Gabby Windey Was Basically Destined To Become The Bachelorette

Usually, when most contestants first appear on The Bachelor, that’s their first foray into Bachelor Nation. But Gabby Windey from Season 26 The Bachelor is not like most contestants. She had past history with not just one, but two men from Bachelor Nation before she dated Bachelor Clayton Echard. Hopefully that makes her all the more prepared as she now begins her journey as one of the Season 19 Bachelorettes. Here’s everything you need to know about this contestant who’s already making a big name for herself in Bachelor Nation.

In December 2021, Bachelor Nation alums Dean Unglert and Blake Horstmann revealed they both have history with Gabby that started way before her time on Season 26 of The Bachelor. Gabby recently went on the Talking It Out With Bachelor Nation podcast to provide some clarifying details. She explained that Dean was one of her first loves when they dated at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs over 12 years ago. Meanwhile, she and Blake were more casual. “We had spent time together and stuff but definitely no, like, official dating, like, no really kind of formal, no exclusivity,” she said.

Both of Gabby’s relationships with these Bachelor Nation alums are far in the past, and now she’s focused on finding new love. “It was just so long ago,” Gabby said. “It’s a distant past from my experience on The Bachelor.”

Here are all the important details to know about Gabby as she continues on in her journey in Bachelor Nation:

Gabby Windey on The Bachelor

Gabby very quickly became fans’ favorite “dingbat” during Season 26 of The Bachelor. She showed off her sense of humor right away with a limo entrance during which she told Clayton she wanted to “sit on his face” (printed on a pillow, of course), and her lovable family (especially her Grandpa Joe) fully captured audiences’ hearts later in the season.

After the Season 19 hometown dates, things started to go downhill in Gabby and Clayton’s relationship. That’s when it became very clear that Clayton only wanted to be with Susie Evans, even though he continued to string Gabby and fellow contestant Rachel Recchia along. Bachelor Nation rallied around Gabby, though, especially after she very eloquently told Clayton just how disrespectful he was. Gabby left Clayton’s season of The Bachelor without the final rose, but she emerged as a true Bachelor Nation hero.

Gabby Windey’s Bachelorette Announcement

Gabby’s ex, Dean Unglert, previously said Gabby would “either win the show or she’ll be the next Bachelorette.” Looks like his prediction was right.

Gabby became a big fan-favorite during Clayton’s Bachelor season, so it came as no surprise that she was announced as the Season 19 Bachelorette during The Bachelor’s “After the Final Rose” segment. What was a surprise, however, was the fact that she was announced as the Season 19 joint-Bachelorette alongside Rachel. Gabby and Rachel hardcore bonded during their traumatic end of The Bachelor, so fans can now look forward to the two besties supporting each other through simultaneous Bachelorette journeys.

Gabby Windey’s Real Job

Gabby is a 30-year-old ICU nurse based in Denver, Colorado. According to her LinkedIn page, she works at the University of Colorado Hospital. However, in June 2021, Gabby posted that she now lives “10 mins from the beach” along with a photo tagged at Venice Beach in California, so it looks like she relocated to the West Coast.

Gabby also spent years as a cheerleader for the Denver Broncos. Pictures in her Instagram dating back to 2014 show her cheering, and she left the team in 2020, writing on Instagram at the time, “No words can describe my experience as a DBC. I will always be extremely grateful for these years and the people I’ve met along the way.”

In 2021, Gabby became the first woman to receive the Pop Warner Humanitarian Award. The award is usually given to football players, but Gabby earned it for her work as an ICU nurse at the University of Colorado Hospital in 2020.

Gabby Windey’s Instagram

Gabby is super active on Instagram, posting a ton of fun beachside photos. In addition to highlighting her time as a Broncos cheerleader, her Instagram showcases Gabby’s many close friendships. In the caption of one post, she wrote, “I will never lose sight of how grateful and lucky I am to hold such close and special friendships. These relationships bring me endless amounts of joy and meaning and happiness, and I could go on and on about how much they all mean to me.”

Gabby Windey Facts

According to Gabby’s ABC bio, she has a goldendoodle named Leonardo who’s part of a package deal with her. She’s also terrified of humpback whales, but would love to see one from afar, and she someday wants to stomp grapes in Italy. Both activities seem like excellent date options for The Bachelorette, so if the producers are paying attention, maybe Gabby can get the chance to cross some items off her bucket list during her upcoming season.

Season 19 of The Bachelorette premieres Monday, July 11, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.