Here's Who Fans Want To Be The Next Bachelorette

We're barely halfway through Matt's season of The Bachelor, and already Bachelorette rumors are sprouting up. On Feb. 7, in what felt like an unconventionally early announcement, Bachelor blogger Reality Steve shared that Katie Thurston was reportedly named the next Bachelorette during Matt's Women Tell All. Most viewers were excited by the possibility, considering Katie is a fan favorite. But both Chris Harrison and Katie herself have spent the last week stomping out speculation.

“We did not name [Katie] or anybody the next Bachelorette during the Women Tell All special,” Chris Harrison told Rachel Lindsay on Extra on Feb. 9. “In fact, we didn’t even talk [about] who [might be] the next Bachelorette ... As far as I know Katie [nor anybody else] has been named the next Bachelorette. And I promise you this, it will not be a part of the Tell All special at all.” After Harrison's remarks, Reality Steve corrected his initial statement, noting that Katie wasn't announced as the Bachelorette at Women Tell All but claiming she would "be named this week" (though that has yet to happen).

When Katie learned of the rumors, she too tried to quash them, sharing a selfie with a shrugging emoji and the words "News to me" on her Instagram story. She also replied to a tweet asking if she's the next Bachelorette with a Serena C. gif reading "it's a rumor."

Amidst all of this, there's been some confusion about how likely it is that Katie might actually be the next Bachelorette, considering most Bachelorettes are chosen from their Bachelor season's Top 4 (with the exception of Hannah Brown, who placed seventh on Colton Underwood's season). Katie was eliminated in Week 6, failing to even make it to the Top 10.

ABC executive Rob Mills didn't do much to clear things up, telling Variety in January that, "With 99.9% certainly, the Bachelorette is going to be someone who comes from one of our previous seasons ... probably Matt’s, but at least someone who is familiar to Bachelor Nation.” That leaves a lot of possibilities open.

Aside from the flood of tweets pining for Katie to be the next Bachelorette, there are a few cries for Abigail Heringer to get the role. So far, she's really hit it off with Matt and seems to have a sweet personality.

Others have pushed for the fashionable Chelsea Vaughn to take the lead.

And still others have called for Magi Tareke, Jessenia Cruz, Michelle Young, Serena Pitt, and Bri Springs.

Now, all eyes are on ABC to make the announcement.