5 Things About 'The Bachelorette' Emily Maynard

The premiere of Season 8 of "The Bachelorette" airs this Monday. Expect drama! Heartbreak! Tears! Or not. Here, a look at the show's star, Emily Maynard.

You’ve seen her before
The blond beauty has already done this rodeo. Maynard captured Brad Womack’s attention, and she received his final rose in Season 15 of “The Bachelor.” But the romance didn’t last, and the two split up last June.

Third time’s the charm?
The Southern belle has been tragically unlucky at love. Viewers of “The Bachelor” may remember that Maynard revealed that she had been engaged to her high school sweetheart, NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick, who died in a plane crash. Days after his death, she learned she was pregnant with his child.

The show’s first single mom
Host Chris Harrison said that this time around, with the bachelorette a single mother looking for love, the show has a different vibe. "Her being a single mom definitely changed the tone,” he said, adding, “Throughout the show, there was always just that underlying issue of, she's a mom, and is the guy ready?”

[Photos: Meet the 25 Men Vying for Emily's Heart]

Why she’s doing it
In July, shortly after her breakup, Maynard tweeted that she would not go on “The Bachelorette” but has clearly changed her mind. She reached her decision after making "a list of pros and cons," adding, "I also prayed about it, and every reason I didn't want to do it was from being afraid of what other people would say or think. I don't ever want to live like that. I don't want anybody to have to live their life like that... missing out on great opportunities just because they're fearful of what might happen."

Don’t expect the same old show
The 26-year-old asked that part of the show be filmed in her North Carolina hometown so she could be with her 6-year-old daughter, Ricki. Away from the Los Angeles bachelor pad, there isn’t the "frat-house humor" and “superficial drama,” says host Harrison, adding that viewers should expect a season "that's drastically different than anything we've ever done."

Get a sneak peek at the new season of "The Bachelorette" right here:

"The Bachelorette" premieres Monday, 5/14 at 9:30 PM on ABC.