally come to an end. Along the way, we had to sit through a seemingly endless stream of hard-to-watch drama among the contestants—much of which overshadowed their comparatively unexciting interactions with the literal Bachelor, Matt James. Even more disappointing, of course, was the scandal that erupted when social media posts surfaced that appeared to show rumored frontrunner Rachael Kirkconnell "liking" and engaging in racist behavior; the situation was further compounded when longtime host Chris Harrison defended Kirkconnell's actions (even as she herself asked people to stop defending her indefensible actions) with repeated references to the "woke police."

Harrison's comments were met with immediate backlash, prompting him to announce that he was "stepping aside" from the franchise for an unspecified period of time. Since then, ABC has announced that past Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will cohost the next season of The Bachelorette (rumored to be headlined by this season's Katie Thurston) and, to close out the current season of The Bachelor, Emmanuel Acho will step in as host of the post-finale "After the Finale Rose" special. Bachelor Nation is already well acquainted with Adams and Bristowe, but less so with Acho—so here's everything you need to know about our ATFR emcee.

What is Emmanuel Acho famous for?

Acho was born and raised in Dallas, where he set records in high school for his football and track prowess. After being named the state's best high school linebacker, he was recruited by the University of Texas, where he continued to excel both on and off the field; he graduated in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in sports management. After graduation, he joined the NFL, cycling through the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants before returning to the Eagles in late 2013 and racking up a solid bit of official play time.

Throughout his time in the NFL, Acho spent his off-seasons back on the UT campus to pursue a graduate degree in sports psychology. He was released from the Eagles as a free agent in 2015 and graduated with his master's in 2017.

Has he been a TV host before?

After his time as a pro football player ended, Acho didn't stray too far from the field. In 2016, he began working as an analyst for his alma mater's designated Longhorn Network. After this and a two-year stint as an analyst for ESPN2's college football programming, he was tapped by Fox Sports in June 2020 to cohost the talk show Speak for Yourself, which focuses on starting conversations at the intersection of sports and politics.

Around the same time that he joined Speak for Yourself, Acho began hosting his own YouTube series, "Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man." In each episode, the 30-year-old invites often-famous guests for discussions that, yes, often veer into traditionally "uncomfortable" but incredibly important territory. Recent episodes include conversations on police brutality and accountability with actual police officers, on cancel culture with Chelsea Handler, and on the NFL national anthem protests with league commissioner Roger Goodell.

The series inspired Acho to publish a guidebook-style version of his groundbreaking dialogues; upon its release in November 2020, Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man quickly became a New York Times bestseller, was included in Oprah's "Favorite Things" list for the year, and is on track to be adapted into a children's book this summer.

"The only way that we can truly achieve empathy is through these conversations. I think that intention without direction ends up being void, and a lot of people have really good intentions, but they don't have a lot of great direction. And I think conversations will help lead to the direction of it all," he told Texas Monthly of the ethos of his "uncomfortable conversations." 

What has he said about hosting "After the Final Rose"?

Acho introduced himself to Bachelor Nation in an Instagram post at the end of February. "It's been a pivotal season, and this episode will hopefully be one of the most storied shows in TV history. Empathy is needed and change is coming," he wrote. "I love being a bridge for reconciliation. Our world is disconnected & divided, my goal is to unify."

The day before the Bachelor finale aired, Acho took to his Instagram Story to continue to hype up the live special, writing, "Prepare to witness conversations you've likely never seen on linear television. It's an honor to serve y'all."

In a conversation with past Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay on Extra a few days before making his Bachelor debut, Acho opened up about his primary goals for the hosting gig. "Number one is to reconcile. There is so much tension between the photos that have surfaced around Rachael Kirkconnell that's like, wait a second, let's try to seek understanding first before we seek tension," he said. "And then number two is adequately tell these love stories. Matt is on a journey, and instead everything, to a degree, [is] overshadowed by him being the first Black Bachelor ... So let me honor Matt and his journey of love, especially as it comes down to these final couple of women."

Amid all the craziness of the world, perhaps the one thing we can always rely on is ABC's ability to keep churning out seasons of The Bachelor and Bachelorette on a regular basis. Indeed, even as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on and the franchise finds itself mired in a racism scandal that caused longtime host Chris Harrison to step back from the show, if the rumors are to be believed, a new season of The Bachelorette is expected to start filming within the next few weeks, with Katie Thurston as the lead—followed by another season of The Bachelorette, this one with Michelle Young as the lead. 

And while we may not know what precautions the show will take to avoid another major scandal, we do know a lot about Katie Thurston, who made it about halfway through the most recent season of The Bachelor and who became instantly iconic for bringing along a vibrator to meet Matt James. According to Reality Steve, Thurston was selected to lead the next season in early February, then de-selected a few weeks later, then re-selected in early March. Not confusing at all!

Barring any more last-minute changes, the intel is pointing toward an official announcement any day now confirming Thurston's upcoming quest for true love. While we wait for that to arrive, let's familiarize ourselves with a whole bunch of fun facts about her, shall we?

What is Katie Thurston's job?

Though Thurston works an official day job as a bank marketing manager in Renton, Washington, she's got a much more exciting side gig as a hilarious, no-holds-barred social media star. Prime example: She went viral on TikTok last summer for sharing a video in which she discussed her quarantine masturbation habits and mused about whether she'd hook up with a ghost (final answer: yes).

Between her frank online content and the fact that she stepped out of the limo on night one of The Bachelor with a vibrator in hand, Thurston has been widely praised for her sex positivity. And it's not just for show: "It wasn't some agenda that I had coming on to the show. It's just who I am and who I've been this whole time," she said during an appearance on the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast in January, per People. "It wasn't until after the fact that I realized how big of a deal it was—which excites me, because I do believe it's 2021 and women should be comfortable talking about their sexuality."

What is Katie looking for?

Thurston turned 30 just a few days into the new year, and the day before the big milestone, she reflected on where the last few years have brought her and what she wants her next decade to look like.

"If I died tomorrow, I wouldn't be happy with what I've accomplished. I followed 'the rules' of life. Get the career. Save the money. Start that 401k. Buy the house. And for what? An entire decade to pass without feeling fulfilled? This past year, I finally unapologetically loved who I am," she wrote.

"What I do know is life is too short to feel unfulfilled. So what fills your heart? What makes you happy? I've enjoyed making people laugh this summer during what felt like a dark time for so many. I've enjoyed learning from my diverse community and hearing their stories," she continued. "I will passionately pursue a fulfilled life and refuse to let this next decade pass by without purpose."

Here's hoping that purpose includes shaking things up on The Bachelorette—and maybe even finding the ambitious, mature partner she described in her official Bachelor bio.

What else do we know about Katie?

Followers of Thurston on social media are well acquainted with her cat Tommy, as well as her undying love of all things cat-related.

He's very big and very fluffy—a "big floof," if you will—and very deserving of any and all wall-sized portraits and emotional Whitney Houston serenades.

What does Matt James say about her?

They may not have ended up together, but James still has nothing but respect for Thurston. On an episode of Watch What Happens Live a few days after he eliminated her, as rumors were already swirling that she'd be the next Bachelorette, James raved about how "incredible" Thurston is. "Those are the type of women that should be in consideration for a Bachelorette role," he said. "She's bold, she's courageous, and she stands up for what she believes in."

What do we know about Katie's season?

A few things! First, her season will shoot in late March, according to Reality Steve. Second, she's not dating Tyler Cameron, in spite of those rumors. "Tyler has a girlfriend so everyone needs to get this out of their heads,” Thurston said during an Instagram Q&A. (So I guess that's a no to Cameron crashing her season à la Nick Viall and Hannah Martin, then?)

Third, we know where it'll be set, per Reality Steve: "Hyatt Tamaya, just outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico," RS wrote on Twitter. And since it'll start shooting so soon, we also know that the men have already been selected and are quarantining while waiting for Katie. You can read about some of them (though it's anyone's guess who will make it to the final batch) here.

Spoilers for The Bachelor ahead.

If it feels like Tayshia Adams and Claire Crawley's season of The Bachelorette just ended, that's because, uh, it did. Just two weeks separated their season of The Bachelorette and Matt James' season of The Bachelor, which started on January 4, 2021 on ABC at 8 p.m. Early spoilers for James' season from Bachelor Nation guru Reality Steve and other spoiler accounts made clear that this season was going to be soapy and dramatic (or "dra-MATT-ic," as ABC put it)—but controversy over the franchise's handling of race quickly marred James's season, leading to host Chris Harrison stepping down before James had even handed out his final rose.

As for James, he's unique for being both the first Black Bachelor and the first Bachelor in years that wasn't a fan favorite from previous seasons. Instead, James was plucked from Crawley's cast before he'd even met her—and the timing was interesting, to say the least, since a petition had just begun circulating that demanded a greater commitment to diversity in The Bachelor franchise. But James also ticks a lot of the boxes for the franchise: He's handsome, charming, best friends with Tyler Cameron, and committed to charity work. Who wouldn't want to date the guy?

Who wins Matt James' season and gets engaged to him?

The four final contestants who made it to hometowns were:

• Serena Pitt
• Rachael Kirkconnell
• Bri Springs
• Michelle Young

The frontrunner who has commanded the most attention, by far, is Rachael Kirkconnell. You can learn more about her and the controversy around her here:

And here's Serena Pitt (more on her here):

Michelle Young:

Bri Springs:

As for who wins the season and James' heart, Reality Steve says it came down to Rachael and Michelle as James' final two, with Rachael winning the season and getting James' final rose. If you needed more evidence that Kirkconnell won: @BachSleuthers discovered that James had been listening to one of Kirkconnell's playlists (I mean, do you listen to your ex's Spotify playlists?).

Sadly, things went downhill from there. Reality Steve reported that James broke up with Kirkconnell at some point after the season filmed and before it aired, potentially in connection to the controversy around Kirkconnell that swallowed James's season. When it began airing in January, people noticed that Kirkconnell had "liked" racist posts on social media—and the controversy hit breaking point when photographs of her at a plantation-themed ball, apparently dressed in an "antebellum"-style outfit, emerged. At some point, Kirkconnell and James split for good.

It appears that the breakup was initiated by James. Says Reality Steve of the "After The Final Rose": "I know that [Rachael] didn’t want the break up to happen, so what mind set will she be in? Will Matt say something different on TV than what he told her during the breakup?"

We'll learn more about what happened between James and Kirkconnell during the finale of James's season on March 15, and during the "After The Final Rose" thereafter. Former NFL player Emmanuel Acho will be hosting in lieu of Harrison.

Which brings me to my next question: Will James try to rekindle things with one of his other frontrunners, now that things are over with Kirkconnell? The most likely pick would be Young, if we assume that she came in second and therefore had the deepest connection with James aside from Kirkconnell.

If it did happen, it wouldn't be the first time a lead had ended up with a person they didn't give their final rose to (see: Arie Luyendyk Jr, who ended up with Lauren Burnham over Becca Kufrin, or Jason Mesnick, who broke up with his final pick on-air to end up with runner-up Molly). Plus, it would give James a happy ending, which is the least that James (and all of us) deserve after such a painful season.

But...apparently not. "Matt seems to be content on leaving this thing as a single man, and frankly, seems to be done with this franchise," says Reality Steve.

Who will be The Bachelorette next season?

Reality Steve initially reported that ABC had chosen Katie Thurston, the contestant you'll remember for calling out Victoria and everyone else when you were screaming at the TV, but Thurston then posted an Instagram story that sent: "Reading my texts this morning like...news to me." She reiterated this sentiment on Tamron Hall: "Until I hear otherwise officially, again, it’s news to me."

Reality Steve then backtracked: "Now, I don’t see [Katie being cast as the Bachelorette] happening. Hell, we don’t even know if there WILL be a “Bachelorette” season." But then—I know, I can't keep up either—it turned out that Thurston was selected to be the Bachelorette after all. On March 8, weeks before The Bachelorette was scheduled to begin filming, Reality Steve wrote: "What I posted last week is now “official.” Katie Thurston was named the “Bachelorette” at this past Friday’s ATFR taping. For real this time."

But then, another twist: Reality Steve reported that Thurston won't be the only Bachelorette in 2021. And no, this isn't another "two Bachelorettes, one season" situation, thank God. There are going to be two separate seasons of The Bachelorette this year, according to Reality Steve. One will be helmed by Thurston, and the other by fan favorite Michelle Young.

And who will be the host, I hear you ask? Well—hosts, plural. Kaitlyn Bristowe, the former Bachelorette who won this past season of Dancing With The Stars, will co-host alongside Tayshia Adams, the last Bachelorette. Bristowe wrote on Instagram in response to a comment: "Truthfully we are there to support the new bachelorette, We aren't 'replacing' anyone!!!"

Where Are They Now? The Couples of 'Bachelor' Nation

In an unexpected announcement this past June, ABC announced that it had its Bachelor lead for 2021: Matt James, who is currently starring in the show's 25th season and is the first Black Bachelor. If you're wondering who Matt James is, you're not alone. James was initially cast as a contestant on Clare Crawley's Bachelorette season, and ABC claims that they instantly knew James to be the perfect fit for their leading man. So ABC poached him from Crawley's lineup and declared him the new Bachelor before Crawley's season began filming. (If you're interested in spoilers for his season, we've got 'em all right here.)

