The Bachelorette is stepping into what fans are calling its Taylor Frankie Paul era. During the November 12 finale of The Golden Bachelor Season 2, fans got their first peek at Taylor’s upcoming season of The Bachelorette Season 22.
In the short preview, host Jesse Palmer was seen talking to Taylor, a 31-year-old single mom of three, after a group date with her contestants. Jesse joked that some of the men were still recovering from the date because Taylor didn’t hold back. He said they “got lashed” by her and might still be “licking their wounds.”
Jesse then told Taylor she was already doing things no other Bachelorette had done before. He said this season had moments unlike anything the show had ever seen. When he asked if she believed her future husband could be one of the men there, Taylor confidently said yes. She’s clearly focused on finding love and not letting anything get in her way.
ABC has been moving quickly since announcing that The Bachelorette would return before the next season of The Bachelor. Taylor, known from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, is taking the lead this time. At the end of October 2025, the network confirmed its midseason schedule and locked in the premiere date for the new season, and it comes with a few surprises.
There’s already a lot of buzz around what’s next for The Bachelorette, and fans are eager to see how Taylor’s story unfolds. More details are expected soon, so it’s safe to say Bachelor Nation will be watching closely.
When does The Bachelorette Season 22 premiere?
Season 22 of The Bachelorette will premiere on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at 8/7c. Fans were expecting it to return in late January like usual, airing on Monday nights after The Bachelor. But ABC confirmed on October 28 that the show would move to a new schedule.
Earlier in the year, The Bachelor Season 29 wrapped up in March, followed by Bachelor in Paradise, which ended in early September. Then The Golden Bachelor finished on November 12. That means fans will go through about four months without any Bachelor Nation shows before The Bachelorette finally returns in March.
Who is The Bachelorette Season 22?
The new lead for The Bachelorette Season 22 is Taylor Frankie Paul. This is a big change for the show, as she’s the first Bachelorette who hasn’t been part of any previous Bachelor franchise season.
Taylor became well-known from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. She has two children with her ex-husband, Tate Paul, and another with her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.
Before the show took a break in 2025, former Bachelorette Rachel Recchia mentioned that ABC was considering someone outside Grant Ellis’ Bachelor cast for the next lead. On the Almost Famous podcast in February, Rachel said she’d already heard the choice had been made and that it made sense to her who they picked, though she stressed it was still just a rumor at the time. She mentioned hearing about it “two months ago,” which would have been even before Ellis’ season began airing.
Why was The Bachelorette on pause?
Many Bachelor Nation fans started to worry when The Bachelorette didn’t return with a new season in 2025. Some even thought the show might be canceled. But a report from Deadline quickly cleared things up, saying the show would most likely return to ABC in the future.
Host Jesse Palmer also reassured fans that the series wasn’t going anywhere. During an interview on the Playing the Field podcast, he said, “I know it’s definitely coming back.” He didn’t share many details about why the show took a break but promised that when it returns, it will be “absolutely tremendous.”
Jesse explained that taking a pause isn’t something entirely new for The Bachelorette. The first three seasons actually aired in the winter, and Seasons 16 and 18 aired in the fall during the pandemic years. Season 16 was delayed because of lockdowns, and in 2021, the show had two seasons — one in summer and one in fall.
Now, after the short break, The Bachelorette is officially back. Season 22 premieres on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at 8/7c on ABC.