Fan favorites and fierce women Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia will stand by each other’s side yet again as they co-star on a journey to find love on Season 19 of ABC’s The Bachelorette.
If you recall, Gabby and Rachel both appeared in the Top 3 of Season 26 of The Bachelor, where Clayton Echard left the women shell-shocked and heartbroken when he revealed that he was in love and had been intimate with both of them. Ultimately, Clayton sent Gabby and Rachel home in order to pursue his unresolved feelings for the third contestant, Susie Evans.
Bachelor Nation was thrilled to hear that not one, but both women would be getting a second chance at love after confronting Clayton at the After the Final Rose reunion. How this two-lead season will work exactly? That answer is still a mystery to fans. Entertainment Tonight spoke with franchise host Jesse Palmer about what to expect from this historic season in The Bachelorette’s history.
“There’s no set formula. There are no rules. I think that’s something that Bachelor Nation and fans at home are going to see. A lot of things are going to happen that have never happened before,” Palmer told ET. “Rachel and Gabby have the power to make some of their own decisions.”
But that begs the question: How will the women date the same group of 32 men without stepping on each other’s toes? Jesse asserts that this season is all about Gabby and Rachel supporting one another on their journey to find love, not pitting them against each other.
“This is a very unique situation and there’s a lot of relationships that Rachel and Gabby have to navigate at the same time, which at times can pose challenges,” Palmer explained. “But I think the important thing at the end is that they both have their sights set on finding love, hopefully being engaged at the end of this journey, and it is quite the ride to get there.”
As for the 32 men? Some have their sights set on a specific woman, but others are waiting to let connections build naturally after getting a chance to meet both Gabby and Rachel. On night one, Bachelor Nation will meet a set of twins, a meatball enthusiast, a drag racer, a magician, and many more, all of whom are hungry to make an impression on the Bachelorettes.
Despite the message of female empowerment being served up this season, drama is definitely not off the menu. In a preview of the first episode posted to The Bachelorette’s official Instagram account, we see one man tell Rachel that he is “here for Gabby.” Ouch. We also watch a tearful Gabby say to producers that “he never loved me” in an emotional confessional. But fear not, because there’s also many romantic and heartfelt moments to look forward to. Rachel even states that she has “no doubt that [they] are going to meet [their] fiancés.”
Don’t miss all the romance and roses coming on this season of The Bachelorette, premiering Monday, July 11th at 8/7c on ABC.