In 40 seasons, the show has had exactly one Black lead: Rachel Lindsay, who starred as The Bachelorette but has claimed she'll leave the franchise if calls to increase the diversity and treatment of cast members and production alike aren't met. A petition called "A Campaign for Anti-Racism on The Bachelor" had been circulating prior to the announcement; one of the demands of the petition was that the next Bachelor be a Black man. ABC responded quickly by casting James, a newcomer to the franchise.

So, who is Matt James?

James, 28, was initially intended to be a cast member on Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams' season The Bachelorette. In a statement, Karey Burke, president of ABC Entertainment, said: "When filming [Crawley’s season] couldn’t move forward as planned [because of the coronavirus pandemic], we were given the benefit of time to get to know Matt and all agreed he would make a perfect Bachelor."

Was Matt James on Clare Crawley's season?

No. In fact, there was a weird interaction between James and Crawley before her season began filming: Crawley seemingly subtweeted James in a tweet, suggesting he wasn't there for the "right reasons" because he had a Cameo account.

Fans quickly rushed to James' defense, because James' profits from Cameo were going to charity, plus James is heavily involved in the nonprofit world. Chris Harrison jumped in to calm things down: "She's not specifically talking about Matt, she's just saying she's living under a certain set of guidelines and rules because she's the Bachelorette. She's kind of already in our family, and she's been respecting that...These guys aren't living under those guidelines, because they're not really part of our thing yet."

Either way, James and Crawley never got a chance to meet, because James was abruptly pulled from her lineup during quarantine and given his own season.

Who is Matt James friends with?

Remember when Brown and Cameron were quarantining together with a bunch of friends in Florida, making viral TikTok videos and fueling rumors that the two might be getting back together? Yeah, James was there. He remains close with both Brown and Cameron; Cameron in particular is all over James' Instagram. The two of them do a ton of work for his nonprofit together (more on that in a sec), and it was Cameron's late mom who actually nominated James for The Bachelorette.

James has called Cameron his best friend, and Cameron showed up at least once on James's season. James alluded during his season to his close friendship with Brown, too: When Heather Martin (from Colton's season) showed up and told him that Brown thought they would be a good match, James was clearly flummoxed, saying that he trusted Brown's opinion but that he felt it was too late in the process.

What does Matt James do for a living?

James played football at Wake Forest University before a brief stint as a wide receiver in the NFL; he missed his shot with the Carolina Panthers and then was cut (twice) by the New Orleans Saints. He then moved to New York City. "I didn’t think I was going to make a career out of football, but I thought my stint in the NFL would be longer than a few months," he said in an interview.

James also founded ABC Food Tours, which you can learn more about here (and which you've probably also seen Cameron promoting on Instagram). James says he had the idea after running into a group of elementary school kids in Manhattan's Lower East Side and wanted to find a way to engage with other kids in underserved communities. "Our goal is to implement an experiential learning platform for students in NYC living in underserved communities that will educate, motivate, and inspire them to overcome life’s obstacles," says its About Us page.

What else do we know about Matt?

James is a devout Christian, which sparked something of a controversy: On night one, he asked all of the women to join him in prayer. Viewers pointed out that only about 65 percent of adults in the United States identify with the Christian faith. In response, James told Refinery29: "I think it’s important that they know where my peace comes from and where my decision making is rooted in."

And while leads of The Bachelor and Bachelorette are often painfully apolitical (or worse), James, thankfully, isn't afraid to speak up. He's posted a number of Instagrams about the nationwide protests triggered by the police killing of George Floyd, and has been vocal about how Black men are perceived.

After the Jan. 6 uprising at the Capitol, James posted to Instagram: "Yesterday, as we watched the riots take place inside our Capitol we're reminded yet again we're living in two different Americas...As a Black man who saw how peaceful protestors were handled this summer, I know a group of black or brown rioters would not have been dealt with the same way."

Unfortunately, it was during James's history-making season that tension over race in the Bachelor franchise reached breaking point. It emerged that a frontrunner on James's season, Rachael Kirkconnell, had "liked" racist posts on Instagram, and Chris Harrison went on television to defend Kirkconnell in an interview with Rachel Lindsay, an Extra TV host and the first Black Bachelorette. The interview went shockingly badly, with Harrison defending Kirkconnell—something even Kirkconnell herself has asked people not to do—and repeatedly referring to the "woke police." The outcry Harrison to step down from his position as host, and it's not clear if or when he'll be back.

A week later, after Harrison stepped down, James posted a statement of his own:

When and where did Matt James' season film?

Filming started in September and ended in late November. ABC filmed James' season at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Pennsylvania. By comparison, Crawley's season—which later turned into Adams' season after Crawley fell hard and fast for one of her contestants, Dale Moss—was filmed over the summer in a beach resort in California. The setting for James' autumn/winter season has more of a cozy, woodsy vibe.

Will Matt's mom Patty appear on his season?

James is super close with his mom, Patty. She showed up at the beginning of episode one, and you can expect to see more of her on his season. In a chat on ABC with Cameron before his season aired, James told Chris Harrison: "I think the grandkid counter for my mom started when the announcement was made."

James has been open about how he and his brother were raised by their mom, and their dad wasn't around. But according to Reality Steve, James's dad actually makes an appearance on the season—which might explain why there are promos of James being asked if he's okay and replying, "No, I'm not." It's pretty clear, according to RS, that James had no idea his father was being brought on. "I don’t know the outcome. If it was contentious, if Matt got closure, if it’s a touching moment, etc. Not sure," RS writes. Which...isn't a great move on ABC's part.

Who wins Matt James' season?

Spoilers for this season ahead. Alert! Spoilers incoming! If you don't want to know who wins this season, stop reading.

Still here? Okay, let's do it: The winner of this season is the aforementioned Rachael Kirkconnell, according to Reality Steve. The runner-up is Michelle Young, and she's followed by Serena Pitt and Bri Springs.

But when the show began airing, fans dug up evidence that Kirkconnell had "liked," and been featured, in racist Instagram posts, including one that had a Confederate flag. She was also photographed, allegedly at 2018, at what appears to be a "plantation-themed ball."

But it seems that James and Kirkconnell's relationship was not able to survive the controversy. Reality Steve reported on Feb. 22 that Kirkconnell and James had broken up—something that RS says that James implicitly makes clear in his statement, in which James calls Kirkconnell's photos "incredibly disappointing."

"I will continue to process this experience, and you will hear more from me in the end," James noted. That's likely going to be at the "After The Final Rose" following the finale in mid-March; former NFL player Emmanuel Acho is set to host instead of Harrison

It was an emotional moment unlike any in The Bachelor franchise’s history. There has always been plenty of crying on camera, but those impassioned occasions were mainly due to romantic entanglements, not racial injustice. Then, on season 16 of The Bachelorette, viewers witnessed Tayshia Adams break down in tears while discussing the Black Lives Matter movement. 

As the reality series began filming in the summer of 2020, protests were taking place worldwide following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Adams, the biracial star of the franchise’s latest season, remembers feeling like she and the contestants were “in such a bubble” during production. “I didn’t have time to process anything that was going on,” remembers the 30-year-old, whose father is Black and mother is Mexican. Still, she felt compelled to broach the subject with her suitors while cameras rolled.

“BLM was a big conversation that I wanted to have surrounding any of the guys that I was with,” says Adams, sitting on a sizeable L-shaped couch in her West Hollywood hotel room during our socially distanced chat earlier this month. “Not because it was a hot topic, but because we were experiencing it. It touched on my heartstrings, and I feel like it was a conversation that would show me where people stood.” As Adams discussed her feelings about the movement with contestant Ivan Hall, the charming engineer who made it to the final three, she got choked up. “There were so many emotions that were coming up,” she remembers. “I didn’t know how to describe them.” Even now, Adams wonders: “Why was I being so affected with a man that I didn’t know?” But at that moment, she felt connected to Hall, who is Black and Filipino, and remembers thinking, “I’m sharing that burden with him.”

What is that burden? It’s the weight that comes with being a person of color in America: mostly made to feel like you have to go out of your way to prove you aren’t a threat while processing how you’re consistently devalued. It’s a perspective that’s basically been non-existent across the ABC franchise, which began in 2002 when The Bachelor debuted. But Adams’s season—of which she became the star after Clare Crawley quit the show early to be with contestant Dale Moss—has been groundbreaking for additional reasons, including its focus on mental health struggles, and disorders, and addiction. Fitness coach Ben Smith, who was one of the final two contestants, talked openly about overcoming an eating disorder and attempting suicide twice after feeling overwhelmed from breaking his back, leaving the Army, and struggling financially.

Zac Clark, who won The Bachelorette and is now engaged to Adams, opened up about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction following surgery on a brain tumor. During recovery, he started abusing pain medication and drinking heavily. The 37-year-old also revealed that he’d gotten married around that time, but his wife left him after he got a DUI. What followed was a “scary" low period, he said on the show. “It was touch and go. Moments of, ‘I’m not sure if I’m going to make it to tomorrow.’” Now sober, Clark runs Release Recovery, a transitional living facility with locations in New York City and Westchester, New York, that focuses on connection and community for addicts hoping to begin their recovery.

It’s meaningful to Adams that her season was the one to engender these conversations, given the franchise’s history of dodging serious issues and its lack of diversity. “I was in millions of homes of people who haven’t really seen any of these conversations go down or been exposed to any of this type of talk,” she says. It wasn’t until 2017 that Rachel Lindsay became the first-ever Black Bachelorette. The current Bachelor, Matt James, is that show’s first Black lead after 24 seasons and only the second non-white Bachelor (2014’s star was Venezuelan soccer player Juan Pablo Galavis).

Adams recently spoke out about this season’s racism controversy. A couple weeks ago, photos emerged of current contestant Rachael Kirkconnell dressed in Native American attire as costume and at an antebellum plantation–themed ball. The show’s longtime host, Chris Harrison, defended Kirkconnell against the “woke police” after she was scrutinized. Upset over Harrison’s comments, Adams wrote on Instagram: “When there are blatant forms of racist acts you cannot be defensive of it.” Harrison has since stepped away from the franchise “for a period of time,” per a statement on Instagram.

Clearly, Bachelor drama occurs both on and off camera. But during Adams’s season, nothing went down behind the scenes that didn’t at least get touched on during an episode. “If I recall, [producers] said, ‘We’re just going to let it be,’” says Adams of how the show’s crew discussed editing the footage that would make it on air. As a result, season 16 of The Bachelorette was unique. “I feel like I shined a little bit of light to just cause people to question and realize how much there is out there that they don’t know and to educate themselves,” says Adams of the topics broached while she was the show’s star. “Even if it was just a little bit of light, it was something.”

For his part, Adams’s fiancé, Clark, who is white, has been putting in the work to understand his future wife’s background better. If the couple has it their way, they’ll have a few mixed-race babies one day, and Clark hopes to thrive in the fatherhood department. “So, I’m trying to understand and educate myself and talk to [Tayshia] about her experience growing up and what could have helped her and understand that that’s going to be a different experience than I had,” Clark tells me, stopping briefly to chat after laying a few kisses on Adams and shooting a couple of “I love you”s her way. “At the foundation of our relationship is honesty and being able to have those tough conversations. I’ve never dated an African-American. I’ve never dated a Mexican. So, this is all new in some way. But it’s also…” he pauses to collect his thoughts, then continues, “Like, when she walked in the room [her race] wasn’t my first thought. My first thought was, Wow, she’s gorgeous, and getting to talk to her and getting to know her, I was attracted to a lot of things, one of which is the ability to have these types of conversations.”

Despite their obvious chemistry, Adams is aware of the optics surrounding her engagement to Clark, and not Hall. When the show wrapped, Adams says she and Clark began to prep for the “possible backlash that I didn’t choose someone who looks like me.” That prep consisted, in part, of conversations with the show’s diversity team about their dating history and their families’ views on their relationship. The chats, says Adams, “prompted a lot of conversations between us, like, how do I like to be referred to; is it a person of color or African-American or is it Black?” (For the record, she prefers biracial and identifies as both African-American and Mexican.) When it comes to Clark’s family, Adams learned they’ve “never had anybody of color in it,” but, she says, “his dad welcomes me with the biggest arms.” The affection is a far cry from her experience with her ex-husband’s (white) family, she reveals. Feeling a lack of acceptance “was something that I experienced and swept under the rug,” says Adams, who was married to Josh Bourelle from 2016 to 2017. It wasn’t the first time she’d encountered narrow-mindedness.

At school in Orange County, California, when Adams was in the seventh grade, “this kid said he wouldn’t sit in my desk because I sat there, and he was Purell-ing the desk,” she remembers. “I felt ashamed. I was embarrassed, and I was like, ‘I’m not going to say anything. I don’t want anybody else saying the same thing.’ ” Now, Adams hopes to continue raising awareness about race and serious issues, as she did on The Bachelorette. She says she would hit the streets and attend another protest, like she did in Orange County following Floyd’s death. “I’m going to show up and I will speak my mind if I’m being asked,” she says, but she’d rather not be called an activist. “There are people that are phenomenal at it, but I’m still learning,” she says, adding, “I’m more so in the realm of teaching people just to love one another, no matter who it is.”

