ABC Finds Its New 'Bachelorette'
by EG
The Bachelor is over for the season, so now it's time to move on to The Bachelorette. ABC announced its new leading lady this week, and although she's a Bachelor contestant as is common, she's not one of the series' top contenders. Read on for details.
Hannah Brown, a former contestant on Colton Underwood's season of ABC's The Bachelor, has been cast as the next star of The Bachelorette.
Brown, who was known as "Hannah B." before she was eliminated on The Bachelor, was unveiled as ABC's newest star of the long-running reality dating franchise during the two-night finale for Underwood's Bachelor season on Tuesday night.
"I feel all the emotions but honestly, I'm just really grateful for the opportunity," said the 24-year-old beauty queen and interior decorator after being announced to lead the 15th season. "For a minute there, it was touch-and-go from my experience. But in my wildest dreams, [I did hope for this]."
Brown, who has often appeared to be at a loss for words, assured host Chris Harrison during a filmed phone call that aired on Tuesday, "I know I could do it and I want it."
The nervous star then went on to meet five of the men who will appear on her upcoming season, following in recent tradition for the Bachelorettes. "I hope they can put words together better than me!" she half-joked to Harrison. For the first time during the stunt, Brown β after a drawn-out deliberation β handed out her first rose to a contestant named Cam, who rapped for her attention.
Brown placed seventh on Underwood's season of The Bachelor, which makes her the first female star in the franchise's history to go on and lead The Bachelorette after placing outside of the top four finalists. An advantage of casting one of the top four finalists is that viewers get to know the soon-to-be star better; the final four get to show the Bachelor (and viewers) more about themselves during a week of hometown dates and are further along in their relationship, ultimately leading to a bigger heartbreak and higher likability from the franchise audience, who are collectively known as Bachelor Nation.
"This whole experience has been great for me and being a part of this has allowed me to be vulnerable and open," Brown told The Hollywood Reporter at the recent Women Tell All taping about the prospect of the starring role. "I came into this very ready for the endgame and so as Bachelorette, I would be very ready for the endgame of that, too."
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
Do you think Hannah is a good choice for The Bachelorette? Let us know in the comments below.