THE NEW ‘BACHELORETTE’ SEASON IS GONNA HAVE SOME MAJOR CHANGE-UPS

Zach Shallcross'rather straightforward (I didn't say boring!) season of The Bachelor is finally over, and congratulations are in order for Kaity, his bride-to-be. But now, viewers are beginning to wonder what's going to happen on the next season of The Bachelorette? While some of the details on casting are still mostly under wraps, ABC has already handed us our next Bachelorette: The incomparable Charity Lawson!

Her new season premieres June 26, at 9 p.m. on ABC and Hulu. BTW, this is an hour later than the show usually airs, and it's not clear why the timing has been pushed. Still, mark your cals!

This was a pretty big deal, since (according to Reality Steve) the Bachelorette is never announced during the "Women Tell All" episode. Jesse Palmer revealed the news during Zach Shallcross' WTA episode by simply asking Charity if she would be up to stepping into the role. Charity seemed shocked. “Stop! Is this for real? No way! Oh my god, I’m gonna cry," she said during last night's episode.

ICYDK, the new Bachelorette is usually one of the runners up from The Bachelor and vice versa. Case in point: Zach Shallcross hails from Rachel and Gabby's season of The Bachelorette (he self-eliminated during the overnights). Charity was just sent home during the hometown episode this past week, so her being named the new Bachelorette was slightly expected already (or, at least, Reality Steve had his intel).

What is there to know so far about Charity and her upcoming season? Women's Health has dived into the star and what to expect from The Bachelorette's 20th season (plus, her 29 new contestants have finally been announced!).

Charity was a top pick for The Bachelorette.

TBH, Charity is going to make a perfect Bachelorette. She cemented a reputation during Zach's season as a genuinely kind contestant—a rarity on a reality dating show. In case you didn't watch, Charity was a fan favorite, and Zach Shallcross was really into her, too (they had plenty of make out sessions during the season).

You may also remember Charity because Zach literally swept her off her feet in a "wife carrying competition" in Estonia. She also admitted to Zach in an episode that she was ready for an engagement, despite going through a pretty recent breakup.

During hometowns, Charity's family was very protective of her and worried she was going to break her heart by falling for Zach. After she admitted she was, in fact, falling for him, Zach said sending Charity home was "the hardest decision" he's had to make so far.

Charity was also pretty upset about her send off, but she posted a sweet tribute to her time on The Bachelor on her Instagram after the episode aired. "Through the highs and lows, I grew as a person through it all and was able to discover depths of myself, and that is the true victory," she wrote in her post. She also thanked Zach and the other contestants for making her time on the show so special.

If you've been following her Instagram for a while, you've probably come across a few comments expressing hope for her to be the next Bachelorette. Thankfully ABC delivered!

What is there to know about Charity?

Charity is 27 and a mental health therapist from Georgia. She graduated from the University of Auburn with a master's degree in mental health counseling, per TODAY, and she seems very passionate about caring for others—based on her profession, her disposition on The Bachelor, and, of course, her name.

She's also a total romantic (she's a Capricorn, BTW). She told ABC that she dreams of living at Walt Disney World someday, and her favorite movie is The Notebook. Perhaps she's looking for a man to build her a big house with a wrap around porch and blue shutters? According to her ABC profile, Charity looking for someone loyal, honest and who shares her morals. I can't wait to meet these new Bachelorette contestants!

This will be the first season without Mike Fleiss at the helm.

Yep, the show's creator and showrunner has called it quits after more than two decades, per Parade.

“I want to thank [Warner Bros. Television] and ABC for 21 extraordinary years,” Fleiss said in a statement to TV Line. “They’ve found the perfect creative team for me to entrust The Bachelor franchise and keep this lightning in a bottle bold and moving forward. Let the journey continue.”

There's no word on why Fleiss decided to step down. In his stead, Jason Ehrlich, Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner will be running the show, both literally and metaphorically.

When will the next season of The Bachelorette air?

ABC has finally confirmed that season 20 of The Bachelorette will air on June 26, 2023. And it's sure to be chock full of *very* handsome men from all over the country.

Charity is going to make it a great season! Stay tuned.

2023-03-08T18:48:16Z dg43tfdfdgfd