Adams hopes her and Clark’s relationship can be an example of that kind of love. “Being in a mixed relationship with someone that has never dated anybody of color before and sharing that experience, I would never shy away from opportunities like that.” Now officially living together in New York, Adams and Clark are enjoying getting to know each other. “We’re dating right now while being engaged,” says Adams, who admits the whirlwind nature of the show puts a lot of pressure on their union. She says she’s constantly getting asked if she and Clark are still together. When she says “Yes,” what she often hears next is “Please don’t break up.” “I’m not at all thinking about [ending the relationship],” she says. But when people consistently make comments like this, she wonders, “Is there something I’m not seeing?”

Adams can likely attribute those questions to the low number of lasting couples to come out of the franchise (just eight out of 40 completed Bachelor/Bachelorette seasons). Acknowledging her swift courting period and quick engagement, Adams keeps it real: “It’s not a normal relationship,” she says. Adams and Clark have only been engaged for about five months and have been shacking up for three. “We do bicker and fight, but 99 percent of it is good,” says Adams, who still has a place of her own in California. She prefers to keep her own space “for peace of mind,” she says, adding, “It’s not my first rodeo.”

When Adams and her ex-husband split, she remembers going to stay at her parents’ house “because I didn’t have anything that was mine,” she says. “I think that’s followed me.” She recognizes that people might see this “as a setback or like, ‘Okay, so you guys clearly aren’t doing well.’” But Adams argues, “No, I’m considering this like an adult and trying to set it up for the most success I can.”

She’s taking the same thoughtful approach when it comes to getting married. Well, for the most part, anyway. “At first, Zac was the person to be like, ‘We could get married next week.’ And I was like, ‘Slow your roll.’ I’d love to date a year. And now I’m like, ‘You want to … maybe next month?’ And he’s like, ‘Tayshia, slow your roll.’ We’re back and forth. But there’s no timeline. It’s definitely going to happen. I just don’t know when.”

Despite her (occasional) desire to get married ASAP, when asked if she thinks she and Clark would have gotten engaged so fast had the cameras not been rolling, Adams isn’t sure. But she is smitten. “I feel like I’m obsessed with him at this point, which is weird to say because I don’t like to sound so cliché, but he’s very much everything I need,” she admits. “I have an issue with trust. He’s teaching me to get that back.” And Clark, she adds, needed to be with someone who believes in him. “At one point, nobody trusted him as an addict,” she says. “I took a chance on him. We’re very complementary to one another.”

Influenced by Clark’s work at his treatment centers, Adams, who worked as a phlebotomist before she was recruited for the show, has been considering ways she can expand into philanthropic work. “Seeing how he interacts with his clients has been eye-opening,” she says. “You have to be so strong in your sobriety and all of your inner demons to be a [role] model. That’s made me want to start helping. If there’s anything I want to be known for, it’s giving back to the younger community. I want to help kids from abused homes and girls who are transitioning from teenagers to adults who have low self-esteem.” While Adams says she did not experience any abuse growing up, she did “have a tough childhood,” she reveals. “My dad was very strict with me. I’m working through things now that I’m realizing are because I was restricted as a child. With that, I feel like I’m very drawn to helping younger women.”

Adams is also determined to pursue TV hosting (she co-hosts the podcast “Click Bait” with fellow Bachelor franchise stars Natasha Parker and Joe Amabile), especially after feeling “so at home” during a recent guest-host stint on Entertainment Tonight. Until she lands that dream job, she’s bringing in cash as an influencer (she has 1.8 million followers on Instagram) via deals with brands like Smirnoff and Secret deodorant. “There’s a negative connotation with the word influencer,” she says. “But if I just paid off my student loans because of it? I’m sorry, but I think I’m doing quite well.” Adams is confident she’ll find her way professionally, just like she knows she’ll keep trusting her instincts when it comes to matters of the heart. “People expect you to have all the answers by the time you’re 30 years old because you’re a grown woman,” she says. “I don’t have all the answers. I’m learning just like everybody else.”

Photographer: Raul Romo / Makeup: Allan Avendaño / Hair: Ryan Richman / Stylist: Natalie Saidi

It's been a long and rocky road for Matt James, the Bachelor franchise's first-ever Black lead. Despite the series' much-publicized efforts to improve the show's diversity—which also included recruiting the largest and most diverse pool of contestants in the show's history—this season of The Bachelor has been far from immune to racist scandals and the general drama that inevitably arises after throwing a few dozen women in a luxurious Pennsylvania resort and asking them to compete both emotionally and physically for one man's heart.

Most damaging of all were the accusations that arose early on about one of the season's frontrunners, Rachael Kirkconnell, who was found to have "liked" racist posts on Instagram and attended a plantation-themed ball. To make matters worse, once Kirkconnell's actions had become widely known, host Chris Harrison defended them in an incredibly cringey Extra interview with Rachel Lindsay, who became the first Black Bachelorette in 2017—even as Kirkconnell herself admitted that there was no excuse for her actions in an apology posted on Instagram. As a result of the ensuing backlash to his remarks, within a few days, Harrison announced that he was temporarily "stepping aside" from his position as the show's host.

This season's contestants also distanced themselves from Harrison's remarks, with most posting a shared statement on Instagram in support of Lindsay. "We are deeply disappointed and want to make it clear that we denounce any defense of racism. Any defense of racist behavior denies the lived and continued experiences of BIPOC individuals. These experiences are not to be exploited or tokenized," they wrote.

Here, find a guide to the original 32 contestants on James' season of The Bachelor.

Heringer, who received the first impression rose from James on night one, is a client financial manager and avowed Calvin Harris fanatic from Beaverton, Oregon. The 25-year-old wears cochlear implants, and is the first hearing-impaired Bachelor contestant. Her Instagram is here.

Milne is a 26-year-old photographer with a penchant for travel: She traded the traditional college experience for a DIY mix of programs across Europe, and recently moved to Toronto on a whim. She claims to be the queen of puns and dreams of becoming a Michelin restaurant critic. Her Instagram is here.

As a model and professional ballerina, 24-year-old Holloway is based in New York City and currently performs with the Dance Theater of Harlem. Her likes include hot chocolate and that time she performed onstage with Aretha Franklin (NBD), and dislikes include tomatoes and cheesy pickup lines. Her Instagram is here. She was sent home after the cocktail party on night one.

Andrews is a 30-year-old nursing student currently based in Costa Mesa, California. Her two passions in life are her 13-year-old son and her love of animals, with her dream job revolving around the care and keeping of beluga whales. Her Instagram is here. She was also sent home in James' first batch of eliminations.

As a true Midwesterner, Redman, a 24-year-old copywriter who was born in Minnesota and now lives in Chicago, is obsessed with cheese. And, as a true Gemini, her interests run the gamut from doing jigsaw puzzles to dreaming up screenplays for Hallmark movies to convincing unsuspecting pilots to let her take a turn at the controls (?!). Her Instagram is here.

Springs, 24, is a communications manager for a major social media company based in San Francisco. As an avid hiker and beachgoer, her ideal life would include a laidback, sushi-filled life in Hawaii with an equally ambitious husband (Matt, are you paying attention?) and two or three kids. Her Instagram (here) is private, but she got plenty of airtime when she was invited on James' first solo date of the season.

A 30-year-old journalist based in L.A., Vallejo has big plans to publish her first novel within the next five years. She loves post-punk music and is looking for a husband who is caring, humble, and philanthropy-minded. Her Instagram is here. She was sent home on night one.

Suarez, 25, recently earned her master's degree in social work from USC and lives in Newport Beach, California. She hates when people steal food off her plate—preach!—and loves sunflowers. Her Instagram is here. She was also sent home on night one, but at least she got a great TikTok out of it.

Vaughn is a bit of a risk-taker: After a post-college stint in corporate America, she quit her job to completely switch paths and become a runway model. It doesn't stop there: Now 28 and based in Brooklyn, Vaughn also has plans one day to swim with stingrays. Her Instagram is here.

This 22-year-old Connecticut native is a model and also manages the marketing for her family's Italian restaurant. Jones loves the beach, DisneyWorld, and sneaking into abandoned asylums in the middle of the night. The usual. Her Instagram is here. She was part of the first group of women to be sent home on night one.

Curl, a 25-year-old from Albuquerque, already has something in common with Matt James: Like the Bachelor, she's also a realtor. Hopefully, they've got even more than that in common—Curl is looking for a stable, driven husband who loves her family and low-key date nights. Her Instagram is here. Curl, too, was sent home by James after the first night's festivities.

As a health food developer and entrepreneur in New York City, Pennetto recently developed her own "Funky Monkey Energy" nutritional snack company—which may help explain why she introduced herself to James by asking him to put her (meat)balls in his mouth. The 25-year-old is the mom of a bowtie-clad orange tabby cat and grew up on a synchronized ice skating team. Her Instagram is here.

Cruz is a 27-year-old San Antonio native who was crowned Miss El Paso in 2016. Now, she's a social media marketer with three dogs, a love of escape rooms, and big dreams to one day live in France—preferably with her amour. Her Instagram is here.

Anderson, 26, is a Chicago-based hostess who's looking for a husband as goofy and loyal as she is. In a truly fascinating juxtaposition, two of the fun facts on her ABC bio are that she would like to compete in an ultramarathon one day, and that she tripped over her own feet while crossing the stage at her high school graduation—so we'll see how that first one goes. Her Instagram is here.

This 29-year-old bank marketing manager is ambitious, daring, and adventurous. Case in point: The Renton, Washington, native's idea of a fun date is going skinny-dipping. Enough said. Her Instagram is here—you might recognize her as the one who declared night one to be BYO vibrator.

Epps, a healthcare advocate in Durham, North Carolina, is looking for a man who is respectful and emotionally intelligent, and who cares as much about giving back to his community as she does. The 28-year-old is also a huge Rihanna fan. Give this woman a rose already! Her Instagram is here, though it's sadly devoid of any pictures of the cute pickup truck she drove to night one of The Bachelor.

Matt will get along with Courneya just fine as long as he's not a cat person. The 28-year-old airline recruiter is staunchly anti-feline, but loves adventures, picnics, beautiful sunsets, and being up front about her needs and expectations. Plus, she loves Moana! Her Instagram is here. She went home on night one.

Keenan, a 21-year-old fashion entrepreneur, is currently finishing out her final year of college at NYU while living at home with her parents—including mom Cynthia Rowley. She's a woman of many talents and great taste: She can surf in high heels, has become something of a socialite around N.Y.C., and, like any rational human, hates when men wear flip-flops. Her Instagram is here.

A 27-year-old attorney in Virginia Beach, Hopkins is undoubtedly laser-focused and incredibly career-minded, but she also has a party-starting alter ego. That alter ego's favorite hobby? Belting out classic Disney tunes at karaoke. Her Instagram is here.

Another highly successful attorney, 29-year-old Maddox lives in Miami, where she spends her free time going to the beach and catching up with her friends at book club. She's a big fan of 2000s hip-hop and the Christmas season, but absolutely can't stand lizards and frogs. Understandable. Her Instagram is here.

Before moving to the U.S. in 2011, Tareke, 32, was born and raised in the small village of Adwa, Ethiopia, where she still runs a nonprofit that provides local girls with shoes. She's a pharmacist by trade and loves ping-pong, Beyoncé, and cozy wine nights. Her Instagram is here, and you can donate to MSYShoes here.

Make that two former pageant queens in the house:Pepin was named Miss Maryland USA in 2019 and placed in the top 10 at Miss USA. Now, the 24-year-old Puerto Rico native is a marketing director in Odenton, Maryland, where she's planning to get her boating license someday soon. Her Instagram is here.

Sienna is a 28-year-old event coordinator in Studio City, California, with big dreams. Among them: a five-year plan that includes getting married and adopting multiple dogs, and hopes of starting multiple companies focused on eradicating single-use plastics and promoting healthy lifestyles. Her Instagram is here.

If it wasn't obvious from her stunning head of curls, Snyder is a hairstylist based in Hudson, Ohio. The 23-year-old is looking for a husband who is punctual, decisive, and family-oriented, and who wants to join her in making the world a more beautiful place (and in sipping spicy margs in the great outdoors). She showed off her love of the outdoors by expertly navigating her way through the woods and becoming the MVP of James' first group date. Her Instagram is here.

James (no relation to the Bachelor himself, obviously) is a 23-year-old model and graduate student earning her master's degree in marketing in Happy Valley, Oregon. She's staunchly anti-picnic and pro-fancy European sports cars. Can't blame her! Her Instagram is here.

This 24-year-old hopeless romantic is hoping that Matt will become the first great love of her life. Kirkconnell works as a graphic designer and loves passing the time by doodling. If you're ever passing through Cumming, Georgia, beware—her biggest pet peeve is slow driving. Her Instagram is here, and we've got even more details about her here.

A Denver transplant who hails from Florida, Ste. Claire is an IT consultant who's on the lookout for a partner to join in her travels around the globe. The 25-year-old is nothing if not a high achiever: She ran her first marathon at just 16 and was inducted into her college's hall of fame for her leadership, service, and academics. Her Instagram is here. She was cut in James' first round of eliminations.

This just in: Trott, 24, is a broadcast journalist and podcaster based in San Diego who counts Oprah as her personal superhero and occasionally takes a turn on the other side of the camera as an amateur photographer. She's also a trained fire dancer. Casual. Her Instagram is here—where, yes, she did post about going on that amazing second solo date with James.

