Spoiler alert! This story discusses the events of The Bachelorette Season 20 finale, which aired August 21, including who was named The Bachelor for the upcoming Season 28.
Charity Lawson’s season of The Bachelorette came to an emotional end during the live three-hour finale on Monday, complete with plenty of surprises from host Jesse Palmer. The tears — both happy and sad — flowed freely as the Bachelorette completed her final eliminations and accepted a proposal. That’s not where the drama ended, though. Following the first public appearance of the newly engaged couple, Palmer announced the man who will lead The Bachelor Season 28, and let’s just say Bachelor Nation had some strong opinions. But first things first …
Charity Lawson And Dotun Olubeko Are Engaged
The Bachelorette did not have an easy decision between Dotun Olubeko and Joey Graziadei, as she said she’d fallen in love with both of them. In the end, though, it was Olubeko who accepted Charity Lawson’s final rose and got down on one knee to propose. The integrative medicine specialist had a huge smile on his face as Lawson told him:
You have made me feel alive. You’ve made me believe in love again. You’ve made me feel so valued and so seen. And so, Dotun, when I stand here in this moment, I want a forever future with you. I see you as my husband. I see you as my future. I see it so clear. I don’t have any doubts. I don’t question it. And I love you so much. So much.
Back in the studio, Jesse Palmer introduced the betrothed couple, who said they have talked about getting married “sooner than later” but for now are just enjoying being together and processing the whirlwind experience. Perhaps a little international getaway will help them in that endeavor, as Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko were gifted with a trip to Greece (a locale she’d hoped to visit). Olubeko also got to be the one to inform Lawson that she will be a contestant on the next season of Dancing with the Stars.
It was wonderful to see Charity Lawson’s season end with such happiness, but that wasn’t the only big news of the night.
Joey Graziadei Will Lead The Bachelor Season 28
Joey Graziadei, the tennis pro from Hawaii and Charity Lawson’s runner-up, will get his second chance at reality TV love, when he leads Season 28 of The Bachelor, which will likely premiere in January 2024, if ABC follows its traditional schedule. Graziadei became a fan favorite over the course of The Bachelorette Season 20, and the live studio audience was audibly disappointed when they realized Lawson hadn't picked him.
The overall attitude changed from heartbreak to celebration pretty quickly, as social media users were not subtle about their opinions of the decision:
JOEY AS BACHELOR!!! YES YES YES A MILLION TIMES YES #bachelorette #thebachelorette pic.twitter.com/lUr1Uksb3rAugust 22, 2023
This is the first time in a couple of years that The Bachelor announcement was met with such excitement. Neither Clayton Echard nor Zach Shallcross inspired much enthusiasm from the Nation, but Joey Graziadei had several fans hitting the caps lock on their tweets to shout:
- BACHELOR NATION PICKING A BACHELOR THAT WE ALL WANTED????? ITS BEEN 84 YEARS – daydreamxshawn
- I AM TUNED THE FUCK IN YESSSSSS – KNJROMANTIC
- GOD THIS BACHELOR SEASON IS GONNA BE SO GOOD CAUSE JOEY IS TOO MATURE FOR ANY PETTY DRAMA MWAH MWAH MWAH – otbravetaegi
Many also predicted that ABC’s website might not be able to withstand the influx of applications that were about to arrive, with one fan tweeting:
Im coming for you Joey! #thebachelorette pic.twitter.com/q73GPQg1dsAugust 22, 2023
The Bachelorette Season 20 is in the books, and I’d say this one was a success! Charity Lawson found her person in Dotun Olubeko, and Bachelor Nation found a leading man to root for in runner-up Joey Graziadei.
We’ve still got a while before we get to see his journey, but there’s plenty of reality dating to do in the meantime. The Golden Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise are both set to premiere Thursday, September 28, on ABC. Keep an eye on the 2023 TV schedule for all of the other premiere dates as well.
