Bachelor spoilers change! Who did 'The Bachelor' star Matt James end up with and pick as his winner? Did Matt pick Rachael Kirkconnell? What is the new shocking post-finale spoiler? (SPOILERS)

Bachelor spoilers revealing how everything that happens in the conclusion of The Bachelor's 2021 season unfolds have leaked out -- including new spoiler information about who Matt James picked as his winner and ended up with, how The Bachelor star's final Rose Ceremony went down, if Matt got engaged to his winner, and new spoiler details about The Bachelor couple's current status.

[Bachelor Spoilers Warning: This report includes spoilers that reveal who Matt James picked as his winner and ended up with, if Matt got engaged, and The Bachelor couple's current status.]

Matt just confronted a room of his ex-girlfriends on The Bachelor: The Women Tell All, and now fans are going to watch his overnight Fantasy Suite dates on the upcoming broadcast on Monday, March 8 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.

Matt's Final 3 bachelorettes are Bri Springs, a 24-year-old communications manager from Owatonna, MN; Michelle Young, a 27-year-old teacher from Edina, MN; and Rachael Kirkconnell, a 24-year-old graphic designer from Cumming, GA.

At this point in the process, Bri, Michelle and Rachael are all head over heels for Matt.

Rachael has expressed how she is "in love" with Matt, and she gushed to the cameras, "If he were to propose to me tomorrow, I would be confident in saying, 'Yes, I know we can make this work.' At least I think so."


And Michelle admitted to her mother that she would say "yes" to a marriage proposal if The Bachelor star chose to pop the question at the end of his journey.

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Bri also noted she was "falling in love" with Matt, but she appears to be a bit more guarded than the other ladies and admitted to her mother she was "so scared" of getting hurt.

The three women will be hoping to spend more time with Matt off-camera so they can get to know each other better, and Matt is hoping the alone time with his Final 3 bachelorettes will bring him some clarity.

However, previews show drama is ahead and Matt may have an emotional breakdown.


Did a bachelorette dump him near the end and did he get his heart broken, or was it some other issue that was upsetting?

Keep reading for spoilers on the next Fantasy-Suite date episode and how Matt's The Bachelor journey ends, including which bachelorette won Matt's final rose and ultimately his heart.

The Bachelor Episode 9 Spoilers

In the next episode, Matt will enjoy a special, romantic date with each of his Final 3 women: Michelle Young, Rachael Kirkconnell and Bri Springs.

By the end of a date, a bachelorette must determine if she is ready to take her relationship with Matt to the next level and commit to spending the night alone with him off-camera.

Based on the preview that aired at the end of The Bachelor: The Women Tell All special, Michelle and Matt rappel down a building.


Michelle also apparently accepts the key to her Fantasy Suite date with Matt because a scene shows the pair kissing in a bed when they're all oiled, seemingly from a massage.

Michelle sweetly tells Matt, "I want to tell you that I am in love with you."

And Rachael definitely seems ready for an overnight date given she gushes to the cameras, "I am head over heels for you... Every time I see you, I can't breathe."

But Rachael apparently has a breakdown over the idea of Matt spending the night with another woman or two and potentially being intimate with one or both of them.

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Rachael was all in at this stage in the game and so it was hard for her to picture Matt having strong feelings for another woman.

And Bri also shares a romantic evening with Matt, and she appears to open up to The Bachelor star like never before.

In the preview Bri says, "I am so in love with you," before a clip aired of Bri and Matt kissing in bed.

Bri also shares with Matt that she "couldn't have asked for a better experience" with him.
 

Matt then cuts Bri Springs and picks Michelle Young and Rachael Kirkconnell as his Final 2 women

According to Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone, Matt sent Bri home at the Final 3 Rose Ceremony that took occurred after his round of overnight dates, leaving Michelle Young and Rachael Kirkconnell as Matt's Final 2 bachelorettes.


"I was told 'Michelle and Rachael were final 2,'" Carbone wrote in his January 4 blog.

