Katie Thurston and Michelle Young are both on rose duty.
The ladies – both fan favorites from Matt James’ “Bachelor” season earlier this year – are each getting their own season of “The Bachelorette,” with Thurston’s airing this summer and Young’s in the fall.
“We are the bachelors,” they announced Monday night on the special “After the Final Rose,” which aired after the finale of James’ season.
Thurston, a 30-year-old bank marketing manager from Renton, Washington, and Young, a 28-year-old teacher from Edina, Minnesota, both said on Monday that they were “ready” to find love.
The upcoming seasons 17 and 18 of “The Bachelorette” will look very different from years past, as longtime host Chris Harrison will not be at the helm of the show. ABC announced a few days ago that former “Bachelorettes” Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams will take over the upcoming hosting duties after Harrison took leave for admitting he spoke “in a way that perpetuates racism.”
During her season with James, Thurston became a fan favorite and made herself known from the start by arriving at the Nemacolin Resort with a vibrator in hand.
After her elimination in week 6, much of Bachelor Nation endorsed Thurston as the next “Bachelorette.” Her social media followers also show the strength of her fan base. Thurston has an Instagram following of 449,000 fans, one Twitter follows of 53,000 and a TikTok following of more than 274,000 fans.
Young, meanwhile, reached the final, but was sent home without a rose, leaving heart broken. Fellow contestant Rachael Kirkconnell took the stem (without a marriage proposal) but, as revealed on “After the Final Rose”, is no longer dating James.
The pair broke up in the wake of controversy that swirled around Kirkconnell and the franchise after her racially insensitive photos and social media interactions resurfaced.