ABC/Craig Sjodin Matt James hands Katie Thurston a rose on 'The Bachelor.'
As rumors swirl that a new Bachelorette will soon be named, fans are left wondering who will soon be handing out roses. One name that keeps popping up is a fan-favorite from Matt James’ season of The Bachelor: Katie Thurston.
James was asked about her and the possibility she could be Bachelorette during a recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live.
“When I saw Serena [Chew] and Katie’s exchange, that had nothing to do with my feelings for Katie at that time,” James said of his decision to eliminate Thurston during their one-on-one last week. Earlier in the episode Chew had confronted her over drama amongst the contestants.
He added that it “doesn’t say anything about her as a woman and how incredible she is because she was there for a reason and those are the type of women who should be in consideration for a Bachelorette role.”
Listing her attributes, the real estate broker said, “I mean, she’s bold, she’s courageous and she stands up for what she believes in.”
According to the franchise’s creator, Mike Fleiss, an announcement will be “coming soon,” though it is unclear if it will be impacted by the recent Chris Harrison controversy.
STOP! Do not read further if you do not want spoilers on season 17 of The Bachelorette.
Reality Steve Reported Thurston Is Going to Be the Next Bachelorette
Reality Steve took to Twitter to clarify a previous tweet claiming Thurston was named the Bachelorette during the Women Tell All taping.
“In regards to this tweet from Sat night, it’s wrong…& right. Katie was NOT announced as Bachette at WTA,” he wrote. “Message I got was ‘it’s Katie and it came out at WTA.’ I thought that meant it happened there.”
He added, “But I’ve been told it’s confirmed it’s Katie and she’ll be named this week.”
Thurston seemingly denied the information, sharing a photo in her Instagram story with the caption, “Reading my texts today like… news to me.”
She, or anyone else, has yet to be named, but since then, franchise host Chris Harrison, has dominated headlines for what many called an excuse of racism.
‘The Bachelorette’ Should Begin Filming Soon
(UPDATE): Due to the updated quarantine restrictions in Canada laid out last week, I’ve been told “Bachelorette” will NOT be filming there next season anymore. Resorts in the US now being looked at, but they are definitely still looking at colder weather locations.
Early reports from Reality Steve claimed the upcoming season of The Bachelorette would be filmed in Canada, in a similar bubble format as the most recent seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.
He wrote, “Early speculation already in my DMs is that the resort for ‘Bachelorette’ filming in Canada next season might be at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta,” later confirming the lodge had been booked between February 23 and April 29.
However, production plans changed because of “updated quarantine restrictions,” reported Reality Steve. He added, “Resorts in the US now being looked at, but they are definitely still looking at colder weather locations.”
If the same production schedule is being maintained, filming should start shortly, though no new production location has been revealed.
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Matt James Weighs in on Rumors Katie Thurston Could Be the Next Bachelorette