The Golden Bachelorette is coming to ABC soon, and many are wondering what’s happening with the casting of the series as there have been many rumors going around about who will appear. As The Golden Bachelor season 1 was a massive success for ABC, the network decided after much deliberation to greenlight The Golden Bachelorette, a spin-off of the Bachelor Nation spin-off. Likely bringing one of the wonderful women from the cast of The Golden Bachelor into the driver’s seat for her journey to find a golden romance, the series is already picking up traction without any real information circulating.

The Golden Bachelor was a series that ABC had been planning to make for many years, but things got in the way and the timing never felt right for the spin-off. In mid-2023, when the WGA announced that it would be going on strike, ABC chose to feature a reality TV lineup during their fall season, including The Golden Bachelor. The women of The Golden Bachelor were all hopeful they’d win Gerry Turner’s affections, but after only one woman was able to in the end, the cast all hoped they’d get their shot at love, and many are still hopeful.

Viewers Were Hoping For An Early Golden Bachelorette Announcement

The Series Is Slated To Air This Fall

While viewers of The Golden Bachelor have all been anticipating The Golden Bachelorette, many were hopeful they’d have more information about who was going to be the lead by now. Viewers were convinced that they’d have an idea of who would be The Golden Bachelorette by the time Gery married his final choice, Theresa Nist. Unfortunately, their Golden wedding wasn’t time for an announcement, but it did feature several of the women on the series. Viewer-favorite Kathy Swarts was one of the correspondents welcoming guests into the wedding with Bachelorette Charity Lawson, and Susan Noles officiated Gerry and Theresa’s nuptials.

After the Golden wedding, many were hopeful that sometime during The Bachelor season 28, a lead would be announced for the series. The show was announced to be airing in the fall, which meant it could be possible fans would find out the identity of The Golden Bachelorette during the Bachelor season or during its finale episode. While many women of The Golden Bachelor took part in Joey Graziadei’s journey to find love, the announcement for The Bachelorette season 21 took precedence over The Golden Bachelorette being named, and the rumors continued to cycle without any confirmation about the lead.

Faith Martin & Leslie Fhima Appear To Be Front-Runners

They Were Two Of Gerry Turner’s Final Three

While there hasn’t been any formal announcement regarding who will lead The Golden Bachelorette, there’s been some intense speculation surrounding the announcement. Leslie Fhima, who was Gerry’s runner-up on The Golden Bachelor, ultimately was one of the women who viewers felt would fit the new leading role. Leslie was heartbroken when Gerry told her he would be choosing Theresa, explaining she felt like Gerry duped her into believing it’d be her in the end. Despite her hurt, Leslie has been able to celebrate Gerry and Theresa, while hoping for her own chance at love now that she’s healed from heartache.

The othe front-runner for The Golden Bachelorette appears to be Gerry’s third-place finisher, Faith Martin. Making a massive impression on viewers, Faith was a huge part of the season. Earning the first impression rose and making it clear that viewers shouldn’t settle for anything less than they deserve, Faith has been a vocal proponent of the other women on The Golden Bachelor season 1 cast. A sweet, charming thrill-seeker, Faith would make an incredible lead for The Golden Bachelorette season 1. With both Faith and Leslie in the running, many feel The Golden Bachelorette lead is likely already locked in.

Other Golden Bachelor Stars Are Also In The Running For Golden Bachelorette

Many Of The Women Seem Interested In Taking On The Lead

While Faith and Leslie are definitely two options for the lead, there are several other women who have become massively popular on The Golden Bachelor and invaded Bachelor Nation. Susan, who officiated Gerry and Theresa’s wedding, and Kathy, who is known for her infamous “zip it” line, have both become beloved by Bachelor Nation. The pair of women have big personalities, and it’s possible that either of them could become the lead of The Golden Bachelorette. Susan and Kathy are also friends with Nancy Hulkower, who would make a great lead going into the first season of the new spin-off.

Outside of Kathy, Susan, and Nancy, there are other women who appeared on the series that would likely enjoy another chance at love. Bachelor Nation has become protective over the women of The Golden Bachelor and hopes to see them find something that will bring them joy in their second act of life. Women like Sandra Mason and Edith Agguire were also hopeful about winning Gerry’s heart, but after losing out, they deserve a second chance. While it’s possible ABC will cast someone unknown for The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Bachelor Nation would likely be more interested in someone familiar.

Casting Is Open For Senior Men Who Are Looking For Love

ABC Aired An Ad During The Bachelor Finale

While the lead of The Golden Bachelorette is still a mystery, there is a casting call out for the men who will make up the main cast. During breaks on The Bachelor season 28’s finale, there were commercials with casting information for older men who would be open to looking for love on reality TV. Along with an informational URL, the casting call explained that it was looking for men over the age of 65 who were hoping for a beautiful relationship, and explained that The Golden Bachelorette season 1 was looking for cast members, since it would film soon.

Viewers were excited to see that The Golden Bachelorette was finally getting some momentum. Though casting announcements have yet to be made, the fact that there are steps being taken to finding a lead along with men to date whoever is chosen are wonderful steps. Moving into a new era, The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette are two series that have changed the game for Bachelor Nation, making it more accessible for older contestants. As The Golden Bachelorette gets ready to take flight, the lead could be any of the lovely ladies who appeared on the exciting original series.