This Bachelorette Star Will Officially Lead Season 27 of The Bachelor

This Bachelorette finalist is officially the star of The Bachelor season 27, Jesse Palmer announced on Sept. 20's After the Final Rose special. Find out all the details here!

By Charlotte Walsh Sep 21, 2022 2:50 AMTags
Watch: Bachelorette Live Two-Part Finale Exclusive Preview

Zach Shallcross will soon be the one handing out the roses. 

The Bachelorette frontrunner will be the season 27 lead of The Bachelor, host Jesse Palmer announced on the Sept. 20 After the Final Rose special. After announcing the news, Jesse brought the tech executive on-stage, where Zach said, "I'm just taking this in right now. This is pretty incredible."

"Obviously everybody saw the heartbreak in Mexico," Zach said of his breakup with Bachelorette Rachel Recchia during part one of the finale. "I really needed to take some time away to reflect and heal that broken heart. But what I learned from that experience is that it didn't change how ready I am."

When Jesse asked Zach how he had been preparing for his new role, he said he had been spending plenty of time with his family, adding, "I also went to the gym a lot."

During the season, Zach caught Rachel's eye early, earning her first one-on-one. During the date, the two watched home videos of one another and compared childhood memories, bonding over the fact that they both used to visit airports when they were kids. They became exceedingly close during his successful Anaheim, Calif. hometown date, where Zach was supported by his uncle, Family Guy actor Patrick Warburton.

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Zach and Rachel's relationship progressed through fantasy suite dates, when Zach quit after telling Rachel that he didn't recognize the person he saw during their time without cameras. 

"I felt like I was seeing Bachelorette Rachel," he said at the time. "Not the real Rachel."

ABC/Ricky Middlesworth

After their devastating breakup, Rachel ultimately gave her final rose to contractor Tino Franco, though the couple eventually split. It's not all bad news for Rachel, however, as she got surprised by fan favorite Aven Jones during the Sept. 20 finale.

Though we'll have to wait until 2023 to watch Zach find the one, we'll see some of his fellow Bachelorette constants fall in love themselves when season eight of Bachelor in Paradise premieres Sept. 27 on ABC

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