Round two! The Bachelorette 2021 contestants for Michelle Young’s season are here, and her cast includes a former “Bachelor” and someone she may already know.
Michelle Young, a 28-year-old teacher from Edina, Minnesota, was announced as the season 18 Bachelorette at The Bachelor season 25 “After the Final Rose” special in March 2021. Michelle was the runner-up on Matt James‘ season of The Bachelor. Michelle’s season is airing just months after the finale of The Bachelorette season 17, which starred Katie Thurston, a 30-year-old bank marketing manager from Renton, Washington, who came in 10th place on Matt’s season. Michelle, who postponed filming for her season of The Bachelorette until the summer so she wouldn’t have to leave her students, will be the second Bachelorette this year, making 2021 one of the few years with two Bachelorette seasons.
According to Reality Steve, Michelle was the first choice to be the season 17 Bachelorette but because of her job as a fifth grade teacher, she didn’t want to leave her students during the school year like she did on Matt’s Bachelor season, so ABC postponed filming for her until the summer when school is out. While Michelle was still in school, Katie filmed her Bachelorette season, which is why there were two Bachelorettes in 2021.
In her bio for Matt’s Bachelor season, Michelle, who is a former Division I basketball player, described her “dream man” as someone who is “confident but not cocky.” “Admittedly, she is an over-worker and says she is here because she is ready to find love and a man with whom to start a family,” the bio reads. “As a partner, she describes herself as loyal, compassionate and supportive, and shows love through acts of service. Her dream man is confident but not cocky and will look at her as his equal in all things.”
The bio continues, “When Michelle’s not working, she loves to spend time with friends hiking and wine tasting. She is very adventurous in life and in appetite; she says that all of her favorite restaurants are local food trucks. Michelle has big dreams for the future and says she wants a man by her side that is supportive and driven to make the world a better place. She is looking for the superman to her superwoman.”
In an interview Entertainment Tonight in October 2021, Michelle explained that she wanted to find a love like her parents’ on The Bachelorette. “Growing up just with my parents, seeing how they treated each other through stressful times, I mean life is not always easy but the fact that they have been married for so long and they still laugh so hard? I am not going to settle for anything less,” she said. “That is what I am going to look for.” She continued. “Finding a relationship where it is not going to fade out. You can’t predict everything that is going to happen to you in your relationship but knowing that I have a person that is going to stick it out and has that same mindset is incredibly important.”
Tayshia Adams, who hosted Michelle’s Bachelorette season with Kaitlyn Bristowe, teased to Entertainment Tonight in October 2021 that Michelle’s finale is unlike any recent Bachelorette finale. “How it ends? I don’t think we’ve seen an ending like what happens in a couple of seasons now,” Tayshia said. “We’ve seen a lot. So there’s a lot of highs and lows. It’s all good things. I would just say she definitely leans into her heart and puts it all out on the line.”
So that’s what we know about Michelle’s dream man. But who will win her season? Meet The Bachelorette 2021 contestants for Michelle’s season ahead. (Shout out to Reality Steve for the research.) The Bachelorette season 18 cast looks like it’s full of characters, and we can’t wait.
Alec Thompson
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 29
Hometown: Forest, VA
Alec graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, according to his Linkedin. His current job is as a project engineer for Palmetto Railways in Charleston, South Carolina, where he lives. He’s previously worked for the Norfolk Southern Corporation. He’s also assisted at the Special Olympics. His Instagram handle is @alec_barrett_thompson.
Brandon Kieffer
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 29
Hometown: Sulphur, LA
Brandon currently lives in Austin, Texas. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2019. He was a student at the Owen Graduate School of Management. He’s a brand ambassador for SkinnyPop from Amplify Snack Brands. His Instagram handle is @brandon.Kieffer.
Will
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 29
Hometown: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Trevor Abrams
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 26
Hometown: Rocklin, CA
Trevor played minor league baseball for the San Francisco Giants. His Instagram handle is @trevortimee.
