The countdown is on! Less than a month before Charity Lawson is set to start handing out roses, ABC has dropped the official list of contestants for season 20 of The Bachelorette.
Bachelor Nation was introduced to Charity, 27, on Zach Shallcross’ season 27 of The Bachelor.
“She knows what she wants. She is so confident, she’s so sweet and, you know, she has a great heart,” Zach, who got engaged to Kaity Biggar during the March finale, exclusively told Us Weekly of Charity at the Women Tell All taping. “She’s someone from the very beginning that — I don’t know what exactly it was — but [she] was just trustworthy.”
The former lead referred to his split from the Georgia native as one of his “toughest decision[s]” on the show.
“It was such a strong relationship and her family was so funny and welcoming and loving, and when I had to wake up on the morning at the ceremony, I had to make a very difficult decision because the other three women too were all awesome and unique and their families were great in their own way,” Zach said at the time.
Charity, meanwhile, happily accepted the gig to star on season 20 and wrapped filming last month.
“When I was told, I had to double-check. I was like, ‘Are you sure that was my name that was called?’ I could not believe it,” she gushed on The Jennifer Hudson Show in May. “I literally did not believe it. I was having all of these emotions. I was excited, I was nervous, and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To hear my name called, I knew that it would be something incredible.”
Charity called it “huge” that she’s the fourth Black Bachelorette.
“This puts me in the position of being the fourth woman of color to hold this role and the second monoracial African American woman to have the opportunity to find love,” she noted. “I notice and acknowledge that this is so much bigger than myself. It is my journey to love, but it’s bigger than me.”
The child and family therapist went on to detail what she’s looking for in a partner.
“There are a few traits I definitely know that I need after going through past relationships,” Charity told Jennifer Hudson. “I need someone who is confident and is sure of what they want, so we’re not playing games. I want someone who is funny. A sense of humor is really important. And I want someone who is authentic. I want someone who is themselves and they don’t feel a need to put on a façade. I want the true, real you. Those are the top three things, I think!”
Charity’s season of The Bachelorette premieres on ABC Monday, June 26, at 9 p.m ET. Scroll through for a full list of her contestants:
