It’s that time of year again: When a wealthy influencer must choose between 25 San Diego based men to find true love and happiness for at least three months! I am talking, of course, about ABC’s hit show “The Bachelorette.” Michelle Young is the eighteenth contestant to hold this title and she was introduced to Bachelor Nation on season 25 of “The Bachelor.” She was turned down late in the season by Matt James but now she’s back and ready to trust the process and find love.
To be fair, Young is more than just a social media influencer; she is an elementary school teacher, a former Division 1 basketball player, and a major fan favorite on Matt James’ season. She’s obviously here for the right reasons and it’s going to take a lot for the men to impress her. They’ll need more than witty pick-up lines and corny jokes to woo this superstar.
Young is a unique Bachelorette but this season is also unique for Bachelor Nation in another big way, and that is mainly the departure of the show’s longtime host, Chris Harrison. Harrison was asked to take a break from hosting the show in 2021 after he made some problematic comments about Rachel, a contestant on Matt James’ season. Consequently, Season 17 of The Bachelorette was hosted by two former contestants, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams. This summer, ABC announced that Harrison was permanently fired from the show and the two guest hosts have become the permanent hosts for all future Bachelor Nation series and spin-offs.
“The Bachelorette ” is always fraught with drama, especially when big personalities are involved. Their alpha-driven, macho man pride gets in the way of being respectful to Young and each other, so here is a look at a few notable contestants vying for Young’s heart this season.
*WARNING EPISODE 1 & 2 SPOILERS AHEAD*
Two weeks have passed since the start of the show, and while some men have been sent home, others have made strong impressions (and not all of them good). Jamie, a biotech CEO from San Diego started strong; he had an outgoing personality, overcame a lot of personal trauma and adversity and rightfully earned himself the first one-on-one date with Young. But now he is setting himself up as a villain after spreading a rumor about Young and convincing her that all the men in the house are questioning her character. Also, according to a Tiktok by @420zel, he is friendly and frequents a lot of bars around San Diego, but he “smells bad.” Suffice to say, there’s a lot of “red flags.”
Joe from Minneapolis has impressed Young as well, with his basketball skills and gentlemanly demeanor but they apparently have some past history about Joe “ghosting” Young on Instagram. Will from Grand Rapids is quickly setting himself up as the comedian of the season, while Peter, who can’t quite get Will’s sense of humor and might be a raging narcissist, is proving to become another villain as well a source of drama for the rest of the contestants.
With a memorable crew of potential suitors and one of the most fabulous Bachelorettes to ever grace the show, this season of “The Bachelorette” is gearing up to be the most dramatic season in “Bachelor” history. No one misses Harrison, but we will miss every one of these men when they go home. (Except for Ryan, glad he’s gone)
“The Bachelorette” premieres every week on Tuesday night or on Hulu Wednesday morning.
By: Tony Le Calvez
Avery Pringle 
Tessa Balc