Gabby Windey: 5 Things to Know About the ‘Bachelorette’ Season 19 Lead Who Dated Dean Unglert and Blake Horstmann

Credit: Shutterstock; Courtesy of Gabriela Windey/Instagram; Shutterstock

Gabby Windey: 5 Things to Know About the ‘Bachelorette’ Season 19 Lead Who Dated Dean Unglert and Blake Horstmann

There’s nothing better than a Bachelor contestant with Bachelor Nation ties! Gabby Windey dated two members of Bachelor Nation before  her journey on Clayton Echard’s season of The Bachelor led her to become one of the newest Bachelorette leads. Blake Horstmann revealed in October that he dated the 30-year-old Colorado nurse in the past — after she dated Dean Unglert. “We like the same girls, man. I didn’t know Dean until obviously, like, 2018, but Gabby was a good friend of one of my very good friends from college, they were roommates,” the Bachelorette season 14 runner-up said on his “Behind the Rose” podcast at the time. “I met Gabby long before I was on The Bachelorette, like, I want to say maybe 2015 or 2016. We hung out for a little bit, so I know her very well. And Dean, I don’t know how it came up, but one time, me and Dean were sitting there — I think we were in Buffalo, and he mentioned Gabby — and I was like, ‘How do you know Gabby?’ And he was like, ‘Dude, she was, like, my girl in college, you know, we were in love and blah blah.’” Blake, who hooked up with Dean’s girlfriend, Caelynn Miller-Keyes, before they all appeared on Bachelor in Paradise season 6 in 2019, noted at the time that he dated Gabby “for a couple months.” [jwplayer Gi5LFV7l-zhNYySv2] “She’s fun. She has a very outgoing personality, very loud, like, when she walks into a room, you know she’s in a room,” he added. “You never know if the lead is going to be into something like that. You never know if they like the more shy, quiet type or they like the loud, outgoing type, but she’s definitely very loud, very outgoing, she has a lot of friends. So if Clayton’s into that, I see her getting hometowns, for sure. She’s a beautiful woman. … They’re gonna have the football player, cheerleader story line.” Dean, for his part, didn’t name names when discussing his ex on his “Help! I Suck at Dating!” podcast in October. “She was, like, one of the main exes. She was my girlfriend from college,” he said. “Producers called me and were like, ‘Hey, we’re thinking of casting this person — what do you think of her? We know that you dated 10 years ago.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, she’s great. If she gets selected for the show, she’ll either win the show or she’ll be the next Bachelorette.’ And I firmly believe that.” Gabby later set the record straight about her past dating history with Bachelor Nation. On an episode of the "Talking It Out With Bachelor Nation” podcast, Gabby claimed her previous romance with The Bachelorette season 14 runner-up wasn’t as serious as he may have indicated. “We never actually went on a date. There was no drinks paid for. No dinner paid for. [Blake’s] saying we dated," Gabby told cohosts Mike Johnson and Bryan Abasolo in January 2022. "He’s definitely friends of friends. You know, we had spent time together and stuff but definitely no, like, official dating, like, no really kind of formal, no exclusivity and again, it was a really long time ago.” Her past romances, didn't keep her from building a strong relationship with Clayton. During the February 28 episode, Gabby earned her spot in the final three alongside Susie Evans and Rachel Recchia. However, Gabby and Rachel were both sent home so Clayton could reconnect with Susie Evans amid her departure. In March 2022, host Jesse Palmer revealed during After the Final Rose that Gabby and Rachel were named co-leads of season 19 of The Bachelorette. This is the first time in the franchise’s history that two leads will appear side by side for the entirety of a season. “I am so happy for her. I truly am!” Rachel said during the After the Final Rose special. “It’s crazy. This is insane and I’m excited to do this journey with you. We did it once together. We’ve been through the most crazy experience together.” Gabby chimed in: “I’m a girl’s girl through and through, so having a friend by my side is the best thing I could ask for.” The Bachelorette airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. [podcast_block]

Credit: Courtesy of Gabriela Windey/Instagram

1. She’s a Nurse

Gabby is an ICU nurse at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and worked through the coronavirus pandemic.

Credit: Courtesy of Gabriela Windey/Instagram

2. She’s a Cheerleader Who Has Made History

The Denver Broncos cheerleader, who has been on the squad since 2016, made history in 2021 as the first woman to receive the Pop Warner Humanitarian Award, which is usually given to football players.

"Windey is the first female and NFL cheerleader in the history of the award, which has traditionally been awarded to NFL players," Pop Warner Little Scholars said in a press release, noting Chiefs lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif also received the honor. "Both Windey and Duvarney-Tardif's selflessness and commitment to helping others are an embodiment of sacrifice and teamwork, making them model representatives for young student-athletes across the nation.”

Credit: Courtesy of Gabriela Windey/Instagram

3. What She’s Looking for in a Partner

“Gabby is looking for a man with quiet confidence. She doesn't have a physical type but says that if he doesn't have a personality, then it's a hard pass,” her ABC bio reads. “Her ideal man will challenge her, communicate his feelings and work hard to equally carry the weight of the relationship.”

The description concludes: “Whatever man captures Gabby's heart must also have room in their life for her four-legged friend because she and her Goldendoodle Leonardo are a package deal.”

Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock

4. When She Dated Dean

During an October episode of his “Help! I Suck at Dating” podcast, Dean described Gabby as the “second love of my life, if you will.” The twosome dated for more than a year when they were in college at the age of 19.

Credit: Paul A Hebert/Shutterstock

5. When She Dated Blake

“I was hanging with Gabby when she was about 23. It was a very long time ago, so Gabby could have changed a ton. She could be a different person,” Blake said on his “Behind the Rose” podcast in December. “But from what I remember, she was obviously beautiful, and a lot of fun to be around. She’s the life of the party. She’s very outgoing, easy to get along with. I'm excited to watch her. I don't know if she'll win, but she doesn’t, I wouldn’t be shocked if she’s Bachelorette.”

Blake added that he thinks Gabby will make it to “hometowns for sure,” explaining, “She's an ICU nurse. I mean, the story writes itself — during COVID, like, the script writes [itself]. She's a cheerleader who f—king saves lives. … She seems ready to settle down. … I've known her for a very long time. So shout-out to Gabby, hopefully she’s got a good edit.”