Spencer Williams
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 25
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Spencer has a son named Bray. His Instagram handle is @trill_swill.
Ryan Fox
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 30
Hometown: Sanger, CA
Though not an official Bachelor, Ryan was a “Bachelor” in February 2020 for the franchise’s “Bachelor Live on Stage Tour” hosted by Becca Kufrin and Ben Higgins. His Instagram handle is @ryanmichaelfox.
Romeo Alexander
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 32
Hometown: New York, NY
Romeo, whose Instagram is @prince.Romeo.Alexander, is a data scientist at Ramp, a finance company. He graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s in mathematics. He also earned a PhD in atmosphere ocean sciences and mathematics from New York University.
Rodney Mathews
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 29
Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Rodney currently lives in Los Angeles. He played football for Fresno State University. He currently works as a sales representative for Cintas. His Instagram handle is @rcmathews26.
Rick Leach
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 32
Hometown: Munroe Falls, OH
Rick currently lives in Los Angeles. His Instagram handle is @kcirjr13.
PJ Henderson
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 30
Hometown: Austin, TX
PJ played football at Lamar University and works as a firefighter and EMt. His brother Bakari was killed by strangers in Greece in 2017. After his death, PJ and his family created the Bakari Foundation, which provides travel experiences for families who have lost loved ones. His Instagram handle is @juan_guapo8.
Peter Izzo
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 26
Hometown: Bellmore, NY
Peter is from New York but lives in Port St. Joe, Florida, where he owns the restaurant Peters Pizzeria. His Instagram handle is @peter___izzo.
Pardeep Singh
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 30
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Pardeep graduated from Binghamton University in 2013 with a degree in neuroscience. He graduated from Columbia University in 2019 with another degree in neurobiology and neurosciences. He works as an associate research scientist for Astellas Pharmas US. He’s also the host of the podcast “Deep Thoughts.” His Instagram handle is @scientistfrombrooklyn.
Olumide Onajide
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 28
Hometown: Woodland Park, NJ
Olumide graduated from Rutgers University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in public and nonprofit administration. He graduated from the same university in 2018 with a master’s in the same subject. While at Rutgers, he was also on the men’s basketball team. His current job is as a field system analyst for OTG Management. His Instagram handle is @kingolu30.
Nayte Olukoya
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 27
Hometown: Winnipeg, MB
Nayte is from Manitoba, but currently lives in Austin, Texas. He graduated from Eastern Washington University and works as a senior account executive at Indeed. His Instagram handle is @kingbanatunde.
Mollique Johnson
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 36
Hometown: Jameshill, Jamaica
Mollique is from Jamica but currently lives in San Diego, where he works as the assistant director of operations at San Diego State University. He graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2008 with a degree in psychology. He earned a master’s of education from Springfield College in 2010. His Instagram handle is @molliquejohnson.
Michael Sambol
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 30
Hometown: Omaha, NE
Michael, whose Instagram handle is @mikesambol, graduated from Georgia Tech in 2014 and works as a software engineer for Intuit.
Martin Gelbspan
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 28
Hometown: Cordoba, Argentina
Martin, whose Instagram is @gelbspan, is from Argentina, but lives in Miami, Florida. He works as a personal trainer for his own company, Gelbspan Fitness, according to his Linkedin. He graduated from Florida International University in 2014 with a bachelor’s in kinesiology and exercise science.
LT Murray
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 38
Hometown: Bellevue, WA
LT, whose Instagram is @ltmurrayiv, is a personal trainer. He’s also the grandson of actor and director Clint Eastwood. His mother is Clint’s eldest daughter, Laurie Eastwood. “I’ve been doing some writing but I want my own show!” LT told Radar Online in 2019.
Leroy Arthur
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 27
Hometown: Durham, NC
Leroy graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 2019. He’s currently a graduate student in biomedical engineering at UNT Dallas. His Instagram handle is @elroi.Andretti.
