Gabby Windey & Rachel Recchia Will Share ‘Bachelorette’ 2022 Duties

Samantha Westfall March 15, 2022, 9:55 pm

We officially have our next The Bachelorette star for Season 19, and the lucky gal is… well, two women! Congratulations Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia!

The ICU nurse and pilot, who were two of the Final 3 contestants on Clayton Echard‘s season of The Bachelor, will be handing out the roses when the show returns on Monday, July 11.

Fans had suggested some other Season 26 standouts like Susie, Serene, and Teddi for the coveted gig, but the lovably goofy Gabby and sweetly genuine Rachel seemed the overwhelming viewer picks before ABC confirmed during the March 15-airing Bachelor finale that they would both take on the lead roles in the coming season.

Gabby, Rachel, and Susie on The Bachelor (ABC/Craig Sjodin)

Gabby and Rachel’s roads to becoming Bachelorette weren’t exactly smooth — the Colorado and Florida natives were left heartbroken by Clayton when he told both of them, as well as fellow finalist Susie, that he was falling/in love with them. Not only that, he had sex with both of them in the Fantasy Suites.

Susie left when she learned Clayton had been intimate with the other contestants, only for the Bachelor to track her down for a second chance — but not before introducing Gabby and Rachel to his family. To call the situation messy would be an understatement.

During the second half of the Bachelor finale, the Bachelor decided to break up with Gabby and Rachel in the hopes of a potential future with Susie (thankfully, it worked out!). The only problem? He’d already asked the other women to stay and give their love a chance. Not to mention, he tried to break up with them at the same time in the same hotel room. They were not having it.

'The Bachelor Host on Staying Out of Clayton's 'Bachelor' Drama (VIDEO)

In the After the Final Rose live special, both Gabby and Rachel gave Clayton a piece of their minds, with Gabby detailing all of the mistakes he made in handling the situation and Rachel insisting that any emotions she was showing were not related to any lingering feelings for the Bachelor.

After the big news was announced, the new Bachelorettes joined Jesse Palmer on stage to talk about how it will all work, but it sounds like even the producers still don’t know! What we do know is they will both stay on as the leads throughout the season (unlike Kaitlyn Bristowe‘s season, which saw the men pick between her and Britt Nilsson). We also know what they’re each looking for in a man. For Gabby, that would be an “emotionally intelligent” and “mature” man “who can challenge me.” And Rachel? Someone “supportive” and “someone that loves me.”

The only positive surprise this season#TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/UCgoLksFos

— TheBachBabes (@TheBachBabes) March 16, 2022

“I feel like we both have been through so much, so I’m ready for us to get our happy ending,” Rachel says.

It’s clear these women are ready to go on their own romantic journeys, and this will be a great season with both Gabby and Rachel at the helm. We can’t wait to watch!

The Bachelorette, Season 19 Premiere, Monday, July 11, ABC