The Bachelorette Season 19 airs the second part of its finale tonight, September 20, on ABC. And as usual, the After the Final Rose special will introduce the new Bachelor. For those who don’t end up finding love on the tentpole shows (which truly is rare nowadays and seems especially impossible this season, for some reason), the seasons can serve as auditions for the next.
Fans have already been vocal about who they want to see as the star of The Bachelor Season 27, likely to premiere in 2023. Aven Jones is a fan-favorite on Twitter, and Ethan Kang’s name also pops up in the discourse, but according to Variety, Zach Shallcross is reportedly the next Bachelor.
Zach left the show of his own accord in Part 1 of the finale on September 13, telling Rachel Recchia before the rose ceremony that he “felt like I was seeing Bachelorette Rachel, not the real Rachel.” He got a fairly flattering edit during the season, but something changed during the Fantasy Suite that made his arc take a turn and led to his exit. Some fans online feel he left before Rachel could send him home herself. Whatever the truth was, Zach and Rachel made amends during the live segment of the finale, hosted by Jesse Palmer.
There seems to be a much deeper connection between Rachel and Aven, who also had a dramatic experience during last week’s finale when meeting her parents. When asked if he was ready to get engaged, he simply said no. “It’s just about the timing of it,” he said, later telling a “blindsided” Rachel that he wants “to make sure it’s 100 percent right for both of us, right now, in this very moment in time.”
Bachelor insider RealitySteve tweeted September 14 that Zach could very well be the new lead. The replies were split about the 26-year-old’s casting. Some noted he seemed “phony” and lackluster during the season, but others believe the show is already giving him the “Bachelor edit” in preparation for tonight’s announcement.
“Not surprised at all especially after last night’s episode and the edit Zach received. Best of luck to him,” one user said, adding in another reply they’re “excited to see a different side of him” if the rumors are true.
“As it was going on I said to my friend he’s getting the bachelor edit,” wrote another. Clearly, viewers know the show’s playbook as well as the producers.
petition for the bachelor franchise to have bachelor nation vote on who the next bachelor/ette should be bc i’m tired #TheBachelorette
— MoodieforBach (@MoodieforBach) September 15, 2022
The overwhelming consensus is that the fans don’t think their input matters much at all to the producers anymore, in that selections for Bachelor leads rarely reflect fan-favorites anymore.
Of course, the evergreen fan-favorite for who the next lead should be is Tyler Cameron. One of the most successful alums of the franchise, fans and show experts alike agree that Tyler is a “break glass in case of emergency” casting choice that would revitalize interest in the series. Could it be time to break said glass?
One viewer thinks the producers should let Bachelor Nation pick the lead, tweeting, “petition for the bachelor franchise to have bachelor nation vote on who the next bachelor/ette should be be i’m tired.” Well, the producers may not let you, but we will!
Let us know who you think should be the next Bachelor in the poll, below, before the franchise’s new leading man is announced during tonight’s Bachelorette Season 19 finale.
The Bachelorette, Season 19 Finale, Tuesday, September 20, 8/7c, ABC
