Jo Jo Fletcher will return to find her “Prince Charming” on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette. ABC’s Hit romance reality series premieres for its 12th season on Monday May 23. Spoilers earlier this month indicated that Caila Quinn would be the rejected contestant looking for love this summer. But in a strange twist, The Bachelor runner-up was cast instead.
Reportedly Caila was told on Thursday, two weeks after Bachelorette crew travelled to her hometown, Hudson, Ohio, to film introductory scenes, that plans had changed. The Bachelor runner-up is not typically pegged to be the Bachelorette. One theory has ABC changing plans after realizing that Bachelor fans were not enthralled with Caila as the next Bachelorette. MAYBE the network knew Jo Jo was the one all along, but used Caila to throw off spoilers and speculation in the press. Hm
The other thing–former ABC network chief, Paul Lee, indicated at the Television Critics Association press tour in January that the new bachelorette would be diverse. When reporters asked about the possibility of a black bachelorette, Lee responded, “We have The Farm Team, right? Which allows us to pick the next one. But I’d be very surprised if The Bachelorette in the summer wasn’t diverse. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said that, but I think that’s likely to happen.”
Obviously there is no black bachelorette this time, but at the very least, Caila is half Filipino. Jo Jo’s mother is Iranian, but apparently the new Bachelorette identifies as white. The diversity issue will have to be picked up by the new ABC regime. Maybe next year. I’m not holding my breath, to be honest.
Jo Jo’s exit from The Bachelor was dramatic. In a “shocking twist,” Ben confessed his love to both Jo Jo and his eventual fiancee, Lauren B., leaving them in a state of cautious chaotic optimism that they would be “the one.” Ultimately, Jo Jo was left heartbroken in Jamaica when Ben chose to let her go in one of the most emotionally gut-wrenching finales ever! That, according to the ABC press release.
Certainly Jo Jo’s quest for love this summer will be marked by her scarring experience being “jilted” by Bachelor Ben. Can the cautious Jo Jo learn to open herself up to love again? Join us on Monday May 23rd as our own EM (Shnugs) Rosenberg returns to snark blog every hilarious moment. See you then!
