Reality TV
Why Daisy Kent Isn’t The New Bachelorette
She revealed why she isn’t ready during The Bachelor finale.
During the March 25 Bachelor finale, Joey Graziadei and Kelsey Anderson finally announced their engagement, but for many viewers, that wasn’t the highlight of the night. Instead, that moment came when the next Bachelorette was announced — and it was a twist!
Daisy Kent was predicted by many to be the front-runner for the role, speculation that was bolstered by her teary, confident exit from Joey’s season. “If I can love the wrong person that much, imagine how much I can love the right person,” she told the camera on her way out.
It’s a Bachelorette tease if there ever was one, and Jesse Palmer suggested as much when he invited Daisy on stage during After the Final Rose and asked her about that very line. “Are you ready to open up again, and date again, and find your person?” Jesse asked.
Daisy responded that the past year has been both life-changing and difficult, between getting her cochlear implant and going on The Bachelor.
“I’m healthy and I’m happy and I haven’t had those two things in a really long time,” she said. “And so, right now, I know it’s a time for me to focus on the things I love, and the people I love, and so right now... no. I’m not ready. And that’s OK, and I’m really proud of myself for realizing that.”
It was a major curveball that added to an already twisty finale.
Introducing The Next Bachelorette
After Daisy exited, Jesse Palmer invited former lead Charity Lawson on stage to announce her predecessor, who’ll helm the show’s 21st season this summer.
“Our next Bachelorette is someone who is intelligent, she’s witty, she’s fun, and she’s super kind,” Charity said. “And personally, I want to see a lot more of her, and I can only hope that out of this experience that she’s getting ready to embark on, that she really does find true love like I did with Dotun [Olubeko].”
Charity then welcomed Jenn Tran to the stage, and it was a particularly celebratory occasion. She’ll be the first Asian American woman to lead the show.
Growing up, Jenn recalled feeling “boxed in” by Asian representation in media. Becoming the Bachelorette presented the opportunity to be the main character and tell her love story, she explained. “I just can’t help but think of how many people I’m inspiring, and how many lives I’m changing,” she said.