The first (alphabetically) of this season's two Serenas, Chew is a San Francisco-based flight attendant. Though she's got glamorous tastes—her idea of the perfect date includes fancy clothes and Champagne—the 24-year-old also counts chicken wings among her favorite foods. We contain multitudes! Her Instagram is here.

This Serena, meanwhile, is a 22-year-old publicist from Toronto. Pitt is "chronically hangry," per her ABC bio, and endlessly practical: Her ideal pet is a chicken, since it does double duty as a fluffy friend and egg vendor, and her #1 bucket list goal is to learn how to change a tire. And no, she's not related to Brad. Her Instagram is here.

Johnson, 28, is a marketing specialist in Nashville who's looking for a low-key guy to balance out her outgoing, strongly opinionated personality. Among those strong opinions? A fear of amusement parks and a love of the Twilight books. Relatable. Her Instagram is here.

Last but certainly not least is Queen Victoria herself. The self-styled "queen" is a 27-year-old entrepreneur in L.A. who has already has several health and beauty businesses to her name. Larson has no filter, is always on the hunt for the perfect Aperol spritz, and treats her beloved Goldendoodle, Coco, like royalty, too. Her Instagram is here, and you can learn even more about her here.

Ever thought about signing up to be a contestant on The Bachelor? I mean, who could blame you? You get to take lavish trips around the world hole up in a fancy resort, hang out with a certified hunk (forget the fact that he’s also dating dozens of other women, it’s fine), and then live the life of an influencer for approximately three years. Oh, and if you’re lucky, you eventually become the Bachelorette! Like, is there even a downside?

Yes, there sure is. Going on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette comes with a lot of very specific and completely ridiculous rules. For example, do you enjoy things like checking your Instagram, texting your group chat, watching TV, understanding what’s going on in the world, using a shower, having privacy, and not re-mortgaging your house to pay for 14 fancy dresses? Cool, then perhaps this show isn’t for you! I promise, you are simply not emotionally ready to learn The Bachelor and The Bachelorette’s most intense rules. Quick, grab the nearest available half-dead rose and deep-breathe into it.

Like. Not a soul. Former Bachelor contestant Chelsea Roy told Vox, “We sign a big NDA where we’re not allowed to tell anyone that we’ve been cast and we’re going to start filming the show. I was able to reach out to a couple of people, local people, and say, ‘I would like to support your store in exchange for some exposure in the next few months. Just trust me.’”

So, what happens when you can’t borrow clothing? You gotta buy it—and ABC certainly isn’t footing the bill. Bachelorette Jillian Harris said she legit took out a second mortgage on her house to buy $8,000 worth of cute outfits for The Bachelor, while former cast member Bekah Martinez told Glamour she spent around $800 on heels and makeup.

Notice how The Bachelor cast members are almost always in solid colors? It’s because producers make them dress according to a pretty specific style guide. In his tell-all book, For the Right Reasons, Bachelor Sean Lowe revealed that contestants can’t wear “stripes, small checkered patterns, big patterns, and solid white.”

Hah, clearly Kelley Flanagan didn’t get the memo about that last one judging from this pic.

Former contestant Jaclyn Swartz gave Fashionista some intel about how limo arrival dresses work. She explained, “You’re by yourself in a hotel room and you come with a dress and probably a backup dress. The stylist Cary Fetman and a producer will come around to [your] room and they’ll approve the dress for the first night. That’s usually to make sure no two girls are wearing the same dress.”

Sean Lowe dropped this fact in his book For the Right Reasons, while fan-favorite Ashley Iaconetti told Fashionista that “The mentality you really have to go with is [that] you wear your favorites first. I know you want to save the best for last, but you have to be realistic and think, I’m probably not going to be here last.”

Sounds invasive, but it kinda makes sense? I mean, the Bachelor/ette often ends up having sex with multiple people on the show during the fantasy suites, so ya gotta stay safe! That said, former contestant Leslie Hughes told the Daily Beast the tests were “crazy.”

On top of STD tests, every contestant competing on The Bachelorette and The Bachelor in 2020 has to have frequent coronavirus tests (every third day, to be exact). Which makes complete sense considering we're, you know, in the middle of a pandemic.

On top of the STD and COVID-19 tests, contestants are given a full-blown psychological evaluation to make sure they’re a good fit for reality television. Um, if that’s the case, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.

“It can be a somewhat emotionally taxing—people don’t realize how fast emotions get involved,” Catherine Selden, PsyD (who conducted psych evals for the show back in 2010), told ABC. “We want to make sure that people are going to be okay with coping with the stress involved and make sure that they are going to be offered the help that they need if it’s the case.”

On top of being tested for coronavirus upon arriving on-set, contestants and crew have to agree to quarantine for a full week before filming begins.

Chris Harrison reportedly broke quarantine right in the middle of Tayshia Adams's season and on top of having to re-quarantine, our dude was fully replaced as host by JoJo Fletcher. (Don't panic, it was temporary.)

Imagine going weeks without your cell phone. Truly, the horror, but that’s exactly what goes down on The Bachelor. Leslie Hughes confirmed as much, telling the Daily Beast, “We have nothing. We are completely cut off from the world. We have to talk to each other—we have nothing else to do.”

Because on top of not being able to text your friends, The Bachelor producers don’t even want contestants to be able to listen to Demi Lovato's breakup song over and over again. Good thing they can always go watch their ex-boyfriends in concert!

Apparently, ABC enforced a “two drink per hour maximum” rule during Bachelor in Paradise that was still in effect as of January 2018. That said, contestants clearly had a lot to drink during Peter’s season, and it was even a source of drama on the show.

Big Brother, by which I mean Chris Harrison, is always watching. This show doesn’t want to miss even a second of drama, and according to Sean Lowe’s book, there’s an “ironclad rule [of] no interaction off camera.”

In her interview with the Daily Beast, Leslie Hughes dropped this bombshell: “They are on you all the time. As soon as you wake up in the morning, your mic is put on you…When you go to bed, it’s taken off.”

Scared! Also fun fact, Bachelor in Paradise cast members are mic’d with these weird necklaces.

Another juicy BTS fact from Sean Lowe’s book? No one is allowed to actually eat the food on those fancy dates they go on. “Before we went on the date, the producers sent food to our hotel rooms,” Sean said. “We ate in our rooms and then went out for dinner, where we would be given beautiful food arranged nicely on the plate. This was just for show. No one looks good eating, and microphones pick up all kinds of chomping.”

Kaufman revealed this in her book Bachelor Nation, explaining that contestants are required to film “well-lit” videos of themselves “dressed as if going to a nice dinner” for producers to watch. Normal!

...And said personality test is completely bonkers. In an excerpt from her book, Kaufman writes, “A 150-question personality test is filled with multiple-choice and true-or-false questions: Do you have out-of-body experiences? Do you think you can control things with your mind? Have you ever wanted to kill someone? Some of these questions would be asked several times, with different wording.” Um, help.

In the same excerpt, Kaufman says, “Contestants sign contracts in which they must agree to be filmed up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” And get this: Even if they’ve taken off their mic, their contract stipulates that they can be filmed “by means of hidden cameras and microphones.” Truly, WHAT?

Ya know, just to make sure this show didn’t break them! It’s fine! Apparently, the psychologist is also available 24/7 to talk with contestants should they be in need of a chat, which is actually kinda nice.

To quote Kaufman’s book: “This person would be trained to dig up any skeletons in the closet—partly to use for their storyline but also to get ahead of any tabloid stories that could come to the surface if they were on the show. Had they ever been arrested? Had they ever sent nude photos to anyone? Had they ever made a sex tape? Had they gotten a DUI?”

Wow, literally never applying to be on this show EVER.

For starters, you don’t own it. The show does. Sure, you get to wear it, but if you break up in less than two years you 100 percent are not allowed to sell it.

While most Bachelor couples break up, those who do make it have to deal with ABC owning the exclusive rights to their wedding. The good news? They get paid $10,000 per hour of TV programming.

Kay, this is less of a rule and more of a request. Multiple people told Kaufman as much during her book research, with former contestant Erica Rose saying, “They did encourage everyone to get in their best shape. They’d say, ‘Maybe you want to lose some weight, maybe work out.’” Woof.

Ya know? Girl chat? When two women come together under a contractual obligation and make forced convo with each other on camera? It’s totally a thing!

At least, you can’t read magazines. Bibles have always been allowed in the mansion, and in recent years, books were apparently permitted. But still, the rules are strict. As Bachelor ~villain~ Tierra LiCausi told The Verge, “Bible studies were held during my season, the girls would have weekly gatherings to study the Bible or discuss their beliefs [and their] religion (which was very interesting and unique to see). I definitely supported that and thought it brought a good vibe into the house. No magazines though.” [Editor’s note: Rude.]

A couple contestants from Sean Lowe’s season told The Verge there were “blackout days,” when the cast was allowed to rest and watch a movie picked by the production team. Meanwhile, Wells Adams says contestants on his season of The Bachelorette were allowed to watch Interstellar. Poor things.

Got it. Cool-cool-cool.

Feeling sick? Simply not in the mood? TOO BAD! Contestants are expected to show up no matter what. Unless, you're Clare Crawley and not only do you skip dates, you skip the whole entire show.

As Bachelorette Andi Dorfman wrote in her book It’s Not Okay: Turning Heartbreak Into Happily Never After, contestants are required to bring clothing “for both cold and warm weather; athletic wear; bathing suits; heels; tennis shoes; sandals; cocktail, long, and casual dresses; and heavy coats.” I’m breaking out in hives just thinking about it.

According to former contestant Jaclyn Swartz, “They tell you that you are allowed two to three suitcases total.” HOW, I ask, do you pack casual dresses, heavy coats, and cocktail attire in just three suitcases?

Once you sign onto the show, you’re in it for an entire year. According to former Bachelor Chris Soules, production has “a say in almost everything you do afterward.” Makes sense, given how many of these dudes go on to do Dancing With the Stars.

Producers will not shy away from a lawsuit if you break your contract. Just ask Bachelorette contestant Luke Parker who owes production $100k for breaking his contract by doing interviews before he was technically allowed to.

Bachelor Sean Lowe told Glamour this wild fact, explaining, “Any time you call it a ‘process,’ they will make you re-tape it and say ‘journey.’” I’m lol.

Basically, if you run out of something, you’re either (a) screwed or (b) have to legit bribe producers to buy it for you—and they’ll usually only get something you really need. “If you run out of deodorant, no big. But brow pencil? You’re screwed! They definitely aren’t running to a Sephora,” Jaclyn Swartz told Refinery29. “I was so paranoid about running out of my brow pencil in Mexico that I brought four just in case.”

Everyone on The Bachelor looks pretty flawless, and surprisingly, they get no help whatsoever from professionals. But Ashley Iaconneti says the girls help each other, telling Refinery29, “I’m definitely a makeup girl, so other girls would ask me for help. I remember contouring Jillian and doing Whitney’s and Mackenzie’s brows. I’m not very good with my hair, so if I needed help with my clip-in extensions—they’re good for updos for rose ceremonies—other girls were there to help me."

And considering this show starts off with about 4 million contestants, that’s pretty rough. But former cast member Whitney Bischoff told Refinery29 that sometimes they’d double up, saying, “When there are that many girls and not a lot of time or space, desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Why? Because it’s too noisy. Right. Totally makes more sense to have everyone sweating profusely on camera!

This one goes without saying. If contestants can’t even listen to music or read a magazine, you better believe ABC is blocking access to their social media accounts.

The show doesn’t want Bachelor Nation digging up a ton of dirt on their contestants before the show has even started, so the cast is required to lock down their social profiles until filming has commenced.

Bekah was definitely cutting it close at 22, but technically, The Bachelor’s eligibility requirements make sure all their contestants are of drinking age before they can be cast.

Gonna go ahead and use a pic of Kelley Flanagan because nothing but respect for MY president of Bachelor Nation. But even if Kelley or another contestant wanted to become a politician post-show, she’d have to wait. As the eligibility requirements state, "Applicants may not presently be a candidate for any type of political office (“Candidate”) and may not become a Candidate from the time the application is submitted until one (1) year after first broadcast of the last episode of the Program in which they appear.”

It’s right there in the fine print: “All applicants must be single. To qualify as ‘single,’ the applicant must not currently be involved in a committed intimate relationship, which includes: any marital relationship (whether or not the parties are separated or currently in the process of divorcing or annulling such marriage); any co-habitation relationship involving physical intimacy; or a monogamous dating relationship more than two (2) months in duration.”

Hear that, Jed Wyatt?

Again, check out the fine print in the show’s eligibility requirements, because yikes: “Revelation of Personal Information and Recordings as defined in these Eligibility Requirements may be embarrassing, unfavorable, humiliating, and/or derogatory and/or may portray him or her in a false light.”

If The Bachelor wants you to hurl yourself out of a plane, you’re going to freakin’ hurl yourself out of a plane. The show’s requirements say contestants have to agree to participate in a myriad of horrifying things, including “skydiving, snow skiing, ice skating, parasailing, water skiing, rollerblading, and the like.”

Yep. A credit check. *Why* The Bachelor thinks my student-loan debt has an impact on my ability to find love on national TV remains a mystery, but...whatever you say, Chris Harrison!

