ABC Kaitlyn Bristowe.
Kaitlyn Bristowe had has several roles in “The Bachelor” franchise, so it’s no surprise that she has an opinion about the recently announced “double” season for 2022.
In March 2022, Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey were named dual stars for the upcoming 19th season of the ABC dating show. When ABC gave fans an early look at the ladies’ suitors by releasing their photos on Facebook, it didn’t appear that there will be “double” the men to choose from.
While many fans are happy that Rachel and Gabby will get a second shot at love, not everyone is a fan of the idea — including Bristowe, who has been in their shoes before.
Kaitlyn Bristowe Criticized the Format for the Upcoming Season of The Bachelorette
ABCGabby Windey and Rachel Recchia.
In 2015, Bristowe was “The Bachelorette” for season 11, but her solo role only came after her suitors voted between her and co-lead Britt Nilsson to stay on the show. Bristowe got the most votes from the men and Nilsson was sent home, according to Us Weekly.
In an interview posted by E! News, Bristowe admitted that hearing that Rachel and Gabby were both going to both be “The Bachelorette” at once left her feeling “triggered.”
“Because I was like, Oh my gosh, can’t a woman have her own season?” she said. “It feels like it was Clare [Crawley] and then she was gone. And then it had to be Tayshia [Adams]. And then it was Katie [Thurston] and then, back-to-back, Michelle [Young]. And now it’s the two Bachelorettes again.”
“I just want somebody to have their own season and I just don’t want it to be them pitted against each other,” she added. “I don’t know how the format is going to work. I don’t know what their little system is going to be, but I know how two Bachelorettes felt and it felt like we were being pitted against each other for the men to decide. And we could all get weird on what’s acceptable and what’s not in the Bachelor world because, really, that is always a gray area. I just wish I was there for it because I know how it feels!”
Kaitlyn Bristowe Was Disappointed About the Hosting Decision for The Bachelorette
ABCTayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe
Bristowe and fellow former “Bachelorette” Tayshia Adams co-hosted Katie Thurston and Michelle Young’s seasons of the show after longtime host Chris Harrison’s unexpected exit from “The Bachelor” franchise in June 2021. It was recently revealed that the two women will be replaced by Jesse Palmer as host for Rachel and Gabby’s joint season.
On the March 22 episode of her “Off the Vine” podcast, Bristowe confirmed she would not be coming back to host, but made it clear it was not her idea.
“I want to support Gabby and Rachel and be there for them so bad,” she said. “I think it makes sense to have a woman being there for them. … I will be sad…. I want to be there to support them, but that’s the update.”
In a June 2021 interview with The Washington Post, Bristowe explained that having female hosts for ‘The Bachelorette” also provided the leading lady with much-needed mentors.
“We were a shoulder to cry on, we were there to laugh,” she said of the girl power vibe of the past two seasons. “We’re there to keep extra eyes on some of the guys. And it’s definitely different because we’ve been in this position before.
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