After Matt James' season of The Bachelor finished airing in March, Bachelor Nation announced that they would air not one, but two seasons of sweet elementary school teacher, Michelle Young.
Though the next two seasons of The Bachelorette are all lined up, fans still have their thoughts and predictions as to who will lead the season (or seasons) next year. With so many different contestants from past seasons of The Bachelor to choose from, it's no wonder it was hard for showrunners to choose just one lead, and why they ultimately settled on treating fans with two seasons.
Olivia Caridi
Olivia Caridi was pegged as a villain on Ben Higgins' season of The Bachelor, but viewers came to fall in love with her off-screen.
Olivia opened up on social media, itting to struggling post-show due to hateful comments about her personality and appearance. She started a podcast, Mouthing Off, and has gained a fan base that now sees her for who she truly is. Olivia would make an excellent Bachelorette because of her raw vulnerability, and her ability to never take herself too seriously.
Kristina Schulman
Kristina Schulman came in fifth place on Nick Viall's season of The Bachelor, and has since appeared on two seasons of Bachelor in Paradise.
The dental hygienist was in the midst of the Blake Horstmann love triangle on Season 6 but didn't walk away from the show with love. She has expressed interest in having her own shot as the franchise lead and maybe finding her happily ever after once and for all.
Kendall Long
Creative director and taxidermy enthusiast Kendall Long surprised viewers and Arie Luyendyk Jr. by being incredibly mature for her age and holding her own among a group of mean girls.
Kendall seemingly found love on Bachelor in Paradise when she coupled up with Joe Amabile, but the lovebirds split at the beginning of 2020. Kendall remains looking for love, and would be a wildly interesting lead with her outgoing personality and sense of adventure. She also can make art out of just about anything.
Katie Morton
Katie Morton from Season 23 returned for Season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise, and left the show engaged. However, she and her fiancé Chris Bukowski called it quits weeks later.
Katie never got a fair shot on either season she competed in, typically getting the "ive best friend" edit. Viewers connected with her charming personality, though, and believe that she deserves another shot. For now, it looks like Katie has found herself a man, but she is still worth consideration, especially after such a lackluster BiP engagement.
Alayah Benavidez
Alayah Benavidez sparked controversy on Peter Weber's season of The Bachelor when fellow contestant Victoria Paul claimed to know her from their beauty pageant days. Paul accused Alayah of mean girl behavior, while Benavidez shocked audiences by revealing the two beauty queens actually used to be friends.
Alayah was mistreated by the other girls on her season and was actually shown to have a kind heart and genuine connection with lead, Peter. Her following on social media has been largely ive of her following her exit from the show, and would definitely root for her as the lead of her own season.
Natasha Parker
Natasha Parker didn't get nearly enough screen time on Peter Weber's season but has become popular in Bachelor Nation after taking over for Hannah Ann Sluss as a host of the podcast, Click-bait.
The event planner from New York has a voice that deserves to be heard, and a strong presence that would capture viewers as The Bachelorette. The Bachelor franchise desperately needs to diversify its casting, starting with its leads, and Natasha would be a fantastic addition to start with.
Kit Keenan
Kit Keenan appeared on Matt James' season of The Bachelor at only 21-year-sold, but given a few year's time, she could make her own fascinating season as The Bachelorette.
Growing up as the daughter of fashion mogul Cynthia Rowley, Kit's upbringing differs from most, but the humble blonde we met on Season 25 proved to be grounded, calm, and looking for love. She would have a no-nonsense attitude when it came to finding Mr. Right, and her hometowns would definitely feature an appearance from fashion royalty.
Abigail Heringer
Abigail Heringer quickly captured the hearts of Bachelor Nation when she revealed to Matt James that she is deaf and her source of hearing comes from a cochlear implant. Abigail's adorable personality won her the first impression rose on night one.
As the season went on, Abigail's screen time diminished, but she remained number one in fans' hearts as they rooted for her on social media, even campaigning for the Oregon native to have her own Bachelorette season.
Serena Pitt
Publicist Serena Pitt withdrew from the competition in fourth place after realizing she didn't feel the same way for lead Matt James that he did for her.
The 23-year-old from Ontario was a ray of light amid a messy season of The Bachelor, and fans couldn't help but resonate with her inability to see a future with Matt, who seemed to only have eyes for final rose recipient Rachael Kirkonnell. Following her exit, viewers missed Serena's presence and hoped she would get a chance at love as the Bachelorette one day.
Bri Springs
Bri Springs received the first one-on-one date with Bachelor Matt James, but like others from her season, was given limited screen time despite being a hometown finalist.
When hometowns did arrive, fans fell in love with Bri and her relationship with her mother, who vowed to protect and care for her if she got her heartbroken. Bri's elimination during the final three was incredibly sad, but her compelling story and optimism toward love made viewers certain that she would find it someday -- hopefully on her very own season.