The Bachelor : Zach Shallcross Named the New Leading Man for Season 27

ABC Zach Shallcross

There's a new Bachelor in town!

During Tuesday night's finale of The Bachelorette, host Jesse Palmer announced that Zach Shallcross will be the new star of The Bachelor for season 27.

"There's no words, I'm just taking this in right now. I'm obviously really nervous right now but this is once in a lifetime," Zach said after the announcement.

Zach said he wants to "find my best friend, fall in love with my best friend and really walk away with someone for the rest of my life."

When asked what Zach has been doing to prepare, the new lead said he'd been taking "time to center myself and figure out what I want and who I am and go out there and find my person. And I also went to the gym a lot."

RELATED: The Bachelorette's Rachel Recchia Thinks She Found 'My Happy Ending' After Last Hometown Date

Zach offered some advice to his suitors based on his experience: "Let yourself be true, be open — be open to finding love, then it can really happen. I saw it firsthand."

As fans know, the 26-year-old tech executive from Anaheim Hills, California, last competed for Rachel Recchia's heart on season 19 of The Bachelorette. Though Zach made it to the final three, he and Rachel ultimately broke up after experiencing a shift in their dynamic on their Fantasy Suite date, due in part to what Zach believed was Rachel being "very unauthentic."

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"I really needed to take some time away and reflect and heal that broken heart," Zach told Jesse. "But really what I learned from that experience was that I didn't change how ready I was. I'm now more ready. That's almost fuel to the fire."

Zach also got to meet five of his suitors. First up, 25-year-old Brooklyn, who told Zach she wanted him to be the reason she moved back to her native Texas where he resides.

Then came Brianna, 24, from Jersey City, New Jersey. She commemorated the meeting by taking a selfie with Zach and slipping him the Polaroid. "I literally almost fainted on the way in," she confessed.

Executive recruiter Bailey, 27, offered Zach a mantra to remember her name: "On the daily, I'm going to be thinking of Bailey." (This did not help when Jesse later asked Zach if he remembered any of his suitors' names.)

Professional dancer Cat, 26, from New York City met Zach next, and content creator Christina Mandrell, 26, closed out by having Zach take a shot of whiskey with her. "Tastes like home," the Tennessee native said.

For the first time ever, viewers at home got the chance to vote on their favorite woman to award America's First Impression Rose. Once Zach met all five ladies, Jesse announced that Brianna came out on top and Zach presented his first rose to her.

Zach appeared to be one of Rachel's front-runners up until their Fantasy Suite date in Mexico. At breakfast the next morning, viewers learned that the pair shared a "tough conversation" the night before, which left Zach feeling "a little confused."

"Fantasy Suite night with Rachel was not the night I expected. Initially in the Fantasy Suite, I was feeling so sure," Zach said, in part, during an on-camera interview. "Rachel brought up her fear that maybe I'm not ready for a commitment like marriage at this early of an age. And I'm like, 'Don't worry about that. I'm here for you.' But then she got really adamant."

Zach said that made him "second guess" their relationship. "It was like we were two strangers," he said. "I don't know when it hit me, but Rachel's concern came out of nowhere and I think it's bulls--- to be honest. And she was putting on a front. That scares me."

Zach later expressed his concerns to Jesse, noting that he found Rachel to be "very unauthentic" during their alone time, before addressing the matter with Rachel ahead of the rose ceremony.

It was there that the couple decided to end things, with Zach telling Rachel, "To be honest, I thought what I was seeing wasn't the real Rachel ... I did really love you, you know. I saw a future with you, but I need to go."

Rachel Recchia and Zach Shallcross

According to his biography from the most recent season of The Bachelorette, Zach considers himself a romantic at heart and feels ready to find his soulmate.

"Zach is an old-fashioned romantic. He loves his mama, his dogs and football but promises he has more love to go around! He's charismatic, personable and has a huge heart that he is so ready to share forever with the right woman," his bio reads. "Zach's perfect woman is compassionate, kind and ready for romance because Zach is excited to lay it on thick. He loves to plan thoughtful surprises, and nothing makes him happier than seeing the look of excitement on his partner's face when his meaningful gifts are appreciated. Zach is serious about finding a love that will lead to marriage, so whatever grand romantic gesture it takes for him to get there, he's ready to go!"

His fun facts included that he would love to be Spiderman for a day, he doesn't like breakfast because eggs don't agree with him, he loves beach volleyball and he's a master of the Top Gun high-five.

RELATED: Bachelorette Host Jesse Palmer Says the Rose Ceremonies Give Him Deja Vu: 'I Forgot Somebody's Name'

Speaking to PEOPLE exclusively about the announcement, Zach said he was thrilled to jump into the leading role.

"I think my stomach that dropped first and it didn't feel real. I was incredibly nervous," he shared. "Now I'm just more excited than anything. I just want to start already, but it was a lot of nerves and it not feeling real."

As for what he's looking for on round two? "First is how kind and compassionate they are. I think that's something that's pretty rare nowadays. I think everyone is really self-absorbed and growing up with an incredible mother ... She's a special needs teacher and she lives a very stressful life. She cares for everyone around her and she would take the shirt off her back and give it to anyone. And that's something I'm looking for, is someone that is kind and compassionate to everyone they come in contact with," he said.

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"And then the other thing is having someone that loves to do fun, adventurous stuff with me, whether it's traveling, doing fun, goofy stuff, trying cool foods, but also doing maybe the less exciting stuff like going grocery shopping together, or go to the DMV," he added with a laugh. "That stuff is really important. The highs and lows, who do you want to spend that time with?"