The contestants of The Bachelorette season 19.
Frank Micelotta/ABC via Getty Images
Ahead of its Monday night premiere, The Bachelorette set sail on Friday evening in celebration of the show’s groundbreaking 19th season, which will feature two female leads for the first time ever. Aboard the FantaSea One yacht in Marina Del Rey, stars Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia hit the red carpet prior to the yacht’s trip around the harbor.
Windey and Recchia were both coming off competing in the franchise’s latest Bachelor cycle, starring Clayton Echard, when they filmed the upcoming season. As co-runners-up, the women forged a close bond while on the show, an experience they say prepped them to jump headfirst into this new endeavor together.
“We were just honored,” Windey told The Hollywood Reporter about finding out that she and Recchia would be co-leading the season. “It just really did feel so right in the moment that we didn’t miss a beat. We were grateful to have each other and knew that it would be a positive experience with one another.”
The double Bachelorette format, though, has raised questions among Bachelor Nation as to whether or not such a set-up can prove successful. In comparison to its original counterpart, The Bachelorette has typically been regarded as the more empowering cycle. However, with both women dating from the same pool of male contestants, it raises the concern of whether or not this format will create a narrative that inherently pits the two women against one another.
Heading into production on the season, the friends assured they were on the same page, as they planned to put their friendship above romantic competition.
“First and foremost, Gabby and I knew going into this that we [would] always put each other first,” said Recchia. “We were so adamant about having open communication, and that’s what we did the whole time.”
“I think a lot of it is Rachel and [my] personality,” added Windey. “We both leaned on each other so much during our previous season that going in, we knew we would never want to fight with one another. We were each other’s own constant, something that wouldn’t change throughout the season. So it really was a priority to maintain a good relationship with each other. First and foremost, we know each other the best, [and] these guys come and go. So I think having that mindset going in really helped us along the way.”
As for whether or not this new format will stick, the Bachelorettes see both sides. With the format change, the traditional aspects of the show’s premiere remained largely the same as previous seasons. Upon limo arrivals, each contestant greeted both women at the entrance to the Bachelor Mansion, where Windey and Recchia stood side-by-side. As introductions continued throughout the night, the women each presented their own first impression roses to the men that stood out among the rest.
“I feel like for us, we’ve seen pros and cons of both,” Windey said of the original format versus season 19. “So I’m excited for the viewers to decide on what they find more interesting, but there is a good balance with having two of us because it does mimic a little more of real life in the way that I think there are more options.”
While it’s possible that this new structure could lead to potential drama in the franchise, the two stars claim it allows for a more empowering season than before — depicting real female friendships with healthy and open communication, rather than the competitive infighting that often typical of previous Bachelor seasons.
“We both have really great careers, we’re ready for marriage and, being able to go through this together, I’m really excited for everyone to see it,” said Recchia. “I hope it’s kind of refreshing and that people can relate to us.”
The Bachelorette premieres Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC. Episodes will be available the following day on Hulu.