ABC taps Taylor Frankie Paul to lead Bachelorette Season 22 in 2026

ABC has tapped Taylor Frankie Paul, a breakout star of Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and a prominent MomTok influencer, to lead Season 22 of The Bachelorette, the network announced Wednesday. Paul, 31, a single mother of three from Utah, revealed the casting on the Sept. 10 episode of the podcast Call Her Daddy. ABC said the season is expected to air in 2026, with no exact premiere date yet.

Paul is the first Bachelorette in the show's 22 year history to be chosen from outside the Bachelor franchise, a move the network framed as a fresh start for the long-running series. The casting also underscores growing cross‑platform synergy within the Disney family, which owns both ABC and Hulu. Paul rose to national attention after a 2022 social media revelation about her marriage and subsequent divorce generated widespread attention and helped spawn the Hulu series that premiered in 2024. Her storyline on the show has included a high‑profile relationship with Dakota Mortensen, the father of her youngest child, which ended earlier this year.

The decision comes amid a turbulent period for the Bachelor franchise. Last fall's season led by Jenn Tran ended in a contentious breakup...