'The Bachelorette' Season 13: Rachel Lindsay's Early Announcement Justified
"The Bachelorette" season 13 has found its star in Rachel Lindsay, a 31-year-old attorney from Dallas, Texas. And while the announcement of the first black Bachelorette came with widespread support, many wondered why ABC made the decision to unveil the news before Lindsay was even eliminated from "The Bachelor" season 21.
Lindsay is still currently a contestant on "The Bachelor," which stars Nick Viall looking for love. The episode of her elimination has not aired yet, leading fans of the show to question ABC on their hasty decision to announce that she is the next Bachelorette.
However, according to Us Weekly, the network made that choice in order to allow for more time to look for contestants for season 13 of "The Bachelorette." The time between the conclusion of "The Bachelor" and the start of "The Bachelorette" is really short, so producers wanted to lengthen their search time.
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"It was going to get out anyway that Rachel would be the next Bachelorette, so producers figured they might as well announce it now and make it official to make sure they get the most and best number of applicants for her season," a source told the media outlet.
The announcement was made on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," with Chris Harrison making an appearance and delivering a rather comedic sequence of the kind of drama that "The Bachelor" franchise has come to be known for.
"The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" have long been criticized for its lack of diversity. It has featured contestants of different races, but the lead Bachelor or Bachelorette title has always gone to white men and women.
Caila Quinn, who was a contestant on "The Bachelor" season 20 featuring Ben Higgins, spoke to Us Weekly about Lindsay's casting and had nothing but support.
"She's representing a diverse demographic we've never seen before on the show," Quinn, who is half-Filipino, said. "I'm so excited that she's the Bachelorette!"
"The Bachelorette" season 13 will premiere on May 22 at 9 p.m. EDT on ABC.