Jomarri Gable
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 26
Hometown: Portland, OR
Jomarri works as a personal trainer. His Instagram handle is @jomarrigable.
Joel Wilkinson
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 31
Hometown: Prescott, AZ
Joel works as a physical therapist. His Instagram handle is @joel__pt.
Joe Coleman
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 28
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Joel is the former Mr. Minnesota Basketball and played basketball at the University of Minnesota. According to Reality Steve, there are rumors that Michelle and Joel know each other from playing college basketball. His Instagram handle is @jcol3.
Jamie Skaar
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 32
Hometown: Tacoma, WA
Jamie founded the indoor air purification system Sanctuaire. His Instagram handle is @jamieskaar24.
Jack Russell
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 30
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
Jack, whose Instagram is @jackrussellnottheterrier, was in the United States army for five years after he graduated from college. He’s from North Carolina but currently lives in Pennsylvania. He’s a current student at the Wharton School of Business for his master’s in business administration.
Garrett Aida
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 33
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
Garrett graduated from Brigham Young University in 2013 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He’s the co-founder of the company Dark Energy, which is a manufacturer of customized mobile devices. His Instagram handle is @garrettaida.
Eric Tai
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 25
Hometown: Bridgewater, New Jersey
Eric lives in New York City. He works in private equity at Hermes GPE, according to his Linkedin. He plays tennis and graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in 2018. His Instagram handle is @eric_tai15.
Edward Naranjo
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 27
Hometown: Brownsville, TX
Edward, whose Instagram is @NaranjoEdward, is an actor and personal trainer. He’s from Brownsville, Texas, but currently lives in Los Angeles. He’s represented by NTA Models, NTA Talent and Raw Connects Management.
Daniel Tully
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 26
Hometown: Austin, TX
Daniel, whose Instagram is @danieltully, is a real estate agent and firefighter in Austin, Texas. He was originally cast for season 17 of The Bachelorette with Katie Thurston.
Clayton Echard
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 28
Hometown: Eureka, MO
Clayton graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia, in 2015 with a degree in health professions and related clinical sciences. He also played football for the university. He currently works as a sales representative for Stryker. His Instagram handle is @claytonechard. Clayton is also the season 27 Bachelor after he didn’t win Michelle’s season. According to a September 2021 report by The Hollywood Reporter, several contestants from The Bachelorette season 17 with Katie Thurston—including Greg Grippo and Andrew Spencer—were considered to be the next Bachelor, but in the end, ABC decided on Clayton because he has a story that “resonated most with producers, who leaned toward giving the newcomer a second chance. Meet his contestants.
Christopher Gallant
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 27
Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia
His Instagram handle is @thechrisgallant.
Chris Sutton
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 28
Hometown: New Orleans, LA
Chris was born and raised in New Orleans. His Instagram handle is @chris_sutton1.
Casey Woods
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 36
Hometown: Parkland, FL
Casey works as a producer and songwriter. His website is caseydilla.com. His Instagram handle is @caseydillamusic.
Bryan Witzmann
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 30
Hometown: Houlton, WI
Bryan graduated from South Dakota State University, where he played football. He’s a former offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs. He played in 16 games for the chiefs in 2017 and has played for nine different NFL teams. His Instagram handle is @witz76.
Brett Parker
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 29
Hometown: Houston, TX
His Instagram handle is @parker_brett.
Brandon Jones
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Age: 26
Hometown: Portland, OR
Brandon’s Instagram handle is @bmacjones. In his Instagram bio, he included a quote from J Cole: “I am here to spread a message of hope.”
Image: Courtesy of Penguin Books.
Buy: 'Bachelor Nation' by Amy Kaufman $13.89
To get more of an inside scoop, check out Los Angeles Times writer Amy Kaufman’s book, Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure, for a deep dive into the Bachelor franchise. The book uncovers the secrets of Bachelor Nation, from how much the Bachelor and the Bachelorette are paid to the rules contestants have to follow, that producers don’t want fans to know. It’s a must-read for any Bachelor Nation member.
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