Steady, are you ready? Because Michelle Young’s The Bachelorette 2021 is currently filming, and has already set an October premiere date. And ABC has already teased the potential cast members for season 18.
Michelle is the second Bachelorette this year, following Katie Thurston. Katie’s season recently ended and the finale revealed she got engaged to Blake Moynes. Both women were on Matt James’ season of The Bachelor, with Michelle finishing as the runner-up.
Now, she’ll get her own chance to find love as The Bachelorette. “I am ready. I really do think this process works,” she said during the casting announcement. “When you get to set down all the outside distractions and really dive in, I think you can learn a lot about somebody. I’m just excited. I’m ready to get started.”
Helping along her journey are returning hosts and former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe.
Here’s everything you need to know about Michelle Young’s The Bachelorette 2021 season.
Who is Michelle Young, The Bachelorette 2021?
Michelle Young is a 28-year-old former Division I basketball player from Edina, Minnesota who currently is an elementary school teacher.
She joined the cast of The Bachelor season 25 to vie for the heart of Matt James. Michelle finished as the runner-up. Here’s a photo of her on location filming the new season, shared on Twitter by producer Mike Fleiss:
In the “After the Final Rose” special, Michelle and Katie Thurston were named the next two Bachelorettes, with Katie going first. The reason was so that Michelle could film during the summer, when she had time off from teaching.
Michelle has described herself as loyal, compassionate and supportive, and someone who shows love through acts of service. Her dream man is “confident but not cocky” and looks at her as an equal. Her ABC bio notes that Michelle enjoys spending time with friends, hiking and wine tasting. She is looking for the superman to her superwoman.
Michelle Young’s The Bachelorette 2021 premiere date
The Bachelorette season 18 has set a premiere date of Tuesday, October 19 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
New episodes will air weekly on Tuesday nights.
That’s a departure from the Bachelor franchise’s usual spot on Mondays. During the fall season, ABC always airs Dancing With the Stars on Monday nights. Last year, The Bachelorette season 16 was delayed from its usual summer schedule due to the pandemic. It was moved to the fall and also aired on Tuesdays.
Michelle Young’s The Bachelorette 2021 teaser trailer
During Katie Thurston’s Bachelorette finale, fans got a promo with the briefest glimpse of Michelle Young’s upcoming season. Little Mix’s “Bounce Back” plays in the background as Michelle enters a hallway filled with roses. Wearing an one-shoulder white gown, she glides along, caressing roses.
Michelle Young’s The Bachelorette 2021 cast
In July, ABC released the names, ages and photos of 35 men who are potential Bachelorette season 18 contestants. The final cast list will be revealed closer to the season’s premiere date.
Their average age is about 29 and quite a few are athletes — which could mean they’re good matches for Michelle, a former basketball player herself. One, Joe, even attend the University of Minnesota and fans are speculating that he and Michelle already know each other.
Here’s the full list of Michelle’s 35 potential suitors:
- Alec, 29, Forest, Virginia.
- Brandon J., 26, Portland, Oregon.
- Brandon K., 29, Sulphur, Louisiana.
- Brett, 29, Houston.
- Bryan, 30, Houlton, Wisconsin.
- Casey, 36, Parkland, Florida.
- Christopher G., 27, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
- Chris S., 28, New Orleans.
- Clayton, 28, Eureka, Missouri.
- Daniel, 26, Austin, Texas.
- Edward, 27, Brownsville, Texas.
- Eric, 25, Bridgewater, New Jersey.
- Garrett, 33, Salt Lake City.
- Jack, 30, Greensboro, North Carolina.
- Jamie, 32, Tacoma, Washington.
- Joe, 28, Minneapolis.
- Joel, 31, Prescott, Arizona.
- Jomarri, 26, Portland, Oregon.
- Leroy, 27, Durham, North Carolina.
- LT, 38, Bellevue, Washington.
- Martin, 28, Cordoba, Argentina.
- Michael, 30, Omaha, Nebraska.
- Mollique, 36, Jameshill, Jamaica.
- Nayte, 27, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
- Olumide, 28, Woodland Park, New Jersey.
- Pardeep, 30, Brooklyn, New York.
- Peter, 26, Bellmore, New York.
- PJ, 30, Austin, Texas.
- Rich, 32, Munroe Falls, Ohio.
- Rodney, 29, Rancho Cucamonga, California.
- Romeo, 32, New York.
- Ryan, 30, Sanger, California.
- Spencer, 25, Cleveland, Ohio.
- Trevor, 26, Rocklin, California.
- Will, 29, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Check out their photos and get more details from Bachelor spoiler king Reality Steve:
Michelle Young’s The Bachelorette 2021 filming location
The Bachelorette season 18 is filming first at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, California.
The last three seasons of the Bachelor franchise have filmed in one location, to maintain a bubble during the coronavirus pandemic.
However, Reality Steve has reported that Michelle’s season will move from the resort to the Semple Mansion in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Reality Steve also said that Hometown Dates will actually occur in final four contestants’ hometowns. That could change, of course, depending on the status of the pandemic.
Michelle Young’s The Bachelorette 2021 spoilers
So far, Reality Steve doesn’t have much in the way of spoilers since Michelle’s season just started filming. We expect the spoiler guru to soon reveal the recipient of Michelle’s first impression rose, just like he did with Katie’s season when he had the word that she gave it to Greg Grippo.
Later, Steve will likely have the usual spoilers about eliminations, drama, villains and eventually, if Michelle gets engaged and to whom. We’re staying tuned for all the latest scoop.