Ever had a criminal background check? Welp, to get on The Bachelor or The Bachelorette you will, so get ready! Also, I’m using this photo of Pilot Pete because its very existence is a crime, thanks for understanding.

Let’s say Tayshia gets engaged at the end of this season. Cute, but she and her guy best not break up publicly before the show’s finale. Reality TV producer Lewis Fenton told E! News, “In most cases, the production company or network will build in contractual language protecting the show from willful damage.” Meaning, if there is a breakup, they have to be super quiet about it.

And if you do spoil the show, apparently, you have to deal with a $5 million fine. Um?!

Former contestant Leslie Hughes told the Daily Beast, “We have to do our own cooking, our own laundry…We do everything you would do when you’re at home, except be able to go outside of your home.”

Like...even if you get kicked off night one. Dating in public would spoil the show for viewers, which means there’s an awkward three-ish months where you’ve been dumped on national TV and literally aren’t allowed to rebound.

Emily Maynard also wrote a tell-all book about her time in Bachelor Nation (I Said Yes, for curious minds) and said that group dates start at 9 a.m. and go until past midnight. Can. You. Imagine.

Kaufman says, “In the year following the finale of your season, you must be available to take part in a ‘reasonable number’ of interviews, photo shoots, and chats for publicity.” And get this: “You also have to agree to take part in any special episodes of the show—like After the Final Rose or other reunions—for three years.” THREE YEARS. No wonder all those random alums showed up on Clare and Tayshia's season!

• If new spoilers are to be believed, Bachelor Nation officially has its next Bachelorette: Katie Thurston, from Matt James' season (which, yes, is still going)—but Thurston has denied the rumor.
• Katie has been a fan favorite since she made a memorable first impression on night one, bringing a sparkling dildo with her as a statement about sex positivity. More recently, Katie made waves in the house by sticking up for the newest women added to the mix, both to her fellow contestants and to Matt, who she encouraged to address the bullying.
• The spoiler comes courtesy of Bachelor Nation guru Reality Steve, who tweeted that Katie was announced as the new Bachelorette on Thursday night at the taping of the Women Tell All special for Matt's season. Obviously, this spoiler (if true) also means that Katie is not the recipient of Matt's final rose. 

Is Katie Thurston is in line to be the next Bachelorette? The 30-year-old fan favorite is rumored to lead Season 17 of the ABC reality show, according to a fresh new spoiler from all-knowing Bachelor Nation guru Reality Steve. Katie made a strong first impression when she arrived at the socially-distanced season's makeshift Bachelor mansion carrying a sparkly dildo—something she did as a statement on sex positivity.

"It wasn’t some agenda that I had coming on to the show. It’s just who I am and who I’ve been this whole time. It wasn’t until after the fact that I realized how big of a deal it was — which excites me because I do believe it’s 2021 and women should be comfortable talking about their sexuality," Katie explained during an interview on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast (hosted by former Bachelorettes Rachel Lindsay and Becca Kufrin). "I appreciate being comfortable being able to talk about it. Hopefully that means other women will soon start to open up a little bit because being sex-positive is important in a relationship, [the relationship you have with] yourself, in your self-care, and so many different things, especially in this [ongoing COVID-19] pandemic."

But then Thurston herself posted on her Instagram story: "Reading my texts this morning like news to me."

Then, Chris Harrison said in an interview with Extra: "I promise you this: If we named her the next Bachelorette, I was not there. We did not name her or anybody the next Bachelorette during the Women Tell All special. And in fact, we didn't even talk about who was the next Bachelorette ... unless they started taping in the middle of the night after I left. So as far as I know, nobody has been named the Bachelorette. And I promise you this, it will not be a part of the Tell All special at all."

Harrison, 49, said a "large debate" about who could be the next female lead is still going.

“I am not [The Bachelorette] as far as I know," Thurston told Tamron Hall. "When that rumor came out, I woke up to the 50 tags and I had a little panic attack and the first person I had to call was my mom and say ‘That’s news to me!’ I think it came out that it was told at the ‘Women Tell All’ which is not true. So until I hear otherwise officially, again it’s news to me."

As for what we would be able to expect from Katie as the Bachelorette, her official Bachelor bio offers the following ~insights~:

"Katie knows exactly what she wants in a man and is done wasting her time on boys who won't live up to her expectations. She is a witty storyteller who says when she finds someone worth committing to, she is the most loving and committed partner anyone could ask for. Katie is daring and adventurous. While Katie is serious about finding her person, she needs a man who can laugh along with her but is okay with him laughing at her too when the moment calls for it. Katie is looking for a mature man who has ambitions to succeed in everything he does, both personally and professionally. Her dream man will be passionate about building a long-term life with her and will treat Katie as his equal in the relationship. Nothing turns her off more than someone who sits around playing video games all day or a man who tries to kiss her at the inopportune moment … it's all about creating the right vibe with Katie! Will Matt be able to live up to Katie's standards?"

Fingers crossed that this intel is correct because Katie seems like she'll make a pretty amazing Bachelorette, TBH.

This season of ABC's 'The Bachelorette' might actually be—drum roll—the most dramatic of all time. Both Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams played the role of the Bachelorette this season, which finally began airing on Tuesday, October 13. According to spoilers from Reality Steve, their season features multiple Bachelor star cameos, at least one major villain, and two unexpected endings. And that's on top of the unprecedented switch-up, which saw Adams taking over from Crawley a few weeks into the show.

Okay, a refresher: First, Crawley was formally announced as The Bachelorette back in March; then the pandemic shut down filming until the summer; and then Crawley fell head over heels for a contestant, Dale Moss. Enter Tayshia Adams, a fan favorite from past seasons. When Crawley left her own season to be with Moss, Tayshia took over as The Bachelorette, and there was a cast shake-up—the 11 men Crawley eliminated did not come back, but four new men came in.

What happens on Tayshia Adams' part of the season?

Crawley was replaced by Adams at the very end of July 2020, slash the very beginning of August, and Reality Steve noted in early September that filming for Adams' season had ended. So it seems that Adams' season filmed for a month, which is a little shorter than the typical 40-60 days. That makes sense—Adams started out with less men than a typical Bachelorette, and with less episodes to fill. "Tayshia got screwed on her end in every way...All just felt very rushed," was Reality Steve's take.

Who wins Tayshia's season?

Per Reality Steve, Adams' top four are: Ben Smith, Zac Clark, Brendan Morais, and Ivan Hall, with Morais being particularly important. (This flew in the face of previous rumors that Bennett Jordan, a.k.a. "the Harvard guy," might win—in fact, Jordan didn't even make it to the top four.)

Fan-favorite Smith goes home first. Then things get interesting: While picking out a ring with Neil Lane—the only part of The Bachelorette this season that feels reassuringly familiar!—Morais gets cold feet and realizes he isn't ready to jump into another engagement. Remember that Morais, like Adams, was married before and has been open about not wanting to suffer a divorce again. (Morais' parents also didn't show up for Fantasy Suites, which suggests they might have disapproved.)

So Morais sends himself home. Per an earlier post by RS: "By all accounts, Brendan is who Tayshia wanted. And when he left, she was pretty distraught but still ended up picking somebody." (More on that in a second.)

Which leaves Ivan and Zac as Adams' final two—and there's a surprise re-appearance from Smith after Morais leaves, so he technically comes in third.

Is Tayshia engaged now?

Ultimately, Zac Clark gets Adams' final rose. Reality Steve, the main source of spoilers for all things Bachelor Nation, initially reported that he and Adams didn't get engaged—which was a big deal because, well, usually the lead gets engaged—but reported hours before the finale that they did, in fact, get engaged, writing:

"I'd be really shocked if she didn’t get engaged at the end of this thing. So that bit [of] info was probably wrong. Tayshia has said the word husband and engaged so many times the last few episodes, it really makes no sense to get to the end and NOT have that. Hell, that’s only happened twice in the last almost 30 or so seasons – Juan Pablo and Colton’s. I just don’t see that happening here. So she definitely picked Zac and good chance they’re engaged."

But that doesn't mean it's smooth sailing in the finale; there's a promo in which Adams' dad tells her she could be making the biggest mistake of her life. Reality Steve noted in a frank blog post that he didn't know what was happening, exactly, but he did give this interesting tidbit: "Over the last month, I’ve had two different people tell me that Tayshia chose Zac at the end, at some point after filming they broke things off, and that she is currently back in touch with Brendan and they are slowly working on a relationship." He added: "This season has just been so weird...right now I think I know more about Matt’s finale than I do Tayshia’s."

Although he doesn't win, Smith does come back, as a promo for the finale confirms. Per Reality Steve, Smith tells Adams he's in love with her, and she has second thoughts about letting him go—but ultimately picks Clark.

Are Tayshia and Zac together now?

The big question! Wrote RS earlier in the season: "As for where they stand now, that’s anybody’s guess. Some people have told me they aren’t together, some have told me they still are but it’s not that solid, and some have said it’s never gonna last. She’s a SoCal girl who wants to be an influencer. He runs a sober living facility in NY. So that’s where we stand at this point."

There is no After The Final Rose this year, so we'll have a different format for getting these questions answered. Per RS: "I guess they figured doing a live ATFR was out of the question. Could have something to do with how everything ends up, could not." Chris Harrison will probably check in on Adams and Clark, and potentially the other final four—none of whom were on The Men Tell All—via Zoom.

But a few weeks before her finale, Adams was spotted wearing what looks to be an engagement ring on her Instagram Story. Allow me to present the evidence:

Here's Reality Steve's take: "I can’t imagine she’d be that stupid to take a pic with her ring on if she’s engaged, but, we’ve seen people spoil it in the past, so I guess it can’t be that unbelievable."

Does Tayshia's ex-husband Josh Bourelle show up?

On TikTok, an eagle-eyed user spotted that the captions for a Bachelorette preview credited a line to Josh Bourelle—otherwise known as Adams' ex-husband. This sparked a frenzy of speculation that Bourelle would appear on the season (I mean, it's The Bachelorette, can't you just see it?).

But Reality Steve, Adams, and Chris Harrison have all denied that Bourelle is appearing on Adams' season, with RS writing: "Uhhhh, no he’s not...Chris Harrison says, yeah no, not happening. He doesn’t know how her ex’s name appeared in the closed caption, it wasn’t on the network level, and her ex-husband has nothing to do with this season. "

What happened with contestant "Eazy" Nwachukwu?

Trigger warning: References to an alleged sexual assault ahead. Reality Steve had mentioned numerous times that Bachelor Nation should expect allegations to emerge about Eazy, who played a major role in this season and was a hit with fans. Those allegations came to light on December 18, when HuffPost published a major investigation into the contestant, which you can read here.

Spoilers for this season of The Bachelorette. A lot has happened on The Bachelorette this season, to put it mildly. After Clare Crawley left her own season to be with contestant Dale Moss, Bachelor Nation favorite Tayshia Adams stepped in to take over (you can read full spoilers for the season here if you're curious). One contestant who survived elimination rounds from Crawley and later became important to Adams is Zac Clark. He has a courageous and kind of unconventional story for a contestant—he's been sober for many years, and his life's work is devoted to helping others like him, including the sober living facility in New York he cofounded to help people in recovery. Here's what we know about him as of this moment (and this post includes spoilers at the end, so don't read the subsection if you don't want to know, please!).

Where is Zac from?

Clark is from Haddonfield, New Jersey. Given that his facility is in upstate New York, he likely lives close by. That's a long way from Adams, who is from Orange County, California.

He played baseball in college and initially intended to pursue a career in sports. According to his official ABC bio, he's still very much into Philly sports, particularly the Eagles, and he still celebrates sports events with his family. Like Adams, Clark was married once, but got divorced.

His love for his family appears all over his social media:

Per a recent Instagram, Zac was actually nominated for The Bachelorette by a friend of his:

What does Zac do?

In a Reading Eagle article initially spotted by Reality Steve, Clark was already speaking out about his addiction and recovery in 2014. That article talks about his history—early addiction starting with alcohol as a kid, prescription meds like Adderall in college, morphine and other powerful prescribed drugs after a brain tumor removal, culminating in a voluntary removal of his gall bladder in order to get more prescriptions. He was arrested for possession of crack cocaine and driving while intoxicated and spent 4.5 months in a treatment center. From the article:

But the internal struggle continues even after treatment. "Don't let this suit fool you," he said. "I am a degenerate alcoholic and drug addict

Clark is now sober and has been working to help others for almost a decade. In this video, he talks about his experience and motivation, as well as his current work:

Clark founded Release Recovery in 2017 with his cofounder Justin Gurland—a 17-bed transitional living facility in West Chester, NY, that focuses on connection and community for addicts hoping to get into recovery. They also have a center for women in New York on the Upper East Side and opened a Men's Program in New York in 2020. They also consult with families and individuals who need help and cultivate professional relationships with addiction specialists and mental health experts. Recently, they were visited by New York Senator Shelley Mayer:

In addition to that, Clark runs marathons to raise money and awareness about addiction and mental health—including proceeds that go to the treatment center he went to.

What happens to Zac on Tayshia's season?

Clark and Crawley never got much screen time together, but things really ramp up when he meets Adams. If you're not ready for the ending to be spoiled, stop reading.

