Kylee From The Bachelor Is A Nurse Who Moonlights As An NBA Dancer

Just weeks into her journey with Zach Shallcross on The Bachelor, contestant Kylee Russell was ready for more one-on-one time with the Season 27 lead — even if it meant having to get over some butterflies in her stomach. “Of course, I have nerves going into it. It’s that cute, giddy, nervous feeling when I speak to him,” the 25-year-old North Carolina native told BachelorNation.com following the Feb. 6 episode. “I just try to seize every opportunity with Zach and talk to him about the things that are important to me in that moment. I let it organically happen.”

After all, she’d been looking forward to sharing more of her story with Zach. “I grew up not knowing my biological father and a lot has stemmed from that for me,” Kylee explained. “Everything I’ve been through shaped me to become the person I am today. I’ve been through a lot of struggles to get to where I am currently, so I would love a one-on-one date with Zach where I can share more of myself with him.”

A preview of The Bachelor’s Feb. 13 episode teases that she’ll also use some of their alone time in the Bahamas to call out fellow contestant Anastasia Keramidas for “always talking about the amount of Instagram followers that she’s going to get” while appearing on the show. Self-described “hopeless romantic” Kylee, on the other hand, insisted she was there for the right reasons and is even ready to start a family with Zach. As you watch their journey play out, here’s everything else to know about Kylee.

Kylee’s Job

After graduating from Wingate University with a marketing degree in 2019, Kylee worked as a social media intern for a fashion boutique called McKenzie Jade’s and as a marketing assistant Clear Water Concepts, per her LinkedIn. However, she decided to pursue a different career path, earning her degree as a Registered Nurse in December 2021. “When I decided to go back and get a second degree, I was extremely nervous, but knew this is where God was leading me. These past two years were harder than I could've ever imagined, but so worth while,” she captioned an Instagram post at the time, announcing she had accepted a position in the mother and baby postpartum unit at Atrium Health in Charlotte.

As her Bachelor bio notes, Kylee might be best known as an NBA dancer. In July 2022, she began her third year as one of the Charlotte Hornets’ Honey Bee dancers. “Becoming a Honey Bee has been one of the best things to ever happen to me. I finally felt like I found my place, and there is no where else I'd rather be,” she wrote on social media at the time. However, she’s not currently listed on the team’s roster, so it’s possible that her Bachelor filming schedule, which overlapped with the 2022-2023 NBA season, caused her to give up her spot.

Kylee’s Instagram

On Instagram, Kylee has more than 10,000 followers, including Buffalo Bills star Nyheim Hines. Amid her many perfectly posed photos, she has also shared her experiences competing in pageants, including being crowned Miss Charlotte 2017 and a bid for Miss North Carolina USA in January 2022. Kylee also says you will never see her with frizzy hair, something she opened up about more in a “little vulnerability post” on Jan. 31 after she made her Bachelor debut.

“Not ever wanting to seem like I don't "have it all together", I often don’t share this insecurity of mine....until last night when I shared it with the whole world,” she captioned her post. “If you would have told my younger self that I would have the confidence to make this post, go on national television, and hit a choreographed routine in front of Latto (lol) I would've told you, you were crazy. Moral of this story, embrace who you are, imperfections included. Learn to love yourself, and no one can stop you.”

Other fun facts about Kylee include that she likes her popcorn smothered in butter and mixed with M&Ms, and her celebrity crush is San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.