How do you prepare to hand out roses on one of television’s most high-pressure dating shows? Apparently, you call in nearly every woman who’s done it before.
Ahead of the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, ABC and Hulu are rolling out what may be the franchise’s largest reunion special to date. Titled “The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose,” the preview will air immediately after the live Oscars broadcast on Sunday, March 15, offering fans an early look at Season 22 and a full-circle moment for its newest lead, Taylor Frankie Paul.
According to an official post from The Bachelorette Instagram account, the special will reunite 18 former Bachelorettes to reflect on their journeys and offer advice before the new season begins. Among those expected to appear are franchise veterans Trista Sutter, JoJo Fletcher, Rachel Lindsay, Hannah Brown, Tayshia Adams and Charity Lawson, as exclusively reported by Variety.
But Paul’s path to the mansion looks different from most.
A Reality TV Crossover Moment
Unlike past leads, Paul did not rise through the Bachelor franchise pipeline. Instead, she enters as something of a reality TV crossover star. The 31-year-old Utah native first went viral on TikTok, which later inspired Hulu’s breakout series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Her candid personality and unfiltered storytelling helped turn that show into a streaming hit and, ultimately, landed her the starring role on The Bachelorette. The casting marks a notable shift for the franchise, which traditionally selects contestants from previous seasons rather than outside personalities.
The reunion-style special serves as both a preview and a retrospective. Former leads will revisit their own relationships, breakups and lessons learned while offering Paul guidance. They’ll discuss navigating overnight dates, public scrutiny and the pressure of leading a primetime romance series. Paul also previously admitted to receiving some help preparing for the role from former lead Hannah Brown and former The Bachelor winner Hannah Ann Sluss.
Looking Back Before Moving Forward
Taylor Frankie Paul’s season is set to premiere Sunday, March 22, with a two-hour episode. The timing also aligns closely with Season 4 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, whose cast shared anecdotes and support for their co-star. The show drops all 10 episodes on March 12, keeping her firmly in the reality television spotlight.
The episode will be produced by Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, with Scott Teti serving as executive producer.
For longtime fans, it’s a chance to see multiple eras of the franchise come together in one room. ButFor the new star, it’s a crash course from women who have already walked the same path.
It signals a season that blends Bachelor Nation tradition with modern social media fame, all wrapped into one of the franchise’s largest reunions to date.
