Zach Shallcross Is Officially ABC's Next 'The Bachelor' Star

It's official: Zach Shallcross will be the next star of 'The Bachelor' its 27th season in 2023.

Shallcross – which Variety previously announced would be the next leader from ABC — was a contestant on the current season of “The Bachelorette,” which ends its season tonight. "The Bachelor" announcement was made Tuesday night during the live finale by host Jesse Palmer.

This season of “The Bachelorette” made history, starring two women for the first time: Gabby Windey and Rachel Rechia. Shallcross was a runner-up, dating "Bachelorette" star Recchia as one of the season's most promising suitors. But after a heartbreaking and surprising break in the series, Shallcross' journey became one of the most dramatic storylines near the end of the season.

Now Shallcross will get a second chance at TV love. His season of "The Bachelor" premieres January 23, 2023 on ABC.

But viewers got a glimpse of "The Bachelorette's" three-hour finale, where Shallcross was surprised by five women who would compete on his season. In a franchise for the first time, viewers voted on "America's First Impression" via Twitter. The honor went to Brianna, who charmed voters by picking up a Polaroid during their introduction. She is saved from elimination in the first week.

Shallcross is a 26-year-old tech executive from Anaheim Hills, California. His biography on the ABC website describes him as an "old-fashioned romantic" who has "a huge heart that he's so willing to share forever with the right woman." The California native splits his time between Texas and Orange County, and is said to be a "family man" whose parents have been married for over 30 years, showing him what true love looks like. Bachelor Nation learned during hometown episodes on 'The Bachelorette' that Shallcross' uncle is 'Seinfeld' actor Patrick Warburton, who appeared on the reality show when Shallcross visited his family. .

Sources close to production previously told Variety that Shallcross was one of many contestants who was being considered by the network to become the new star of "The Bachelor," and has recently emerged as the frontrunner over the past month. Nate Mitchell, a fan-favorite single dad who dated Windey on "The Bachelorette," was also hotly contested, but a tabloid scandal surfaced that raised questions and concerns about his love life, effectively removing him from the race. p>

"The Bachelor" is the flagship series of ABC's mega dating franchise, which made debuted in 2002 and is one of the longest running reality franchises in television history, airing for two decades.

"The Bachelor" is a Next Entertainment and Warner Bros. production. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon. Mike Fleiss, Martin Hilton, Nicole Woods, Bennett Graebner, Louis Caric, Peter Geist, Peter Gust, Tim Warner, Jodi Baskerville and Jeff Thomas serve as executive producers.

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