Carbone wasn't sure at the time that Bri Springs finished in third place, but he revealed in a subsequent January 21 blog post with certainty, "Bri gets eliminated after overnights."

Matt's father shows up after Bri Springs has been eliminated

During the preview that aired at the end of The Bachelor: The Women Tell All, viewers also saw Matt appearing to have a deep and emotional conversation with his estranged father, who pays The Bachelor star a surprise visit at the Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania that served as the filming location of the entire season.

"There's still a lot of fear based on what I've seen from my family in the past," Matt explains.

In the preview, Matt tells his dad, "When I needed you, you weren't there."

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As The Bachelor viewers are well aware, Matt has mentioned on numerous occasions how he and his brother were raised by a single mother and his father wasn't around much for guidance or support.

"Do you know what I went through?" Matt's father asks.

"I don't want you to make excuses," Matt argues.

"Nobody is perfect, son!" Matt's father insists.

Matt then tells the cameras he doesn't want to make the same mistakes that caused his family to fall apart.

Matt's mother is also shown warning him that people fall in and out of love all the time.


"I feel like everything I've been working towards is starting to crumble," Matt says. "I don't know how to go on. How do you go on from there?"

A scene then shows Matt sitting on the curb crying and Chris Harrison repeating, "I'm very sorry."

"Do you know if you can do this anymore?" Chris asks.

"To be honest with you, I don't know, Chris," Matt admits.

In a new March 4 blog post in which he revealed numerous new details about how the final days of Matt's The Bachelor season unfolded, Carbone revealed Matt's conversation with his father took place "at some point after the Final 3 Rose Ceremony."

"This talk really affects Matt," Carbone revealed in the blog post. "A lot have asked did Matt know or was he given a heads up his dad was being brought in? I don't know. My guess would be 'no' because they wanted a genuine reaction."


Carbone believes Matt's conversation with Chris took place immediately before or after Matt met with his dad.

"I know immediately people will think this is a low blow by the show because clearly they didn't consult Matt beforehand. Which is why I think that this meeting between Matt and his dad probably ends cordially at least," Carbone wrote in an earlier blog post.

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Carbone doesn't think Matt's conversation with his father ended badly or else the show would look bad for not asking for Matt's consent first.

Regardless of the outcome, Matt's chat with his dad was likely a tough one and probably very emotional.

"But when it's over, Matt probably feels better," Carbone speculated. "I can't imagine for the life of me that Matt calls it a disaster/walks off set/f-bombs production for bringing him on, etc."


"I don't know the outcome," Carbone previously wrote in his blog of the conversation. "If it was contentious, if Matt got closure, if it's a touching moment, etc. Not sure."

Matt James ousts Michelle Young during their final date

According to Carbone both Michelle and Rachael got to meet Matt's mother, but neither Final 2 bachelorette's final date with The Bachelor star went according to plan.

Michelle's date with Matt reportedly occurred first -- and while the daytime portion went as planned, Matt decided to end his relationship with Michelle during the evening portion of the date.

"[Matt] says he loves Michelle but is not in love with her," Carbone wrote in his March 4 blog. "She suspects it's because of Rachael and he confirms."

Carbone's new March 4 blog post elaborated on an earlier January post in which the blogger had reported he'd learned Matt did not follow The Bachelor's usual format and had dumped Michelle before the Final Rose Ceremony.

"Matt actually lets Michelle go before the final rose ceremony," he'd written in a January 26 post.

But Matt James also cancels his final date with Rachael Kirkconnell too!

However, even though Michelle had already been sent home, Matt's date with Rachael also reportedly didn't proceed as planned either!

"The next day is supposed to be Rachael's final date, and it gets canceled. The breakup with Michelle, the meeting with his dad all catches up to him, and I assume that's why he cancels his final date with Rachael," Carbone wrote in his March 4 post.

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"Chris shows up at Rachael's door the next morning and says her final date is canceled because Matt is confused and hurting or something to that effect."

"Basically at this point, the show wants to make you think Matt isn't gonna pick anybody since he sent Michelle home and canceled his final date with Rachael," he explained.

