The Bachelor 2023 premieres next week, but Bachelor Nation has already met several of Zach’s contestants. During the After the Final Rose special of The Bachelorette, host Jesse Palmer announced that Zach Shallcross would be the lead for next season. Zach also got to meet five of the women who would be contestants in his season early. Viewers then voted on who would receive Zach’s first impression rose.
Zach Shallcross met five contestants during the ‘After the Final Rose’ special
Zach Shallcross became a fan favorite of Bachelor Nation when he appeared as a contestant on The Bachelorette. He pursued Rachel Recchia but bid her a heartbreaking farewell after things felt off during Fantasy Suites.
During the After the Final Rose special for The Bachelorette, host Jesse Palmer announced Zach Shallcross as the Bachelor for 2023. In a franchise first, five of the women introduced themselves to Zach early, and viewers voted on who they wanted to receive their first impression rose.
Who won America’s first impression rose for ‘The Bachelor’ 2023?
The five women who Zach met at the After the Final Rose special are Brooklyn Willie, Brianna Thorbourne, Christina Mandrell, Bailey Brown, and Catherine “Cat” Wong. These women will join Zach’s other 25 contestants at the Bachelor Mansion to vie for his heart when the series begins.
The women pulled out all the stops to impress Zach during their brief introduction. Christina, a single mom from Nashville, brought mini shooters for her and Zach to take together. Brianna, an entrepreneur from New Jersey, took a photo of herself and Zach with a polaroid camera.
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In the end, America voted to give Brianna the first impression rose, which means she is safe for night one when the show premieres. Zach told Entertainment Tonight that Brianna was “absolutely” the right pick for the rose.
“I thought coming up with a polaroid camera, taking a selfie on stage and putting it in my pocket, I was like, ‘wow, that was very smooth,’” the Bachelor continued. “I have it forever and gotta bring it on night one.”
Zach resolves to do better at remembering the women’s names
Zach has a big night ahead of him when The Bachelor 2023 premieres. Thirty women are vying for his heart, and night one famously takes quite a long time to shoot. In fact, the first rose ceremony often lasts until the sun comes up the next morning. The Bachelor also has a lot of names to remember and a lot of people to try to talk to.
During the After the Final Rose special, Zach struggled to remember the names of the contestants he met, but he has resolved to change that in the future. “I’ll make sure to remember as many names as possible,” Zach told ET. “I didn’t have a hot start at the announcement, but I will do a lot better, I promise!”
The Bachelor Season 27 premieres on Jan. 23, 2023, on ABC.
