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Who Should Be ‘The Bachelorette’ Season 22 Lead? (POLL)
The Bachelorette took a hiatus in 2025 to make room for Bachelor in Paradise and The Golden Bachelor, and while ABC has not confirmed plans for the future of the show, fans are hopeful that it will make a return in the future. There are plenty of eligible ladies from the franchise who could return as the lead for Season 22, but who will it be?
Normally the lead of The Bachelorette is chosen from the pool of contestants on the previous season of The Bachelor, but with such a long break before a potential new season, it could be the perfect time to pull from other women within the franchise (which has been done in the past).
For example, Rachael Kirkconnell went through a very public breakup with Matt James earlier this year after four years together, and the public rallied behind her. While she’s said she’s not sure whether she’d want to star on the show, she’d definitely be a fan-favorite option.
Meanwhile, Jenn Tran got the short end of the stick on Season 21 of The Bachelorette when Devin Strader broke up with her just weeks after they got engaged at the final rose ceremony. Although she moved on with her Dancing With the Stars partner, Sasha Farber, recent reports say they’ve broken up, so it might be time for her to try again in Bachelor Nation!
Rachel Recchia is another former lead whose relationship ended before the finale aired. She broke up with Tino Franco after finding out that he cheated on her, and she was unsuccessful in finding love again on Bachelor in Paradise Season 9. Recchia is now on Season 3 of Perfect Match, so perhaps she found her person, but if not, maybe she’ll give The Bachelorette another go.
Kelley Flanagan tried hard to make it work with Peter Weber after Season 24 of The Bachelor. She wasn’t his final pick, but they started dating a few weeks after the finale aired and were then together on-and-off for three years. Although she’s insisted that she’s “too old” to be the show’s lead, fans would definitely love to see her get her happy ending.
A fan-favorite in Bachelor Nation is Maria Georgas. She’s turned down the lead of The Bachelorette in the past, but fans are still begging for her to take on the role. Georgas previously said she wouldn’t want to be on another show where she was fighting over a guy … but what if the guys were fighting over her?!
There are some options from Season 29 of The Bachelor, too. Grant Ellis already ended his engagement to final pick Juliana Pasquarosa, so it would be a full circle moment if she returned as the Bachelorette. Plus, there’s always his runner-up Litia Garr, who was beloved by viewers. She could certainly be a buzzed-about returnee.
Vote in the poll below for who you think should be the next lead of The Bachelorette, and let us know in the comments section below if you think there are any other options for the role!
