Celebrity Fan Web – ABC’s long-running reality dating series ‘The Bachelorette’ will not return for Season 22 in Summer 2025, marking a significant scheduling change. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed the news, though ABC has not provided an official reason for the pause or announced when the show will return.
Traditionally, ‘The Bachelorette’ has premiered in July for the past three seasons. The most recent season, led by Jenn Tran, concluded in September 2024 with an unexpected twist. Tran faced a difficult decision between finalists Marcus Shoberg and Devin Strader. Ultimately, she chose Strader, but during the live finale, the show revealed that he had broken off their engagement over a phone call.
The decision to skip the Summer 2025 season comes after the conclusion of Grant Ellis’ current season of ‘The Bachelor’. While ABC has not shared its plans for the franchise’s future, fans question whether ‘The Bachelorette’ will return for Season 22 in 2026 or undergo a format change.
With the show’s absence from the summer lineup, speculation grows over ABC’s long-term strategy for the ‘Bachelor’ franchise. Whether due to ratings shifts, production changes, or a franchise refresh, the network’s decision signals a major shift in its reality programming.
‘The Bachelor’ Star Grant Ellis Reflects on His Journey
Grant Ellis, the current star of ‘The Bachelor,’ remains tight-lipped about whether he found love on the show. However, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in January, he shared that he was happy with how his season ended.
Ellis also praised the casting team behind the Warner Bros. Unscripted Television-produced reality series, calling his group of contestants the best he could have asked for. “They were honestly amazing; I got nervous at times because they were so great,” he admitted.
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Uncertainty Surrounds ‘The Bachelorette’ Selection Process
Traditionally, an eliminated contestant from ‘The Bachelor’ is chosen to lead the next season of ‘The Bachelorette’. However, the franchise has made several format changes in recent years.
In Season 19, for example, Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia were both named leads, making it the first season with two Bachelorettes. The show has also aired two cycles in a single year on occasion.
With ABC choosing to pause ‘The Bachelorette’ for Summer 2025, it remains unclear whether the casting process will follow tradition or if the network is planning another major shift. As fans wait for news on the franchise’s future, speculation continues over when ‘The Bachelorette’ will return and who will be its next lead.
‘The Bachelorette’ Has Paused Before—Will It Return Stronger Like in 2008?
‘The Bachelorette’ first premiered in 2003 with Trista Rehn as the lead, following her runner-up finish on Alex Michel’s season of ‘The Bachelor’—the debut season of the ABC reality dating franchise.
This is not the first time ABC has put the show on hold. The network paused production in 2006 and 2007, before reviving it with Season 4 in 2008. That successful comeback suggests that ‘The Bachelorette’ could return in a refreshed format after its 2025 hiatus.
Expanding the ‘Bachelor’ Franchise
Despite pausing ‘The Bachelorette’, ABC remains committed to its broader ‘Bachelor’ franchise. ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ will return this summer, after last airing in 2023 with Season 10. Additionally, ABC has introduced new spinoffs, ‘The Golden Bachelor’ and ‘The Golden Bachelorette,’ expanding the franchise’s audience.
With multiple dating shows still in production, fans wonder how ‘The Bachelorette’ will evolve and when it will make its long-awaited return.