Still here? Okay, here goes: Clark wins Adams' season, according to Reality Steve. He gets her final rose—but Reality Steve hasn't been sure if they get engaged, or even if they're still together. There's a suggestion that Adams might still hold a torch for another contestant, Brendan Morais, who leaves abruptly when he realizes he's not ready to jump into an engagement. Another contestant, Ben Smith, is eliminated but returns for the finale—but ultimately, Adams picks Clark.

Clarified Reality Steve before the finale:

"I’d be really shocked if she didn’t get engaged at the end of this thing. So that bit info was probably wrong. Tayshia has said the word husband and engaged so many times the last few episodes, it really makes no sense to get to the end and NOT have that. Hell, that’s only happened twice in the last almost 30 or so seasons – Juan Pablo and Colton’s. I just don’t see that happening here. So she definitely picked Zac and good chance they’re engaged."

Adams, for her part, has made clear that she absolutely fell in love during her season, and given that we know that she hands Clark her final rose, it's safe to assume that they did fall hard for each other. But Adams has also said that she told multiple contestants "I love you," which might mean she loved Morais or others as well.

Writes RS: "As for where they stand now, that’s anybody’s guess. Some people have told me they aren’t together, some have told me they still are but it’s not that solid, and some have said it’s never gonna last. She’s a SoCal girl who wants to be an influencer. He runs a sober living facility in NY. So that’s where we stand at this point."

There's also the question of that quote-unquote "engagement ring" that Adams was spotted wearing on her Instagram Story. Reality Steve says: "I can’t imagine she’d be that stupid to take a pic with her ring on if she’s engaged, but, we’ve seen people spoil it in the past, so I guess it can’t be that unbelievable."

Either way, there will be no After The Final Rose this year because of quarantine precautions, so we may have to get the answers to all of our questions via a Zoom call between Chris Harrison and Adams and Clark—or, if they've broken up, a Zoom call between Harrison and each of them—which feels a little underwhelming. But we'll see!

Spoilers for this season of The Bachelorette. Okay, this one might actually be the most dramatic Bachelorette season ever. After Clare Crawley sensationally quit the show to be with contestant Dale Moss, Tayshia Adams stepped in to take the reins and finish out Crawley's season with a smaller group of men (Adams' full cast of 20 men is here). We already know a few things about her season—for example, a contestant who quickly becomes important is Brendan Morais, who was originally cast for Crawley but ended up forging a real connection with Adams. Morais, 30, is from Milford, MA, and he's an actor and artist who has an interesting background. So what do we know about him, and why is he so important this season?

Who is Brendan Morais?

Per his ABC bio, Morais lost his dad at a young age, and he really wants to be a father. He lived in L.A. for a bit but moved back home to Massachusetts to be with family and work for the family roofing business. His passion is coaching his high school basketball team, and he apparently loves hanging out with his nieces and nephews, some of whom have a cute little presence on his Instagram:

He's apparently super into turtlenecks, per his bio, and was verified on Insta even before the show:

Like Adams, he was married and ended up getting divorced, which is something they bond over (and becomes important later—spoilers in the last subsection).

Oh, and his nickname is BMoney.

What does Morais do for a living?

An actor and model, Morais is represented by NEMG and Maggie Agency. He's has modeled for New Balance and Life is Good as well as TV ads (see below). His Instagram is mostly pictures of his work:

Oh, and here's him in an ad as a groom:

Before he took his Instagram public after completing Bachelorette filming, Morais listed himself as "artist" in his bio. According to IMDb, he has three on-screen credits: two shorts (Chances and Ace of Spades) as well as adventure-comedy film Get Rich Free, all dating from 2017. Here's the trailer:

According to that film's Facebook page, Morais played a Russian thug in The Equalizer in his first role. He's also apparently done commercials for (among others) Jeep, FAGE Greek yogurt, Joseph A. Bank, and Truly Hard Seltzer, some of which you can see on his Maggie Agency page. Here is his acting reel, which you should absolutely watch immediately.

What happens between Brendan and Tayshia?

Adams has alluded to Morais being a major part of her season, saying on Becca Kufrin and Rachel Lindsay's Bachelor Happy Hour podcast of their first date: "I feel like that was definitely the turning point. Like, yeah, sure being The Bachelorette, it’s fun. Like, all these guys are here. But having the initial connection and being like, ‘Hold on a second. I’m feeling some type of way. This could possibly be something. I’m just gonna start leaning into it.'"

Do Tayshia and Brendan get engaged?

Okay, big spoilers coming up, so click out of this article now if you don't want to find out how this season ends. Ready?

Morais, according to Reality Steve, does a one-eighty after hometowns. Adams does fall for him—she's confirmed in post-show interviews that she fell in love with more than one person—but there's a catch: Morais isn't ready to get engaged, something he realizes while he's picking out rings with Neil Lane. (Oof.)

Morais' relatively recent divorce is something he and Adams have bonded over, but it may also be why he isn't ready for things to get super serious. Remember, too, that because Adams was a late addition to the season, she and Morais have had less time together than even previous contestants and leads do (which isn't much time to start with!).

Reality Steve reports that Morais leaves of his own accord after he makes it to the final three, and that Adams is devastated. "By all accounts, Brendan is who Tayshia wanted. And when he left, she was pretty distraught but still ended up picking somebody," he wrote. We also see in a promo that Adams' dad warns her that she might be making the biggest mistake of her life, so clearly things get pretty intense.

Adams does end up with another contestant, Zac Clark, but they don't get engaged—it's not even clear that they're still together. In other words, it's possible that the finale will suggest either that Adams is still holding out for Morais, or that she's following his lead by agreeing it's too soon to get engaged. But there isn't an After The Final Rose because of quarantine restrictions, so I guess we're going to have to learn about what's gone down post-filming on...a Zoom call?

Spoilers for this season of The Bachelor. In case you're waking up from a coma/don't check the news/haven't discussed The Bachelorette on your group chat lately, this season is proving to be very entertaining and very messy. Our Bachelorette was Clare Crawley—for about five episodes, before she quit the show to be with contestant Dale Moss. So now we're talking about our second Bachelorette Tayshia Adams, and trying to figure out who she picks for her happily ever after. We do know that one important contestant is Ben Smith, 29, a fitness guru and veteran. He was part of Crawley's recasting after COVID-19 precautions initially halted production, and Crawley hadn't eliminated him by the time the switch to Adams happened. So memorize his face now, and get ready to hear a lot more about him.

What does Ben Smith do?

Per his ABC bio, after graduating prestigious military academy West Point (he got recruited to play golf), Smith served in the Army and became a Ranger—before leaving active duty after breaking his back. He still had an interest in health and nutrition, and it took him to Venice Beach, CA—where he lives now.

And in fact, Smith does reference his military service online:

There's not much about Smith's private life on his Insta, aside from his love for dogs:

Now, Smith is a coach at Deuce Gym, and also acts as a nutritional coach. He has a profile on the gym's YouTube page in which he talks about his background, his lead-up to becoming a part of the gym, and how it's become such an important part of his life.

Case in point? Per his bio, his favorite indulgence is apparently...an ice bath. Shudder.

In episode seven, Smith bravely shared with Adams that he battled an eating disorder for much of his life. "The life I've lived is different than what you might assume," he told her. "I don't want to lay all this on you, but the reason I'm in fitness and nutrition...I had an eating disorder for 15 years."

This moment was groundbreaking for the franchise, much like when Adams and Ivan Hall spoke openly about Black Lives Matter. Smith talking frankly and candidly about having an eating disorder as a cis man is likely to help de-stigmatize eating disorders in men, according to an expert interviewed by Refinery29.

What happens with Ben Smith on Tayshia's season?

Okay, are you ready for this season to be majorly spoiled? If so, keep reading (and if not, click off this page now!).

Initially a dark horse, Smith became a mid-season favorite. Reality Steve notes this of episode seven, which showed Smith going to Adams' room to spend extra time with her after not pulling her aside on the group date:

"He tells her he wants to “show up” for her, and we immediately start getting Clare flashbacks since that was seemingly her go-to line this season. So I think we know now why Ben is getting all this time being shown. He’s final 2. They wouldn’t go out of their way to have Ben make sure he sneaks to her place and then pull her aside first if he wasn’t important to the season."

Per Reality Steve, Smith makes Adams' top four, along with Zac Clark, Brendan Morais, and Ivan Hall. Clark wins, and Reality Steve believes that Smith is the runner-up.

But it doesn't seem like Smith comes close to winning the season. Per RS, Adams falls for both Morais and Clark—and then Morais leaves, saying he isn't ready for an engagement. Ultimately, Adams picks Clark, even though Morais has been her frontrunner for some time. (But they don't get engaged, and it's anyone's guess whether they're still together now.)

The big takeaway: As a fan favorite who didn't end up winning, and especially as a man who was vulnerable about his mental and physical health in front of an audience of millions—remember when Ben Higgins opened up about feeling "unloveable" and became the most beloved figure in Bachelor Nation?—this is likely not the last you'll see of Smith. He's a shoo-in for Bachelor In Paradise, and could even be in the running to be The Bachelor in 2022.

Spoilers for this season of The Bachelorette ahead. This actually might be the most dramatic season ever: Tayshia Adams has replaced Clare Crawley as this upcoming season's The Bachelorette. Crawley quit the show for a contestant named Dale Moss, who proposed to her shortly afterwards; Moss and Crawley are still together and happily engaged, and have been posting very cute snapshots of their life on Instagram.

The first few episodes of Crawley's season seemed pretty normal—we had dates, roses, one-on-ones, you name it—but it was obvious from day one that Moss is the frontrunner. (If you saw the first episode, you'll have seen that Crawley said, "I definitely feel like I just met my husband" after meeting Moss, and gave him the first impression rose.) And just a couple of episodes in, the rest of her contestants knew it, too. So Crawley bowed out to be with Moss and Adams took over the rest of the season. (You can see Tayshia's cast list here.)

Did Moss and Crawley meet before the show?

There were initially conflicting reports. According to a source talking to People, they found a way to chat with each other before the show.

However. The person who got in touch with her, it was revealed in the first episode, wasn't actually Moss, but contestant Blake Moynes—and Reality Steve, usually a very reliable source, says that Moss and Crawley actually hadn't spoken before filming started. But Crawley had had the chance to scope him out. RS writes:

Then, in Crawley's final episode, she reveals that while she didn't speak to Moss online before they met, she did see the Mother's Day tributes that Moss posted to Instagram. Moss' mom sadly died a couple of years ago, and he's been open about how deeply her life and death affected him; he has that in common with Crawley, who lost her beloved father a few years ago. (On Juan Pablo's season, we learned that Crawley's father made a video for her future husband before he passed.) In her final episode, Crawley tells Moss how much his tribute to his mother touched her, even though they hadn't yet met.

Fans of Crawley know how much she adored her late father, and she's said more than once that she swears on her dad's grave that she had no contact with Moss until night one. So at this point, it seems pretty clear that they didn't—and it really was, as they have both maintained, love at first sight.

What does Moss do for a living?

Moss hails from South Dakota and played football for South Dakota State University; he was also a practice squad player for the NFL. His bio says he played with the Green Bay Packers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Chicago Bears. According to Life & Style, he “obviously loves working out, sports, of course, and anything involving health and fitness. He’s very cautious about what he eats and likes to try new healthy things. He also loves dogs.” (Perfect, because Clare also loves dogs, and hers even came to the mansion with her.) According to his Instagram, he's a Special Olympics global ambassador and does other philanthropic work, per his website.

Lots more photos at his website, but the man is gorgeous. He's modeled for Hugo Boss, Grey Goose, and John Varvatos, among others. Moss' Instagram is private, but he's already at 120k followers (and I imagine that number will absolutely grow). He calls himself a "entertainment host and media personality" and says that in addition to modeling he's "executive producing and providing creative direction to global brands such as Under Armour, Hugo Boss, Express, United Airlines and media outlets such as Vayner Media & One37pm."

He's also made appearances at film after-parties and NYFW:

What is Moss' relationship history?

Before coming on the show, Moss dated golfer Seema Sadekar. “When I met him, they had just broken up," explained an insider who knew Moss at the time. "My impression was he always wanted to get back with her. When it comes to girls, she’s the one he would talk about the most.”

The relationship was apparently "serious," but the two had broken up by the time Moss was tapped to be on the show.

Are Dale and Clare still together now?

They're still happily engaged! On Crawley's last episode, after she spends the night with Moss and tells the rest of her contestants that she's leaving the show, Moss proposes to her on camera, and she says yes. And they're still together, almost six months after all of that went down. True love is real, y'all!

Before that episode aired, Crawley was spotted wearing an engagement ring and tried to do damage control: "People have noticed I wear this ring on my wedding finger, and have asked why!" she wrote on Instagram. "The truth is because it is a commitment to myself first and foremost, to embody self-love." That much is true; Bachelor contestants and leads aren't allowed their engagement rings until the show airs. But, yes, she does have one, and it's huge, if you wondered.

Yes, there have been rumors about Moss, but Reality Steve, who by far is the best source for all things Bachelor, shot down those rumors in a blog post (phew!), saying that they aren't true and going as far as to call the source of the rumors irresponsible. Moss and Crawley haven't commented on the rumors, but Moss was spotted wearing what looked like a wedding ring, so they may actually be married now!

And he and Crawley have been posting so much adorable content together:

True love, y'all!

