‘The Bachelorette’ Season 17: Everything We Know About Katie Thurston’s Journey

Credit: Bachelor Nation on ABC/YouTube

'The Bachelorette' Season 17: Everything We Know About Katie Thurston's Journey

A new kind of season! Katie Thurston is searching for The One on season 17 of The Bachelorette. Making her debut on Matt James' season of The Bachelor, the Washington native turned heads when she arrived at the Nemacolin Resort with a vibrator in hand. While she didn't find lasting love in Matt, she's eager to kick off the next journey. “Right now, I’m trying on so many dresses and outfits,” the bank marketing manager said on Good Morning America in March after it was announced that she will be the next Bachelorette. “This is a modern-day Cinderella [story] for me. ... I know nothing about the men yet. I don’t know what they look like. I don’t even know how many men there are here.” [jwplayer yoeVH1ZL] This season will look a bit different, as longtime host Chris Harrison chose to step aside following his controversial comments about contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, which he later apologized for. Instead, former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will step in. "The way that it's been presented on the set is that Tayshia and Kaitlyn are not replacing Chris. They aren't even referred to as hosts. It was made perfectly clear by the producers that they are not replacing him. They were brought in at the last moment," a source exclusively told Us Weekly in April. "Their role is more experienced girlfriends to Katie and experienced contestants to the guys. They act professional, they're on time and are helping the franchise as much as they can in this funky situation." Scroll through the gallery below for everything we know about season 17 of The Bachelorette: [podcast_block]

Credit: Bachelor Nation on ABC/YouTube

'The Bachelorette' Season 17: Everything We Know About Katie Thurston's Journey

A new kind of season! Katie Thurston is searching for The One on season 17 of The Bachelorette. Making her debut on Matt James' season of The Bachelor, the Washington native turned heads when she arrived at the Nemacolin Resort with a vibrator in hand. While she didn't find lasting love in Matt, she's eager to kick off the next journey. “Right now, I’m trying on so many dresses and outfits,” the bank marketing manager said on Good Morning America in March after it was announced that she will be the next Bachelorette. “This is a modern-day Cinderella [story] for me. ... I know nothing about the men yet. I don’t know what they look like. I don’t even know how many men there are here.” [jwplayer yoeVH1ZL] This season will look a bit different, as longtime host Chris Harrison chose to step aside following his controversial comments about contestant Rachael Kirkconnell, which he later apologized for. Instead, former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will step in. "The way that it's been presented on the set is that Tayshia and Kaitlyn are not replacing Chris. They aren't even referred to as hosts. It was made perfectly clear by the producers that they are not replacing him. They were brought in at the last moment," a source exclusively told Us Weekly in April. "Their role is more experienced girlfriends to Katie and experienced contestants to the guys. They act professional, they're on time and are helping the franchise as much as they can in this funky situation." Scroll through the gallery below for everything we know about season 17 of The Bachelorette: [podcast_block]

Credit: Bachelor Nation on ABC/YouTube

Premiere Date

The new season kicks off on ABC Monday, June 7, at 8 p.m. ET.

Credit: Russell Contreras/AP/Shutterstock

Filming Location

Katie will look for love at a resort in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Credit: ABC/The Bachelorette/Facebook

The Cast

The list of potential suitors released in March included Greg, 27, and Karl, 33 — two men who were originally set to compete on Clare Crawley’s season 16 but were cut after the show was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Other men include Clay Harbour's cousin Andrew S. and Ed Waisbrot's friend Joshua. In May, ABC confirmed the 30 men set to compete.

Credit: ABC

Why's Blake There?

Blake Moynes, who appeared on Clare's season, was spotted on set on April 1. Oddly enough, he remained on season 16 of The Bachelorette and continued vying for replacement — now cohost — Tayshia when the hairstylist left two weeks in.

While Katie wouldn’t confirm Blake joined her journey as a contestant, she told Us in June that they spoke pre-show. “I definitely knew who he was, which also Tayshia's ex-boyfriend! So that's weird,” she said at the time. “We had chatted before, but usually what happens is, like, the guys will reach out to the women once they're eliminated and be like, 'Good luck, you did great.' Like very generic, you know? And so to see him, I was like, 'Why is he here?"' Like, 'What's happening?’”

Credit: ABC

That's a Wrap

Us Weekly confirmed filming wrapped on April 26.

Credit: Courtesy of Katie Thurston/Instagram

Mum's the Word

In an Instagram post she shared shortly after filming wrapped one week early in April, Katie pointedly showed off her left hand, which did not have any rings on it — engagement or otherwise. "My family searching for a ring," she captioned the video, posted on April 29.

Credit: ABC/Andrew Eccles

The Ending

In addition to telling Us that she wanted her journey to end in an engagement, Katie teased that she’s “happy” with the results. “I’ve come to learn that everything happens for a reason,” she said in June. “And that being said, I am happy, yes.”

Credit: MEGA; Courtesy of Katie Thurston/Instagram

Drama Is Coming

Filming wrapped early, but apparently it wasn't because Katie breezed in and chose a husband right away. "I’m definitely not going to say much because I don’t wanna get in trouble, but I mean, maybe I can say it’s the most dramatic season yet," Kaitlyn said during the April 29 episode of her "Off the Vine" podcast. “I think it’s going to be really fun."

Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin

The Tagline

Katie shared a new poster for season 17 of The Bachelorette on May 3. “See what all the buzz is about,” the tagline reads, referring to Katie bringing a vibrator to Matt’s opening night.

After Tayshia celebrated the poster in the comments section, Katie replied, “@Tayshia finally! 👏 couldn’t have done it without you and @kaitlynbristowe 🌹.”

Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin

First Promo

In the first trailer for the new season, Katie meets the men — one even dressed up as a cat on night one — and wastes no time laying down the law to her suitors. "If you are not here for the right reasons, there's the door," she says in the video.