In the midst of the off-screen drama surrounding the franchise, “The Bachelorette” returns on Monday night with a new season – one that will look different than ever.
In addition to a new lead role in Katie Thurston, Chris Harrison, who has hosted the hit dating show since day one, will not be on the series for the first time. After making racially insensitive comments during an interview, Harrison stayed on the sidelines for the new season. Instead, former “Bachelorette” stars Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams step in as temporary co-hosts to help Thurston on her journey to love.
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Thurston was first introduced to viewers on Matt James’ season of “The Bachelor” when she stepped out of the limo, vibrator in hand. She became a fan favorite for her sex positivity and supporting other women by knocking down “mean girl” nonsense from other women in the house.
James ended up with contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, who came under fire for previous photos of her at a plantation-themed party. When Harrison defended her, the controversy exploded in a media storm. (James and Kirkconnell are back together, despite a brief breakup that played out on television as she discussed the complexities surrounding the race.) Unlike other “Bachelorette” main characters, Thurston was not a runner-up in the contest for James’ Heart; she left that show a little over halfway through the season.
Now she’s the one who hands out roses. Here Thurston gives a preview of her season.
When were you asked to be a Bachelorette and were you surprised when asked?
The story goes on
It’s definitely a conversation that goes on all the time, and I was definitely surprised. There are a lot of great women who were in my season, so not only considered, but officially announced with Michelle [Young, who is another upcoming Bachelorette] was so excited and something I am forever grateful for.
Do you think this process works for finding love on reality TV after going through this?
Absolutely. I’ve seen it work, especially on the seasons of “The Bachelorette”. I think women are really good at leading with their intuition and you will see that the Bachelorettes have a better success rate when their relationships are working and that’s all I can hope for.
When we first met you on Matt’s season, you got out of the limo with a vibrator. I suppose that was your idea?
You need to make a great first impression right from the start. Time is so short. I just thought it would be a great way to sum up who I am – I’m fine, I think I have a good sense of humor, sex positivity is something to me. I talk about sex very casually. I knew there was a risk of backfiring, but if it did, Matt wasn’t me, which it was anyway. You supported it. It was great. It has definitely had an impact, and frankly, it sparked a lot of conversations that I think need to happen, especially in 2021.
Were you surprised by the positive feedback on your sex positivity?
It was interesting because I didn’t realize in a big way how important this conversation was. It has always been like this for me, and it was exciting to make it a starting point for people. And now I’m just encouraging it even more for women, especially.
Was it helpful to have Kaitlyn and Tayshia as hosts since they are on this trip?
The hard part was that after the announcement, I didn’t even have my phone so I couldn’t get advice from anyone. So having Tayshia and Kaitlyn was so helpful because otherwise I’m just studying while I’m walking. They became like sisters throughout the whole thing. At my lowest and highest heights, they partied with me, wiped my tears, hugged me and really gave me advice that helped me get through to the end because it’s not an easy journey when you’re trying to fall in love and you have these great men in front of you.
Was it strange not having Chris Harrison with you?
It’s hard for me to really answer that because I haven’t seen him too often as a cast member on Matt’s season. I’ve never been a trace [so] I don’t know his role [would be] would he have been here. I just know what I went through with Tayshia and Kaitlyn, which was great – it was women supporting women – so I don’t know how big the difference, say, would have been for someone like Matt.
In the midst of the chaos surrounding Chris Harrison and Rachel Kirkconnell, you and the other female contestants from Matt’s squadron have come together to stand up against racism. What was that process like when you all came together?
Despite our differences and the drama in the house, at the end of the day we understand that when you are with the same man, emotions are high. So after we were all home and in touch, we wanted to get together to talk about important issues. That’s a better picture than any drama that happened one night. That’s the mentality we’ve all had. We’ve stayed close and connected, and I think that’s the most important thing.
Did you keep in touch with Rachael or Matt?
Not mate! [Laughs] But Rachael, definitely, yes.
Are you surprised that they are together again?
Your goal at the end of the day was to fall in love, right? So I support them to get back together and deal with their problems. I’m happy for you.
What do you think of the fact that there are two seasons of “The Bachelorette” this year?
I love it. I think Michelle deserved it. I think our two seasons will be very different, which is fun – you don’t want to see the same thing over and over again. They want to learn about these different women, and as much as I love them, we are very different people so I think they will be very fun to watch.
What would you advise Michelle to do?
It was also something I had to learn, and that was [to] Trust the process, let go of control and remember what the focus is, who is your everything. It was hard for me because there was more than one guy I saw something with.
“The Bachelorette” is broadcast on Monday at 8pm on ABC.
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