Prepare Your Brackets: Here's The Official Cast For Zach's Bachelor Season

With the end of a Bachelorette season comes the start of a new one for The Bachelor, and on the finale of Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey’s tumultuous season, Bachelor Nation officially got its next lead. Keeping with the tradition of choosing the lead from the cast of the previous season, the Season 27 Bachelor is one of Rachel’s guys. During The Bachelorette Season 19 finale, host Jesse Palmer announced none other than Zach Shallcross will be the lead for Season 27 of The Bachelor.

Zach made it all the way to Rachel’s final three, but things fell apart for them during Fantasy Suites. That’s when Rachel told him she felt he was too young for marriage (even though they’re just a year apart) and Zach felt like he wasn’t seeing “the real Rachel.”

“I felt like the ‘concerns with the age part’ was a complete blindside,” Zach said at the time. “It’s kind of hard to wrap my head around it. I did really love you. I saw a future with you, but I need to go.”

Rachel didn’t fight for Zach to stay, so he self-eliminated. They had a very respectful reunion during the first half of the finale and they both wished each other the best. Turns out, it looks like the best for Zach is now finding someone else he can see in his future as the next Bachelor.

During The Bachelorette Season 19 “After The Final Rose,” Zach said he feels like The Bachelorette prepared him to find love as the lead. “Obviously everyone saw the heartbreak in Mexico,” Zach said. “I needed to take some time away and reflect. I’m now more ready. I’m ready to find my person, my best friend.”

Here’s what to know about his upcoming season.

Zach Shallcross’ Bachelor Season Promo

During Bachelor In Paradise’s Season 8 finale on Nov. 22, ABC released the firt promo for Zach’s season. It includes him showering shirtless, lots of women crying, and Victoria Fuller, for some reason.

Zach Shallcross’ Bachelor Season Poster

Ahead of the season premiere, The Bachelor released a poster dubbing Shallcross “Mr. Right Reasons,” a reference to his insistence that he was in the dating competition for all the right reasons when he was courting Rachel Recchia in Season 19 of The Bachelorette.

Zach Shallcross’ Bachelor Season Cast

The Bachelor’s producers wasted no time and began Zach’s journey early during The Bachelorette Season 19’s “After The Final Rose.” Zach got to meet a handful of his contestants right then and there, and audiences at home got to vote to decide which of them would receive his first impression rose.

During this “first” night of The Bachelor, Zach met five women: Brooklyn, Brianna, Bailey, Cat, and Christina... although he had trouble remembering any of their names right after he met them.

Zach’s memory issues didn’t matter since he wasn’t the one to decide who would get the night’s First Impression Rose — the United States was. After getting a few minutes to text their votes to ABC, the honor of “America’s First Impression Rose” went to Brianna, who took a selfie with Zach during their intro so that Zach should have no trouble remembering her moving forward.

On Jan. 4, 2023, ABC released the official full cast list for Zach’s Bachelor Season.

First up is Aly, 26, from Atlanta, Georgia.

Next up is Anastasia, 30, who hails from San Diego, California.

Then there’s Ariel, who’s 28 years old and from New York, New York.

Bailey, 27, from Nashville, Tennessee, is another potential contestant.

Next up is Becca, 25, from Burbank, California.

Next, there’s Brianna, 24, from Jersey City, New Jersey.

And there’s Brooklyn, 25, from Stillwater, Oklahoma

Here’s Cara, 27, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Next up is Cat, 26, who calls New York, New York home.

This is Charity, 26, who’s from Columbus, Georgia.

Christina, 26 from Nashville, Tennessee is also looking for love.

Here’s Davia, 25, from Charleston, South Carolina.

Then there’s Gabi, 25, who’s from Pittsford, Vermont.

Below is Genevie, 26, from Baltimore City, Maryland.

Meet Greer, 24, whose hometown is Houston Texas.

And this is Holland, 24, from Boca Raton, Florida.

Then there’s Jess, 23, Winter Springs, Florida.

Next is Kaity, 27, from Austin, Texas.

Meet Katherine, 26, who’s from Tampa, Florida.

Kimberly, 30, from Los Angeles, California is another contestant this season.

And this is Kylee, 25, from Charlotte, North Carolina.

The next contestant is Lekha, 29, from Miami, Florida.

Below is Madison, 26, whose hometown is Fargo, North Dakota.

This is Mercedes, 24, from Bloomfield, Iowa.

Here’s Olivia L., 24, from Rochester, New York.

And here’s Olivia M., 25, from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Sonia, 29, from Long Isla, New York is also looking for love.

Then there’s Vanessa D., 23, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Next up is Victoria J., 30, from Fort Worth, Texas.

And finally, here we have Viktoria E., 29, from Vienna, Austria.

Zach Shallcross’ Bachelor Season Release Date

During The Bachelorette Season 19 “After The Final Rose,” Jesse Palmer announced the new season of The Bachelor premieres Monday, Jan. 23, 2022.