It’s here — the Jimmy Kimmel Live! announcement that Nick Viall contestant Rachel Lindsay is the new Bachelorette! No, she hasn’t been officially eliminated on The Bachelor yet, and yes, this is a strangely early time to announce this. But it happened and now the real business starts — what does the rest of Bachelor Nation think about Rachel? Former Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher is happy to pass Rachel the reality TV torch.
JoJo was the Bachelorette for the 12th season of the show, aka the most recent one. She chose former NFL player Jordan Rodgers as her beau, and though these two are planning their wedding now, JoJo had time to talk to E! News about the Bachelorette that will follow in her footsteps. “I thought there was no other choice but Rachel, and she’s a Dallas girl, so we’re going to keep that trend rolling,” JoJo told E! News. “I just love that she’s a good age. She’s very smart. She handles herself well. She’s super confident and it’s nice that they are mixing it up, so props to them.” By “mixing it up,” it's possible JoJo is referring to the fact that Rachel is the first black Bachelorette in the show’s history.
Whatever the case, it’s nice to know that JoJo will be there to support and give the new Bachelorette advice.
Rachel can definitely look to JoJo for guidance over this whole journey — I can’t imagine that there’s a handbook for being on The Bachelorette. Perhaps Rachel’s season of The Bachelorette will involve advice from other Bachelorettes like JoJo, Ali Fedotowsky, and Kaitlyn Bristowe, like it has in season’s past. Rachel is a smart lady, but she is definitely going to need all the help she can get navigating these unchartered waters. So, I'm glad she has JoJo on her side.
