New 'Bachelor' Announced During 'Bachelorette' Finale
by EG
When one door closes for Bachelor Nation, another one opens. This week's finale of The Bachelorette brought the series' season to an end, but it also gave a glimpse of the upcoming season of sibling series The Bachelor. Read on to find out the details, but beware of spoilers.
ABC’s Bachelor franchise looked forward to the future on the same night it gave closure to its recent storylines involving The Bachelorette co-leads Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia.
During the three-hour season finale of The Bachelorette that aired Tuesday, Zach Shallcross — who was let go in last week’s episode as the second runner-up for Recchia — was announced as the lead on the forthcoming season 27 of The Bachelor that premieres Jan. 23. Viewers had seen the 26-year-old tech executive from Anaheim Hills, California, leave the show brokenhearted after their fantasy-suite date made it clear that Recchia was more interested in eventual pick Tino Franco and runner-up Aven Jones.
“I really needed to take some time away and reflect and heal that broken heart,” Shallcross told host Jesse Palmer. “What I learned from that experience was, it didn’t change how ready I was. I am now more ready. That was fuel to the fire. I am ready to find my person, my best friend.” He later met multiple women who were competing to participate in his season.
The rest of the evening featured plenty of the tense and dramatic moments that the franchise’s finales typically deliver. During the final scenes taped in Mexico, Recchia got engaged to Franco in a romantic display, and Windey accepted a marriage proposal from Erich Schwer. However, Recchia told the in-studio audience that Franco had previously admitted to cheating on her after the show stopped filming.
“It’s just heartbreaking — this is the person I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with and start a family with,” Recchia told Palmer, adding that she remained devastated about the relationship falling apart. “It’s just broken trust at the end of the day, and it’s really heartbreaking to watch back and have to relive it.”
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.