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STOP! Spoilers for season 17 of The Bachelorette below.
Reality Steve is doubling down on his initial reports for the next Bachelorette.
“The more things change, the more they stay the same,” the man behind many of Bachelor Nation’s spoilers tweeted. “The original spoiler I reported seems to be correct. Katie Thurston is set to be announced as the ‘Bachelorette’ in the coming days.”
(SPOILER): The more things change, the more they stay the same. The original spoiler I reported seems to be correct. Katie Thurston is set to be announced as the “Bachelorette” in the coming days.
Thurston was first rumored to be taking up the mantle in early February, with Reality Steve initially reporting she was announced during the recording of Women Tell All. Obviously, that was not the case, but he corrected himself to say she would be named last month so filming could begin before this season of The Bachelor aired its finale.
Yet, her future as the lead was put into question as production was delayed during a changeup in filming locations and controversy around Chris Harrison’s Extra interview led the longtime host to temporarily step aside.
Since filming has yet to start, contenders who made it farther in the competition for Bachelor Matt James’ heart were now eligible to become Bachelorette. Reality Steve then reported Thurston was out of contention, claiming Michelle Young, Bri Springs and Abigail Heringer were now the favorites.
The Filming Location for ‘The Bachelorette’ Has Been Confirmed to Be in New Mexico
Filming was expected to begin in late February at the Fairmont Jasper Park, yet Reality Steve said production had shifted to resorts in the country because of “updated quarantine restrictions in Canada.”
While he reported they were looking for “colder locations,” that seems to have gone by the wayside now that he has confirmed The Bachelorette will film at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa near Albuquerque, beginning later this month.
The resort is “nestled on 550 acres of Native American Santa Ana Pueblo between the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande River,” according to their website. It boasts “350 guestrooms and suites” and amenities such as resort property, ski courses, hot air ballooning, stables, a golf club, pools and a spa.
The last season of The Bachelorette was filmed at the La Quinta Resort & Club and this season of The Bachelor was filmed at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.
It Remains Unclear if Chris Harrison Will Return as Host
TOMORROW ON @GMA: @chrisbharrison is speaking out for the first time since stepping down from hosting duties on #TheBachelor last month in an exclusive interview with @michaelstrahan airing TOMORROW. t.co/wmtSZrBI99
Chris Harrison’s future with The Bachelor franchise remains uncertain after announcing he was temporarily stepping down from his hosting duties. Emmanuel Acho has been announced as his replacement for the After the Final Rose special.
The franchise’s longtime host sparked controversy after an Extra interview with Rachel Lindsay. During the interview, Lindsay asked him about The Bachelor frontrunner Rachael Kirkconnell’s racism accusations including photos of her at an “Old South” party.
While calling for Kirkconnell to receive grace, Harrison debated if the party would have been considered “not a good look” under a 2018 lens.
Since he issued his second apology, neither he nor ABC has commented on his future with the dating competition. Yet, he will appear on Good Morning America on Thursday, causing Reality Steve to predict this appearance is “step 1 to Chris’ rehab tour and I think this is a major step into him returning to the show at some point.”
With Harrison addressing the controversy and Reality Steve teasing more updates tomorrow, it seems Thurston’s announcement could soon follow.
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Reality Steve Confirms the Next Bachelorette