August 10, 2021 • bachelor insider
Your First Look at Michelle Young's Season of 'The Bachelorette' Is Here!
Katie Thurston’s run as the Bachelorette ended Monday night — and now we’re just months away from seeing Michelle Young step into the role, Bachelor Nation!
As Monday night’s Season 17 finale aired, viewers were treated to a gorgeous first glimpse at Michelle’s forthcoming cycle. In the clip, the basketball player-turned-schoolteacher — resplendent in a shimmering champagne gown — walks through a tunnel of colorful flowers as Little Mix’s hit song “Bounce Back” plays.
Michelle was announced as an incoming lead during March’s “After the Final Rose” special, hosted by Emmanuel Acho. Her Season 18 — which will be co-hosted by Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe — premieres Tuesday, October 19, on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
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As viewers will recall, the “Bachelor” Season 25 alum immediately captured Matt James’ attention — along with the hearts of millions of Americans — with her captivating smile, unmistakable charm, and sharp wit.
Incredibly passionate about shaping the next generation of community leaders, Michelle left her career as a Division I basketball player to teach kindergarten. With big dreams for her future, Michelle hopes her Bachelorette love story ends with a man by her side who is just as driven to make the world a better place.
Michelle expressed her excitement at becoming the Bachelorette during a March interview with “Good Morning America.”
“My first response was, ‘Wait a second, we’re dating the same men and there’s two of us?’ And I was like, ‘I have a lot of questions,’” Michelle said with a laugh, noting that she was relieved to discover she and Katie were given individual cycles.
Elsewhere, Michelle explained how she hopes to be a conduit for progress within Bachelor Nation as the third woman of color to lead “The Bachelorette” — following Season 13’s Rachel Lindsay and Season 16’s Tayshia.
“They know that I’m going to push forward to make an impact in a positive way, and I think they’re kind of jumping on my train to do that with me,” Michelle said of the support she feels from the franchise at large.
She also joked that she asked Katie to “iron out all the kinks” before her search for love kicked off.
“All jokes aside, I just told her to continue to be herself,” Michelle elaborated, revealing the advice she gave Katie before her “Bachelorette” journey commenced. “[There is] nothing better than walking away from this experience knowing that the person that you choose hopefully loves you for exactly who you are.”
