We’re just weeks away from The Bachelorette Season 22 premiere on the 2026 TV schedule, and for the first time in the show’s history, the lead is not a contestant from a previous season of The Bachelor, but rather a celebrity from a whole different reality show. I’m looking forward to watching Taylor Frankie Paul from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives work her way through two dozen men, and I really love what her casting might mean for the rest of the dating franchise.
Rumors have started to circulate that other Bachelor Nation series might follow The Bachelorette’s lead by recruiting young singles who are already famous from other reality TV shows. For instance, there’s been some buzz that Robert Irwin, the most recent Dancing with the Stars champion, could lead The Bachelor, and a certain Housewife's hat has been thrown in the ring for The Golden Bachelorette. Let’s break down what each celebrity has said and why this would be great for Bachelor Nation.
