Who is Taylor Frankie Paul? Meet the New Bachelorette for Season 22

ABC has confirmed that Taylor Frankie Paul will front The Bachelorette Season 22. The 31-year-old mother of three will step into the spotlight in 2026, making history as the first woman chosen without any past ties to The Bachelor franchise.

The shock announcement came on the Call Her Daddy podcast, where host Alex Cooper broke the news live. It ended months of speculation after ABC delayed the show's usual July premiere, fuelling questions about its future and who might take the lead.

Taylor Frankie Paul as the New Bachelorette

According to People, the reveal played out in dramatic fashion. Alex Cooper turned to Paul and said: 'You are on Call Her Daddy so we can officially announce that you are this season's Bachelorette. How are you feeling?'

Just days earlier, Cooper teased fans with a cryptic video: a cake with blue frosting outside and pink inside. She captioned it 'Change of plans 🌹.' and sent Bachelor Nation buzzing with theories.

On Instagram, she later joked: 'What do you mean it's the Bachelorette? Shut up. How did you get her to say yes? But she's never even been a part of The Bachelor. This is gonna be great for ratings.'

Taylor Shares Her Excitement

Paul admitted she felt stunned by the announcement. 'Surreal. It has not hit me right now in this moment. I'm just thinking about it, and it's not real. And it's not going to be until I think the limo is pulling up, you know? And meeting the people.'

She also confessed she was nervous: 'How did I get here? In my head I'm like, "How is this happening?" That's my answer.'

Paul first joked about becoming the Bachelorette in a TikTok three years ago, never believing it would happen. She recalled receiving the official invitation: 'Same reaction, shaking, pacing back and forth. There's no way, no way.'

As a single mother, she worried about the logistics of leaving her children. 'I have two baby daddies not one, so I'm dealing with two different people, my children, my home base is here. Can I travel that long?'

Despite concerns, she accepted with determination. 'I can, if you want to you can and it comes down to that so I was just like, I will make it work ... I can ask for help more.'

Fans can expect Season 22 of The Bachelorette to air in 2026, as reported by Cosmopolitan.

Who is Taylor Frankie Paul?

Born in 1994, Paul is a content creator from Utah with over 5.1 million TikTok followers. She became a leader of the viral #MomTok trend, known for her unfiltered posts about parenting.

In 2022, she sparked headlines after revealing her role in a 'soft-swinging' scandal within her Mormon friend circle, which led to her divorce from Tate Paul. Two years later, she joined Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which has kept her in the public eye.

She is also a mother of three: Indy, born in 2017, Ocean, born in 2020, and Ever, born in 2024, with her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.

What to Know About Taylor Frankie Paul

Here are five more facts about the new Bachelorette.

She's Not From Bachelor Nation

Paul is the first woman to lead the series without a past role in the franchise.

She's a Reality Star Outside The Bachelor

She stars in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which ABC described as showcasing her candid humour and honesty.

She Survived a Scandal That Went Viral

In 2022, she openly discussed her involvement in a swinging arrangement that shocked the #MomTok community.

She Was Almost a Real Housewife

She once auditioned for The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City but was told she lacked enough drama.

She's Balancing Co-Parenting With Two Exes

Paul currently shares parenting duties with both Tate Paul and Dakota Mortensen, which she has described as complex.