Katie Thurston Debuts as ‘The Bachelorette’ in First Season Promo

Ellise Shafer
·2 min read
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Katie Thurston has made her debut as “The Bachelorette” in the first promo for her season, which premieres June 7.

The promo begins with a clip of Thurston’s elimination from Matt James’ season of “The Bachelor,” during which Thurston says: “I don’t regret being myself. I know what I deserve.”

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Thurston then appears wearing a lavender dress and, of course, holding the show’s signature rose. Another flashback from James’ season then appears, showing Thurston standing up against the “mean girls” in the house. “I’m not going to sit here and let mean girls be mean girls,” Thurston says.

Though Thurston was eliminated from “The Bachelor” fairly early, she became a fan-favorite for her sex-positive mindset — Thurston showed up on night one with a vibrator — and was an advocate for supporting other women during the drama-filled season.

In a historic move for the franchise, there will be two Bachelorettes this year — Thurston and Michelle Young, who was the runner-up on James’ season. Young’s season is set to air in fall 2021.

Thurston’s journey for love comes after a racist scandal hit Bachelor Nation during James’ season, with his eventual winner, Rachael Kirkconnell, coming under fire for resurfaced photos of her at an antebellum-themed party. Longtime franchise host Chris Harrison then defended her behavior in an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, which resulted in Harrison taking a leave of absence from the show.

In place of Harrison, former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will host Thurston’s season of “The Bachelorette.”

Thurston’s promo is set to make its television debut during the Oscars tonight, but it is available to view on YouTube (watch below). “The Bachelorette” premieres on June 7 at 8 p.m./ 7 p.m. CT on ABC.

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