TV & Movies

Kaitlyn Bristowe Has Mixed Feelings About Not Being Asked To Host The Bachelorette Again

“I want to support Gabby and Rachel and be there for them so bad.”

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 12: Kaitlyn Bristowe is seen on November 12, 2020 in Los Angeles, Califor...
fupp/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images

Kaitlyn Bristowe isn’t sure how she feels about not hosting Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia’s joint season of The Bachelorette. In a recent episode of the Dancing With the Stars alum’s “Off The Vine” podcast, she said that she’s happy that Jesse Palmer will be returning as host after Clayton Echard’s tumultuous season of The Bachelor, but “sad” that she won’t be there to support the women on their journey.

“I think Jesse’s amazing,” Bristowe said. “He’ll be a great host and I hope he helps Gabby and Rachel in any way that he can.” However, she does see the value in having women host the show to help the Bachelorettes navigate all of the ups and downs. “I want to support Gabby and Rachel and be there for them so bad,” she added. “I think it makes sense to have a woman being there for them.”

Bristowe previously co-hosted Katie Thurston and Michelle Young’s seasons of The Bachelorette with Tayshia Adams, and even though she wants to be there for Gabby and Rachel, she’s had a “wild year.” “I’m coming off filming two Bachelorette seasons, my live podcast tour and now ending the Dancing With the Stars tour,” she explained. She’s also engaged to franchise alum Jason Tartick.

“I also do want to prioritize being at home with Jason... and start planning my wedding and catch up on my businesses,” she said. In addition to wedding planning and keeping up with her podcast, Bristowe owns two businesses. In 2019, she co-founded a hair accessory company called Dew Edit. The following year, she launched a wine label called Spade and Sparrows.

With so many things going on in her life, Bristowe is choosing to believe that not being asked to host the next season of The Bachelorette is a “#BlessingInDisguise.” “There’s a lot of exciting things coming up in the next few months, and it all just feels very overwhelming,” she said. “But I guess it’s that saying like, you can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once. I will be sad, though. I want to be there to support them, but that’s the update.”

ABC/Craig Sjodin

Although Kaitlyn and Tayshia won’t be joining Gabby and Rachel on their journey, a source told Us Weekly that both women were involved in discussions about who would host the show when it returns this summer. “The doors aren’t closed for good,” the insider said, teasing that the women may return to the franchise in the future. “Never say never.”