The Bachelorette Season 19 Release Date, Cast, And More Information
Buckle up, because there's plenty of drama to come on "The Bachelorette." In what's sure to be dubbed "the most dramatic season yet" (we know, we know, ABC says that every year but this one does have potential to get pretty crazy) the addictive dating show is gearing up for Season 19 as we watch not one but two Bachelorette's search for love.
As you'll probably know by now, ABC decided to change things up with not one but two Bachelorettes for the 19th season of the reality series after all that drama that stemmed from Season 26 of "The Bachelor." As you likely already heard, or saw, Clayton Echard didn't exactly win over America's hearts on his journey (we know, ABC says that word every year, too) after he admitted to three different women that he had feelings for them while also getting intimate with two of them. Then made for one of the most dramatic endings in Bachelor Nation history (genuinely, we're not just saying that like the show does year after year) when Echard ended up alone after Susie Evans turned down his proposal. However, during the "After The Final Rose" special, it was revealed that the two had reunited (see, we told you it was dramatic) and they've been showing off their love on social media and beyond ever since.
But now that's all said and done, what can we expect as "The Bachelorette" returns?
The Bachelorette air date
Get excited and grab the tissues for your tears, because we have an official release date for Season 19 of "The Bachelorette." ABC confirmed in April that we'll be getting a summer series of the dating show for 2022, with the premiere date set for July 11 with new episodes set to air weekly at 8pm ET on ABC. We know filming is well underway too, as executive producer Mike Fleiss tweeted on March 26, "The journey has begun... #TheBachelorette (s)" alongside a snap of some of the guys sitting on the sofa during what appeared to be the first night cocktail party.
As longtime members of Bachelor Nation may realize, that's a bit later than we usually get a new dose of drama and dating, but it seems that's all due to the pandemic. In past years, "The Bachelorette" has debuted around May time in the wake of "The Bachelor" finale and has then continued into July or August. After that, it's followed by the spin-off "Bachelor In Paradise" over the summer, which usually has an August release date. It's thought the push back is due to a delayed filming schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with previous "The Bachelorette" seasons like Clare Crawley/Tayshia Adams' taking longer to film due to the need to quarantine contestants and take extra safety precautions.
The Bachelorette's new cast
Now the important stuff: Who's looking for love? Well, it was revealed during "The Bachelor" Season 26 finale that both Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia will be the new Bachelorettes after getting their hearts broken by Clayton Echard during the final three. While we're guessing Echard probably won't be welcome to pop up in any capacity during Windey and Recchia's season, Jesse Palmer will be back to host after he stepped in on "The Bachelor" in the place of Chris Harrison after the longtime host stepped down from hosting duties.
As for the men that could steal Windey or Recchia's hearts? Well, Parade has given us a look at the guys competing for the ladies' love and there's quite a diverse group of men who we're hoping are there for the right reasons. Amongst them is a set of twins in the form of Connecticut's Justin and Joey Young. Windey and Recchia ending up with a twin each? Now that would be a twist worthy of Bachelor Nation! There were also rumors from infamous Bachelor Nation spoiler source Reality Steve that Season 7 "The Bachelorette" star Connor Brennan would be back to look for love again, though Reality Steve later retracted that claim on his podcast.
What else you need to know about The Bachelorette Season 19
It goes without saying that with two ladies looking for love together the whole season, things are going to be a little bit different this time around. For the first time in U.S. Bachelor Nation history, both Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia will stick around for the whole season, which makes a change from when the show tried out a version of two Bachelorette's back in 2015. That time, both Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson started the season together, but the men then chose which of them they wanted to stay. That meant Nilsson was sent home at the start of the process.
As for exactly how the process will happen we're still not sure, though it sounds like Windey and Recchia are both ready for whatever the show might throw at them and they aren't about to turn on each other to bring the drama. "We just got thrown in, but I have faith and a lot of trust and I love Rachel to death," Windey said on "Good Morning America" in March. "And I know we're gonna have each other's backs the whole way, so there's really not a doubt in my mind that it's gonna end up well."