Spoilers for The Bachelorette ahead. Even before the current season of The Bachelorette aired, one person had already got people talking: Spencer Robertson—a new addition to the cast once COVID-19 delayed the show and Crawley's season was recast with some older contestants. The handsome 30-year-old Robertson was pegged as one to watch from the beginning, and spoilers accounts confirmed that he's important to the show. So what do we know about him?

He's from California, like Adams.

According to his Facebook bio when he was introduced as a contestant, Robertson hails from La Jolla, CA. Per his public Instagram, he lives in San Diego (Adams is from Orange). It looks like he used to play lacrosse as a midfielder, and got a shoutout from a former team about his new role:

Robertson hasn't posted since December 2019, so there's not a ton of personal detail on him just yet (before Adams joined Colton Underwood's Bachelor season, she was similarly pretty private). He's posted about being an avid traveler since 2012 and is very, very into sports—the Oregon Ducks (his alma mater) being his team of choice.

His last post was for his role as best man to his friend's wedding:

He'll also very occasionally post about his family. This looks to be a (very) throwback-y photo that he posted way back in 2014:

Also, now we know he has a brother!

He's an engineer.

Ooooh a smartie! Per his LinkedIn (spotted before he took down his profile picture), he went to the University of Oregon for Chemistry and now works as founder and general manager for Robertson Water Treatment. Judging by this tagged pic of him from 2017, he appears to have time for plenty of working out, though:

On what appears to be his (unverified) Twitter, Robertson tweets about sports:

He also does the occasional RT, like this one about animal rights:

And, very occasionally, politics. But, he hasn't posted since early 2019—so clearly he's not particularly active on social media, unless he has private accounts we don't know about.

He got Tayshia Adams' first impression rose.

This, per Bachelorette spoiler Reality Steve, is an interesting one—considering Robertson was brought on for Crawley initially, it sounds like there were some initial sparks between the two (I mean...I can definitely see it). It doesn't necessarily mean he's going all the way, though, so just know he's one to watch for the first several episodes of Adams' season. We'll update when we know more...

Update, 11/17: Per Reality Steve and multiple Bachelor spoiler accounts, Robertson is an early favorite who doesn't end up making it very far. He doesn't make it to hometowns, in fact, let alone further. Though rumors initially circulated that he might be the winner, it's likely you won't see much more of Robertson on your screens. For all your Bachelor spoiler needs, including who actually is thought to have won, you can go here.

Spoilers for this season of The Bachelorette. In case you missed it, this is the season of two Bachelorettes: Clare Crawley, who quit the show early to be with one of the contestants, and Tayshia Adams, who finished out the season. Now, speculation is rampant for which contestant Adams picks for her winner—and one we already know is important is Ivan Hall. We know he's close with his family and has an absolutely cool job that should help him stand out from the other contestants. Apparently, intelligence and ambition are huge turn-ons for him, which bodes well for the likes of Adams (and Crawley, too, which was probably why he was selected in the first place). This is everything we know about the 28-year-old engineer from Texas—and how far does he makes it in the season after Crawley leaves.

Ivan has a very cool job.

Hall lives in Dallas, TX, but grew up in Plano, TX, and was born in Chicago, IL. His favorite sports teams hail from either Chicago or Dallas, per his Facebook. Per his LinkedIn, he's an engineer at Lockheed Martin (sooo...he's smart, basically) and he got his B.S. from Texas Tech.

His ABC bio literally says he's "building jets for the U.S. military," so he's definitely got a ton to tell Adams about. His Insta bio also says he's an "investor." Apparently he also wants to own his own exotic car rental company one day—and his Insta highlights features vintage cars. Oh and exercise: He's super into working out.

Ivan is super close with his family.

Hall's Instagram is filled with family, including his dad and brother (he's also referred to himself as a "middle child" so he may have two siblings):

According to his bio, he apparently talks to his mom every day, and loves her Filipino cooking (swipe to see pics of him and his fam).

And we're probably going to see more of his family, because...

Ivan is critical to Tayshia's Bachelorette journey.

Ready for some spoilers? Okay, let's go: Hall makes Tayshia Adams' final four, but he doesn't end up winning (although her eventual winner, Zac Clark, doesn't technically win either—the two don't end up getting engaged). But Hall does make hometowns—which are set in vintage Airstreams this season, if you wondered how that's going to go—so he's sent home somewhere between introducing Adams to his family and proposing to her. Full spoilers here, if you have the stomach for it (warning: it gets messy...again).

If you're here, you'll know that the 2020 season of The Bachelorette, much like everything else in 2020, did not go to plan. Clare Crawley, the original Bachelorette, left her own season to be with one of her contestants, the extremely handsome Dale Moss. That's when Tayshia Adams, a fan favorite from previous seasons of The Bachelor and Bachelor In Paradise, stepped in to take over from Crawley. When she left, Crawley was down to 16 men—you can see her full cast list here—and producers added four more men for Adams specifically. This list is the 20 men that are competing for Adams' heart, down from the original 42 that producers cast for this season, and the 31 that ultimately appeared on Crawley's season. Whew. Are you ready?

Smith, from Indianapolis, IN, is a fitness coach at Deuce Gym. He's actually one of the bachelors who was brought on later to Crawley's season, part of recasting that was done for Crawley once the coronavirus pandemic hit. His Instagram is here. You can learn even more about him here.

Jordan is 37, from Atlanta, GA, and was one of the coronavirus recasting members. He is, apparently, another one to watch for Adams' season—more info at that link, but fans have some theories. His Instagram is here.

Moynes is 29 and from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He was part of the original cast (i.e., his name was announced in February) who made it through recasting. He does have Instagram.

Morais, 30, is from Milford, MA, and is an artist, as per his Instagram. He was part of the recasting and, you guessed it, is another one to watch on Adams' journey. You can learn even more about him here.

Nick is from Walnut Creek, CA, and is apparently a tech consultant. He was a part of the recasting for Crawley. His Instagram is here.

Jackson is 26 and from Scottsdale, AZ (hometown listed as San Diego, CA). He graduated from Arizona State University and is—get this—a spin instructor. I love it!! He was part of the original cast who made it through recasting. His Instagram is here.

Nwachukwu, 29, from Dallas, TX, played football for Texas A&M and the NFL. Nwachukwu was part of the recasting process for Crawley. He has Instagram!

One of the few original bachelors who came close to Crawley in age, Waisbrot is 36 and from Miami, FL (hometown listed as Pittsburgh, PA). He's an account executive at CVS Health and went to the University of Pittsburgh. His Instagram is public.

Hall is from Dallas, TX, and is 28. He's an engineer, per his Instagram. He was a part of the COVID-19 recasting for Crawley. Keep an eye out for this one. You can read more about him here.

Foster, 31, from Rutland, VT, is a URI alum and former NFL football player. His Instagram is active, and he seems to have a genuinely quite funny sense of humor. He was part of the recasting.

Smith is 29 and from Oakland Park, FL (hometown listed as Pennsylvania). His Instagram is here. He was an original cast member who made it past recasting.

Park, 36, from North Woodmere, NY, is apparently an anesthesiologist voted Top 20 Most Eligible Doctors in NY (per Reality Steve). He was a part of the recasting. His Instagram is here!

Braasch, 39, from Oaklawn, IL, now lives in Chicago as a talent buyer, model, and co-owner of The Right Stuff Entertainment, per his Instagram. He was a part of the recasting.

Hill, 30, from Hingham, MA, is a fitness trainer in the Boston area, per his Instagram. He was a part of the recasting but never made it on Crawley's season—meaning he was brought on specifically for Adams.

Look at that 'stache! Erb is from Long Beach, CA (home now listed as Tulsa, OK), and is 25. He has a twin, and is a traveling nurse. His Instagram is here. He was a member of the original cast who made it past recasting but wasn't a part of Crawley's original cast—meaning he was brought on when Adams came.

Giannikopoulos, 32, from Everett, MA, is a real estate agent per his Instagram. He was part of the recast, but didn't make it on Crawley's season—he was an alternate brought on for Adams.

Christian, 30, is from Detroit, MI, lives in New York, and is a lawyer. He was a part of the recasting. His Insta is here.

Robertson, 30, is from La Jolla, CA. He lives in San Diego, per his Instagram. He was a part of the recast but didn't make it on Crawley's season—so he was brought on for Adams specifically. He might be important, if spoilers are any indication!

Cottrill's from Morgantown, West Virginia, and is 27. He's an attorney—at Mark Everett, Attorney at Law. He went to West Virginia University for undergrad and law school. His Instagram is here. He was a member of the original cast who survived recasting.

Clark, 36, from Haddonfield, NJ, has a cool story per Reality Steve: He's divorced and a recovering addict who runs a sober living house. His Instagram is public, and he was a part of the recast. He is also be important to Tayshia's season, so be on the lookout. You can learn more about him here.

Okay, are you sitting down? Because I'm about to give you a lot of information. The 2020 season of The Bachelorette saw a major delay, a lead replacement, and two cast shake-ups—basically, in the vernacular of Chris Harrison, the most dramatic season ever (but, like, actually this time). This list of men is the official cast list for Clare Crawley's season: 31 men in all. (Forty-two men were initially cast, but only 31 men made it to screen, for reasons we'll get to in a sec.) And boy, has it been a long road to get here.

Cast your mind back to early 2020. Producers initially cast men for Crawley's season—and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The show was put on hold and producers took the opportunity to, uh, take a closer look at the men and get rid of some of the younger ones (there was a 23-year-old, people, and Crawley is 39). They also set up more alternates for her cast in case someone tested positive for COVID-19 while they all isolated on set at the La Quinta Resort & Club in California. Seventeen men were from the original cast; the other 25 were new. But not all 42 cast members were going to make it on screen. This list is the men who do.

Oh, but then. Just in case we weren't already confused enough! Crawley only filmed a few episodes of her season before leaving to pursue a relationship with one of her contestants. So then, Bachelor alum Tayshia Adams was asked to fill Crawley's shoes and come on as the season's second Bachelorette—the first time on the show this has happened—meaning she'll have her own cast list of 20 men, which is here. Sixteen of those men were from Crawley's season; four were added just for Adams.

Jalawan, 28, is from Irvine, CA, and was a part of the coronavirus recasting. His Instagram is here.

Jordan is 37, from Atlanta, GA, and was a part of the coronavirus recasting. He is, apparently, one to watch. His Instagram is here.

Smith, from Indianapolis, IN, is a fitness coach at Deuce Gym, and was part of the coronavirus recasting. His Instagram is here, and you can learn even more about him here.

Monar (love the tattoos!) is 30, lives in Phoenix, AZ, and is from Rockport, IN). He's president and CEO of Statum Style. He was part of the original cast who made it through recasting. His Instagram is here.

Moynes is 29 and from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He was part of the original cast who made it through recasting. He does have Instagram.

Goss, 28, is from Cleveland, OH, and apparently lives in New York. He's a real estate agent and model. He's a new contestant thanks to COVID-19 recasting. His Instagram is here.

Morais, 30, is from Milford, MA, and is an artist, as per his Instagram. He was part of the recasting, and you can read more about him here.

Nick is from Walnut Creek, CA, and is apparently a tech consultant. He was a part of the recasting. His Instagram is here.

Conran is from Salt Lake City, UT (hometown now listed as St. Louis, MO), and is 27. He's a business developer for Stack Rock Group and played baseball at Utah Valley University. He was part of the original cast and made it through recasting. His Instagram is here.

You might already know some things about Moss, but no spoilers here. Moss is 31 and lives in New York, NY (he's from South Dakota). He played football at South Dakota State University and even "got some practice squad time in the NFL," per Reality Steve. He is the owner of Dale Moss Fitness. I am loving that sweater, also. His Instagram is here. If you're interested in spoilers, we've got them all here.

Jackson is 26 and from Scottsdale, AZ (hometown now listed as San Diego, CA). He graduated from Arizona State University and is—get this—a spin instructor. I love it!! He was part of the original cast who made it through recasting. His Instagram is here.

Nwachukwu, 29, from Dallas, TX, played football for Texas A&M and the NFL. Nwachukwu was part of the recasting. He has Instagram.

One of the few original bachelors who came close to Crawley in age, Waisbrot is 36 and from Miami, FL (hometown now listed as Pittsburgh, PA). He's an account executive at CVS Health and went to the University of Pittsburgh. His Instagram is public.

Flowers is apparently a writer, journalist, professor, and director, per his Instagram. He's a new cast member from COVID-19 recasting.

Hall is from Dallas, TX, and is 28. He's an engineer, per his Instagram. He was a part of the COVID-19 recasting, and you can learn more about him here.

Foster, 31, from Rutland, VT, is a URI alum and former NFL football player. His Instagram is active, and he seems to have a genuinely quite funny sense of humor. He was part of the recasting.

Smith is 29 and from Oakland Park, FL (hometown listed as Pennsylvania). His Instagram is here. He was an original cast member who made it past recasting.

Higgins, 40, is from Virginia Beach, VA. His Insta is here. He was part of the recasting.

Park, 36, from North Woodmere, NY, is apparently an anesthesiologist voted Top 20 Most Eligible Doctors in NY (per Reality Steve). He was a part of the recasting. His Instagram is here.

Chapman, 26, is from New York, NY (hometown is Connecticut). He attended Fordham University and played football there. His Instagram is here. He was an original cast member who made it past recasting.

Manier, 30, from Deerborn, MI, is a cybersecurity engineer living in Santa Monica, CA. His Instagram is here. He was a part of the recasting.

Braasch, 39, from Oaklawn, IL, now lives in Chicago as a talent buyer, model, and co-owner of The Right Stuff Entertainment, per his Instagram. He was a part of the recasting.

This 38-year-old (around the same age as Crawley!) is from Calgary, Canada. His Instagram is here. He was a part of the original cast and made it past recasting.

Pressley, 37, is from Santa Fe, NM (he now lives in Austin, TX). His Instagram tells us he's the founder and chef of Foxtail Supper Club; He's a dad, sober, and into fitness, too. He was a part of the recasting.

Christian, 30, is from Detroit, MI, lives in New York, and is a lawyer. He was a part of the recasting. His Insta is here.

Stahl, 31, is from St. Pete Beach, FL, and lives in Los Angeles. He apparently works for Stahl Insurance, per his Instagram. He was a part of the recast.

Cottrill's from Morgantown, West Virginia, and is 27. He's an attorney—at Mark Everett, Attorney at Law. He went to West Virginia University for undergrad and law school. His Instagram is here. He was a member of the original cast who survived recasting.

Smith, 36, from Dallas TX, has a number of jobs: He's a music manager, co-owner of an apparel company, and owner of a real estate company, per his Instagram. Per Reality Steve, "Smith is the brother and manager of country artist, Granger Smith, who coincidentally performed for Becca and Garrett's first 1-on-1 date in Utah on her season." He was part of the recasting.

Yosef's 30 and from Daphne, AL. He's divorced and has a 4-year-old daughter. He went to University of South Alabama Mitchell College of Business, he's a territorial manager for Northfield Medical, and he also works as a model. His Instagram is here. He was an original cast member who made it past recasting. He's also this season's villain.

Clark, 36, is from Haddonfield, NJ. He's divorced and a recovering addict who runs a sober living house. His Instagram is public, and he was a part of the recast. You can learn even more about him here.

Jackson, 37, from Yakima, WA, is founder of a CBD company and a cleaning company, per his Instagram. He was a part of the recasting.

For once, Chris Harrison's biannual pronouncement that an upcoming Bachelor or Bachelorette season is "the most dramatic ever" might actually be true. Clare Crawley's season of The Bachelorette has only just premiered, but it's already mired in some especially juicy controversy (all the spoilers here). With great reality TV drama comes great reality TV villains, and this completely bonkers season of The Bachelorette promises to deliver on both counts. By all accounts, the biggest pot-stirrer of the group (Chris Harrison's words, not mine) is Yosef Aborady, a medical device salesman and model. Here's everything we know so far about his villain edit, from heated altercations with Crawley to his abrupt removal from the show.

Who is Yosef Aborady?

According to his official ABC bio, Aborady is 30 years old, hails from Daphne, Alabama, and is a graduate of the University of South Alabama Mitchell College of Business. He's divorced and has a daughter, 4-year-old Zara, from that marriage. When he's not hanging out with Zara, the "light of his life" (look no further than his Instagram for proof of their sweet relationship), he cooks, spends time with friends, and lets loose on the dance floor, and has dreams of visiting Napa and owning a home in Egypt.

In his own words, "I am successful, intelligent, have my life together, and I am extremely hard working." Sounds like me in the mirror trying to convince myself that 2020 isn't total chaos.

What does Yosef Aborady do to Clare?

In week two, we see a teaser of what's going to play out between Aborady and Crawley. When Crawley and the producers orchestrate a strip dodgeball date, Aborady is not having it—in spite of not being present for the date—and starts remarking to his fellow contestants that it's yet another red flag from Crawley. (Which, what?) In the teaser for the next episode, we can see someone—who, spoiler, turns out to be Aborady—yelling, "I expected more from the oldest Bachelorette!" 

A tearful Crawley retorts, "I am the oldest Bachelorette that's 39, that's standing here, that's single, because I didn't settle for men like that."

According to Reality Steve, Aborady calls Crawley and her decision to ask the guys to play strip dodgeball "classless" and "tacky" before segueing into his nasty "oldest Bachelorette" comment. He also invokes his daughter on multiple occasions and says he wants to set an example for her, which, um, gives me major Juan Pablo vibes.

What does Chris Harrison have to say about this?

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the show's host hinted that Aborady was one to watch. "Yosef is definitely someone who wears his heart on his sleeve. He is not afraid to express how he's feeling—and it could be to anybody, including Clare," he said, adding, "Yosef is definitely someone, as far as drama goes, you want to keep an eye on."

Harrison was a bit more blunt in his own video introducing each of this season's contestants, noting that Aborady "doesn't shy away from controversy this season." He added, "If there is something on Yosef's mind, he's gonna say it. He has zero filter, he doesn't mind who he says it in front of, and he doesn't mind who he stirs the pot with—and I mean anybody. So, watch out for Yosef."

Anything from Yosef himself?

For his part, Aborady's Instagram bio currently reads, "I'm not done yet..." which also happens to be what he says in the promo before Clare seemingly kicks him off the show. Not ominous at all!

If you thought a post-pandemic recast, an especially skeezy villain, early dismissals for multiple contestants, and, of course, that mid-season Bachelorette switcheroo were already plenty of drama for Clare Crawley's season of The Bachelorette, you've got another think coming. According to Reality Steve, things will only get messier on the newest episode of the show (Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC), when Crawley taps Zach J. for a one-on-one date that is expected to provoke extreme reactions not just from viewers, but also from the Bachelorette herself.

Here's what you need to know about Zach J. and the drama he's stirring up on national television. (Spoilers ahead, obviously!)

Who is Zach J.?

Zach Jackson (not to be confused with Zac Clark) hails from Yakima, Washington, but currently resides in St. George, Utah. He's the founder of both a CBD company and a cleaning service company. According to his official ABC bio, the 37-year-old is "obsessed with gum and Chapstick," hates jazz music, and knows the difference between there, their, and they're. Refreshing!

Not so refreshing: He's the one whose entrance to the show involved getting down on one knee and fake-proposing to Crawley with a farting ring box.

Outside of his questionable taste in humor, Jackson's best qualities, according to Jackson, are that he is "empathetic, fun, and clever." He's apparently had a "major crush" on Crawley since her days as the certified badass of Juan Pablo's season of The Bachelor. Unfortunately, it seems those dreams are about to come crashing down in the space of a single date.

What happens between Zach J. and Clare?

In a preview posted ahead of the Oct. 27 episode of The Bachelorette, Reality Steve predicted that Jackson and Crawley's solo date is "probably going to stir up a lot of discussion." The date gets off to a good start with some spa time for the couple, then takes a turn when they take a dip in the pool. "It's during this time that Zach has some uncalled for aggressive behavior towards Clare that triggers her," according to Reality Steve.

Put another, milder way, ABC's synopsis of the episode mentions that "Zach J. is excited about his individual spa date with Clare, but his inability to relax might end in disaster."

However you phrase it, Crawley ends up leaving the date early, per Reality Steve. When she doesn't show up for the dinner portion of the date, host Chris Harrison pops by to tell Jackson that "it's best that he leaves." With that, Jackson joins Brandon Goss and Yosef Aborady in getting sent home without a rose ceremony.

Though Reality Steve stayed mum about the details of Jackson's "aggressive behavior," he added, "The bottom line is I already know that the reaction will be mixed on it. Some will say it's not a big deal and Clare overreacted, and some will say that it absolutely is a big deal. I don't think there will be much in between." If that doesn't have you clearing your schedule to tune in, I don't know what will.

Has Zach J. said anything about it?

Not yet, but keep an eye on his fairly active Instagram for updates.

In the best news I've heard all year, entrepreneur, real estate broker, and community organization founder Matt James is our new Bachelor—the first Black lead in franchise history. James, Tyler Cameron's BFF and who you've probably seen all over Cameron's Instagram, is also known to the Bachelorverse because he used to be a contestant on Clare Crawley's Bachelorette season. So fans immediately began wondering—is James going to be on The Bachelorette AND The Bachelor? I know it seems confusing, especially with so much in flux right now due to the coronavirus pandemic, so let's break it down.

Was Matt James ever on the Bachelorette?

So, the short answer is no. Entertainment Weekly broke the news, framing it as he used to be a contestant on Crawley's season. Also, if you look at the statement from ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke, it seems pretty cut and dry:

"Matt has been on our radar since February, when producers first approached him to join Bachelor Nation, as part of Clare’s season. When filming couldn’t move forward as planned [due to the pandemic], we were given the benefit of time to get to know Matt and all agreed he would make a perfect Bachelor. We know we have a responsibility to make sure the love stories we’re seeing onscreen are representative of the world we live in and we are proudly in service to our audience. This is just the beginning and we will continue to take action with regard to diversity issues on this franchise. We feel so privileged to have Matt as our first Black Bachelor and we cannot wait to embark on this journey with him."

Also, this, from Reality Steve:

So it seems pretty set. Also, think about it this way: There's no way he'd be on Crawley's season—because the spoilers would be right there. We know she wouldn't select him, because he already has the Bachelor gig lined up. And if it's anything the producers care about, it's not spoiling the ending. So the first time we will really get to meet him is in pre-show interviews and during the show.

Why was there beef between Matt and Clare?

Oh yes, that. Okay, so another reason we know that they didn't hit it off: Crawley wrote during the hiatus before filming: "If you are doing interviews and creating Cameo accounts before you are even on my season... you are in it for the wrong reasons... #dontwasteyourtime." Many fans took this as a veiled attack on James, who had a Cameo account to raise money for those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Though Crawley then backtracked and said that her comments weren't aimed at anyone in particular, the damage was done. Wrote Crawley: "it was about MULTIPLE men and a general thought I was having while we sit here in a real life crisis where someone’s (everyone’s) time + sincerity hold so much weight and value."

Tyler Cameron later weighed in on the whole thing, saying: "She came at my boy a little bit, you know, that tweet...and the funny thing is Matt had a Cameo, but the guy she picked too had a Cameo. So, you know, it’s interesting.” (So much shade!)

But James himself has been super classy about it, writing on Instagram that he's excited for Crawley's season and plans to tune in.

One couple that Bachelor Nation rooted for, start to finish, was Clare Crawley and Benoit Beauséjour-Savard, who met in 2018 on The Bachelor: Winter Games and ultimately got engaged. After Juan Pablo and two stints on Paradise, Crawley deserved a great love; Beauséjour-Savard wanted to be it. Things didn't work out between the two, which was heartbreaking, if not entirely unexpected—they had a bumpy ride even before they got engaged—and now that Crawley is the next Bachelorette, Beauséjour-Savard, a genuinely sweet guy who seemed to want the best for her, says he's happy for Crawley. Let's take a walk down memory lane for these two, shall we?

How did Clare and Benoit meet?

It was the classic love story: Boy and girl meet while staying in the same lodge while competing (badly) in winter sports; boy likes girl; girl likes boy; girl gets hung up on someone else and then gets in fight with that person about a hot tub date that she didn't show up for; boy flees the lodge in tears. Okay, so it's a little unorthodox, but who among us hasn't been there...?

All right, let's go back to the beginning. Crawley and Beauséjour-Savard, a contestant on Canada's Bachelorette, met during 2018's The Bachelor: Winter Games, which brought together contestants from multiple countries to compete in winter sports. (The competing itself, if you wondered, was laughably bad. Just really, really bad.) They connected, they made out, and everything was going swimmingly until Crawley developed a crush on Christian Rauch, who'd been on the show in Germany and, later, in Switzerland. Then Rauch asked Crawley to meet her in the hot tub and she misunderstood, which sparked perhaps one of the greatest Bachelor arguments of all time. I quote: "I'm not sure what happens in the U.S., but in Germany when we say we go in the Jacuzzi, its a date!"

Beauséjour-Savard, at this point, began to realize that maybe he wasn't Crawley's first pick. He told her that he wasn't interested in looking elsewhere for love, and if she wasn't all in with him, he'd leave. She wasn't all in, so they had an emotional goodbye, and he left the lodge.

What did Benoit say when Clare become The Bachelorette?

He posted a very sweet caption: "Congratulations to this gem!! She will be an amazing Bachelorette. She is smart, fun, strong, knows what she wants and most importantly, she will call out the guys messing around!! Hell yeah!! Good Luck on your journey to find love @clarecrawley !! You will be the best 🙌🏼 #thebestbacheloretteever"

I mean, talk about ex-fiancé goals. And yes, I did say ex-fiancé, because...

Did Benoit...propose to Clare?

Yes! When Crawley and Rauch didn't work out, she reconnected with Beauséjour-Savard off-show, and he proposed at After The Final Rose. It was very, very sweet.

However. Just two months later...

Why did Benoit and Clare break up?

Alas! In April, two months after getting engaged, the couple called it quits. Crawley wrote on Instagram: "It's with a heavy heart that we have mutually decided to end our relationship. We think the world of each other, and we were hoping we could make this work. I'm sorry that this may not be what you want to hear, but it's our truth. Just know there are no negative feelings here, we are simply two people who believed in love, and were open enough to give it a chance."

What is Benoit doing now?

Later, Beauséjour-Savard showed up on Bachelor In Paradise. He didn't end up really hitting it off with anybody, and left in week three. His Instagram doesn't suggest he's in a relationship now, but he does post a lot of photos with dogs, which is just as good.