As Zach Shallcross joined the audience at the end of The Bachelorette in September Jesse yelled, “Meet our new Bachelor, Zach!” This is great news for his fans but not a surprise because he became a fan favorite on The Bachelorette. Zach said, "There's no words, I'm just taking this in right now. I'm nervous right now but this is once in a lifetime." He added, "I want to find my best friend, fall in love with my best friend, and walk away with someone for the rest of my life."
The Bachelor cast never disappoints us when it comes to drama. For Zach's season, The Bachelor 2023 cast includes the ex-girlfriend of a past Bachelorette contestant, two sorority sisters, and an actor from Severance. Zach eliminated himself in the final three from the 19th season of The Bachelorette after falling hard for Rachel Recchia, Gabby Windey was also featured in the same 19th season.Zach told Rachel on The Bachelorette that she hadn't seemed like the real Rachel behind closed doors. He felt Rachel was being phony during their fantasy suite time, he was devastated. He moaned, "I did love you. I saw a future with you." he then concluded with these words, "I need to go." Zach was miserable and in tears but he was selected as a new bachelor he was all smiles.
In front of The Bachelorette live studio audience, he told Jesse, "There's no words. I'm just taking this in right now. I'm nervous but this is once in a lifetime. I'll be ready." Jesse Palmer asked Zach about his breakup with Rachel and how he dealt with it. Zach disclosed, "I needed to take some time to reflect. It didn't change how ready I was. I'm ready to find my person."
At the end of the Jesser Palmer gave a surprise to Zach saying, “Your journey starts now,” five of Zach's female contestants appeared to meet him on The Bachelorette finale! Zach called The Bachelor season 27 the "most emotional" season Bachelor Nation has ever seen, in an interview with People in January 2023. He said, “It might not be the most dramatic season, but it’s the most emotional season that they’ve ever had. But that’s not to say that this season will not have some drama. There’s no shortage of drama.” He continued further, " Fans are going to see my full personality because I wear it on my sleeve. With last season, that necessarily wasn’t the case. I think I’m going to surprise some people with who I am.” Zach faced criticism over ABC’s choice of him for The Bachelor season 27, he responded in an interview with Us Weekly in January 2023. He stated, "I would tell the critics and the fans if you wanna watch something or this show and see love and no bullshit and not a scene or not an act, then I think you're gonna love this [season]." He continued, “If you are someone that wants the unnecessary dumb drama — alright, [but] I might not be your guy. Plain and simple. I know what I want out of this, and I know what it takes to have that healthy relationship.”
The Full Cast Of Competitors For Season 27
- Aly, 26, a healthcare strategist from Atlanta
- Anastasia, 30, a content marketing manager from San Diego, Calif.
- Ariel, 28, a marketing executive from New York City, N.Y.
- Bailey, 27, an executive recruiter from Nashville, Tenn.
- Rebecca “Becca,” 25, a nursing student from Burbank, Calif.
- Brianna, 24, an entrepreneur and America’s First Impression Rose Winner from Jersey City, N.J.
- Brooklyn, 25, a rodeo racer from Stillwater, Okla.
- Cara, 27, is a corporate recruiter from Pittsburgh, Penn.
- Cat, 26, a dancer from New York, N.Y.
- Charity, 26, a child and family therapist from Columbus, Ga.
- Christina Mandrell, 26, a content creator from Nashville, Tenn.
- Davia, 25, a marketing manager from Charleston, S.C.
- Gabriella “Gabi,” 25, an account executive from Pittsford, Vt.
- Genevie, 26, a neonatal nurse from Baltimore City, Md.
- Greer, 24, is a medical sales rep from Houston.
- Holland, 24, an insurance marketer from Boca Raton, Fla.
- Jessica “Jess,” 23, an e-commerce coordinator from Winter Springs, Fla.
- Kaitlyn "Kaity," 27, is an ER nurse from Austin, Texas.
- Katherine, 26, is a registered nurse from Tampa, Fla.
- Kimberly, 30, a hospitality manager from Los Angeles
- Kylee, 25, a postpartum nurse from Charlotte, N.C.
- Chandralekha “Lekha,” 29, a financial advisor from Miami
- Madison, 26, a business owner from Fargo, N.D.
- Mercedes, 24, a nonprofit owner from Bloomfield, Iowa
- Olivia L., 24, a patient care technician from Rochester, N.Y.
- Olivia M., 25, a stylist from Cincinnati, Ohio
- Sonia, 29, a project manager from Long Island, N.Y.
- Vanessa, 23, a restaurant marketer from Baton Rouge, L.A.
- Victoria J., 30, a makeup artist from Fort Worth, Texas
- Viktoria E., 29, a nanny from Vienna, Austria
Also Read: Zach Explains What It Was Like To Break Up With Charity On 'The Bachelor'