The Bachelorette’s 2025 Lead Would’ve Been This Fan-Favorite Bachelor Contestant If Season Wasn’t Canceled Amid Crew Members Being Fired

While news of The Bachelorette's hiatus sent shock waves through Bachelor Nation, rumors about who would have been named as the lead continue to swirl, with insiders Ashley Iaconetti and Ben Higgins claiming that someone from Joey Graziadei's season turned down the role, which led to the season being put on pause. There were multiple contenders from The Bachelor season 28 who could have been chosen. While some of them definitely made a splash on The Bachelor, it came as a major shock when one of them in particular wasn't named the lead for The Bachelorette season 21.

Ashley Iaconetti and Ben Higgins have sources that revealed the alleged name of the woman who was set to star as The Bachelorette season 22 lead before it was scrapped.

Despite not being the next Bachelorette, Maria still managed to cause drama. It was revealed that Jenn's pick, Devin Strader, followed Maria on Instagram after dumping Jenn. While it seems like she might have missed her chance at being the Bachelorette lead, Ashley and Ben claimed on their podcast, Almost Famous, that Maria was offered the chance to be the lead again for The Bachelorette season 22 but turned it down, which resulted in the show going on a hiatus.

"We’re pretty certain that Maria from Joey’s season was a frontrunner, as we thought that she was a frontrunner to be the Bachelorette during Jenn’s season. The source says that they don’t know exactly what happened, but they couldn’t make Maria happen, and that’s why the show didn’t get picked up because they just didn’t think that they had… I’m assuming that they didn’t think they had a strong enough lead that was going to get enough ratings."

According to Ben and Ashley, Bachelorette production was set on having Maria as the lead, and season planning was well underway. The two Bachelor Nation alums said that European cities were being scouted as locations, and dates were being planned, including a potential tie-in date with their podcast, but the season was scrapped seemingly out of nowhere. The hosts strongly believe that without Maria, producers felt the show wouldn't be successful, so they cut the season entirely.

Ben and Ashley previously had former Bachelorette star Rachel Recchia on their podcast. She hinted that the lead for the next season of The Bachelorette had been chosen, but Rachel didn't reveal who it was. She also claimed that the season was canceled so that ABC could air The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wivesin its timeslot.

What Drama Over Maria Georgas Casting Means For The Bachelorette

There Is Still Potential For The Bachelorette To Return

The Bachelorette 21 Jenn Tran smiling with cast promo shot behind her

The drama over casting for The Bachelorette has major implications for the show, which premiered in 2003 and has been a mainstay in the Bachelor franchise since then. Ashley and Ben pointed out that skipping a season doesn't necessarily mean that the show won't return, as Bachelor In Paradise took a season off last year and is scheduled to return in 2025. Still, the news isn't promising, as Bachelorette crew members have been fired and ratings for both The Bachelorette and The Bachelor have been lower.

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If producers felt so strongly that Maria had to be the lead, and without her, there wouldn't be a show, it doesn't bode well for the future of the franchise. There are certainly other dynamic personalities who could carry The Bachelorette. Other names like Daisy Kent were also mentioned as potential leads, as well as some unnamed contestants currently appearing in Grant Ellis' season of The Bachelor.

Our Take On Maria Georgas’ Casting For Canceled Bachelorette Season

Producers Need To Retool The Concept

Bachelor Nation producers need to shake things up if they want to continue the franchise. They successfully started several spin-offs within the franchise, including The Golden Bachelor, The Golden Bachelorette and Bachelor In Paradise. Perhaps they should bring back favorites from past seasons, or find new blood on other reality shows. While the lead is a major aspect of the show, the success of the season should not be solely dependent on the lead to the point where if Maria said no, they cut the entire season.

Producers may also need to retool the concept of the show, as audiences are evolving to the point where an engagement isn't always realistic for the couples. Perhaps the emphasis should be on building a lasting relationship, rather than the pressure to get engaged at the end of the season. Either way, fans will no doubt miss the next season of The Bachelorette, but if producers want to save the franchise, they need to get creative.

Source: Almost Famous/Apple Podcasts