Bachelor Nation has a reputation for being able to handle surprising reveals. I mean, it kind of comes with the territory when watching reality TV. But the announcement that Rachel Lindsay—a fan favorite and one of the four remaining ladies vying for Nick Viall’s final rose on The Bachelor—will be the next Bachelorette left viewers shocked. While I guess Nick and Rachel weren’t meant to be, why did ABC announce her as the Bachelorette before her time on The Bachelor ended?
According to Us Weekly, Rachel was picked as the next Bachelorette ahead of the season’s end in order to assemble the perfect group of guys for her.
A source reveals, “They want to be able to cast guys specifically for her. There is almost no time between Bachelor ending and Bachelorette starting filming, so they wanted to have plenty of time to find the perfect guys for the next season.”
“It was going to get out anyway that Rachel would be the next Bachelorette, so producers figured they might as well announce it now and make it official to make sure they get the most and best number of applicants for her season,” the source adds. “It works better to have the next person as a definite as opposed to speculating on who it could be, in terms of casting.”
So far, the reaction to the announcement has been positive, and according to the source, Rachel’s suitors will be diverse.
“The response has been amazing about Rachel—there’s been a huge spike in casting,” the source says. “Rachel is open to different types of guys. So it’ll be a mix of different types and races of guys for her season.”
Although Nick’s season is still airing, we can’t wait to see Rachel as the Bachelorette.