In perhaps the only heartwarming news of the entire three-hour-plus finale of The Bachelor, Katie Thurston and Michelle Young were announced as the newest leads of The Bachelorette. They will each have their own season: Katie's will air first in the summer and Michelle's is set to debut in the fall. Each season will hopefully be a welcome respite from this past season of The Bachelor, which has been a low mark for the show.
During Monday's finale of The Bachelor, Matt James chose Rachael Kirkconnell but did not propose. It was revealed on After the Final Rose, hosted by Emmanuel Acho instead of franchise mainstay Chris Harrison, that Matt had felt hurt by Rachael attending an Antebellum party in 2018, among other actions. Since then, Us Weekly has reported Matt felt pressured by the public outrage against Rachael and knew it wouldn't be a "good look" to stay with her. Fans flooded social media on Monday criticizing Matt for not choosing Michelle. Few contestants were as beloved by the fanbase this season as Katie and Michelle, and now they will be able to enjoy two seasons' worth of them.
Following the conclusion of a tumultuous season, Acho wrapped up his Bachelor hosting debut by bringing Michelle and Katie out to the stage together, where they announced, in unison, "We're the Bachelorettes." Reality Steve had previously reported that Katie was chosen, before sharing she was no longer going to be The Bachelorette. Then, according to the resident Bachelor spoiler, the show reversed course and cast two Bachelorettes instead of one for this year. This follows news that Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams will be filling in for Chris to host next season of The Bachelorette.
The franchise clearly knows it cannot continue to cast solely white leads and keep Chris as host when many contestants of color have voiced their concern of not being protected from racism. A recent Buzzfeed News article tells the story of four former Black contestants. One said that while she was discussing hometowns with the other contestants, she was asked, "So do you know your father?” Another contestant said she "felt like a zoo animal."
While the show has a long way to go in casting and storytelling to make it a more inclusive experience, Katie and Michelle were the right choices to lead the franchise into its next chapter. During Matt's season, Katie was quick to call out bullying when she saw it happen. Michelle sidestepped much of the negativity in the house; on After the Final Rose, she spoke openly about how she felt hurt by the news that came out about Rachael. Neither Katie nor Michelle will dance around difficult topics, which is exactly what we need after nearly two decades of walking on eggshells.
Source: Buzzfeed News, Us Weekly