However Matt James still ultimately picks Rachael Kirkconnell as his winner

But after cancelling their Final 2 date, Matt reportedly still asked Rachael to meet with him the next day, according to Carbone's new March 4 spoilers posting.

"The following day, Rachael gets a letter under her door from Matt apologizing for canceling their final date the day before," Carbone reported. "The letter says to meet him by the lake where they had their overnight date."

While she was upset at Matt, Rachael reportedly still agreed to meet with Matt.

Rachael then reportedly traveled to at the lakeside site, which she discovered had been arranged to resemble the show's traditional final Rose Ceremony set.

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But after scolding Matt for cancelling their final date, Rachael told Matt she forgave him because she's in love with him.


"[Rachael] tells him how much he hurt her but she's not going to leave him because she's in love and you don't run from love when the going gets tough or something like that," Carbone wrote.

But Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell don't get engaged

Matt then reportedly reciprocated Rachael's feelings but said he "can't" propose marriage to her and they do not get engaged.  Instead, Matt simply gave Rachael his final rose and they agreed to continue their relationship in the real world.

"Matt tells her that he can't propose to her... BUT... that he loves her and he can't picture his life without her," Carbone wrote in his new spoilers blog.

"She accepts the final rose and they leave as a couple. No engagement and no promise ring either. Just an agreement to continue dating essentially."

Carbone does not explain wht Matt feels he "can't" propose to Rachael.

Rachael Kirkconnell's status as Matt's winner was first reported in January

Carbone had originally reported he believed Rachael had likely received Matt's final rose of the season in a January 4 blog post.


"I was told, 'Michelle and Rachael were final 2, and Rachael wins,'" Carbone wrote at the time.

The spoiler blogger, however, wasn't totally confident in the knowledge he had about the winner.

"If you believe everything coming out of the small town of Cumming, GA, then it's Rachael Kirkconnell [who won]," Carbone explained.

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"Because for the last month, all I keep being told out of Cumming is that Rachael won, and all her friends and family know and they're telling everyone."

"Maybe Rachael did win. All I'm saying is that if she did, she, her family, and her friends are doing an awful job of keeping it secret."
 
Carbone therefore questioned if Rachael's alleged victory was just a situation in which someone started a false rumor and it then spread like wildfire.


"I'm not 100 percent sold on it yet, but, I'm just telling you that's the one I've heard most," Carbone wrote.

However, in a subsequent January 21 blog Carbone announced he had now gotten full confirmation that Rachael had in fact received Matt's final rose.

"I [just] got the confirmation I needed about this seasons spoiler: Matt chose Rachael and is still with her," he wrote.

"I know it's been out there, but I don't base my spoilers on what anyone else reports. Never have, and never will. Been hearing it was her for a while but never felt fully secure saying with certainty he chose her."

Matt James then also appeared to spoil that he picked Rachael Kirkconnell

Matt also appears to have accidentally verified Carbone's spoiler that he picked Rachael as his final bachelorette.

In January, Matt was caught listening to and "liking" one of Rachael's Spotify playlists, leading viewers to believe he must have picked her as his winner at the season's final Rose Ceremony.


Matt's actions were visible in his public Spotify history, which he seems to have not realized was publicly available.

Rachael's playlist, titled "Night Drive," had a whopping 77 songs on it.

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Some of the artists or groups represented on Rachael's playlist included The Mary Onettes, The Chainsmokers, The Districts, Flume featuring Beck, The Weeknd, Daft Punk and Joji.

Matt was subsequently asked about his Spotify activity in an interview with Entertainment Tonight reporter Lauren Zima, who is the girlfriend of The Bachelor host Chris Harrison.

However, Matt tried to brush off the matter and suggested that -- in what would be a dramatic departure from the usual behavior of prior The Bachelor leads -- he has remained in contact with several of his bachelorettes since his season finished filming in November.


"There's a lot of music that I've taken from a bunch of women on the show. I've listened to [Kit Keenan]'s playlist, I've listened to [Michelle Young]'s playlist," Matt responded.

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"I think that people are very eager to find any tea," Matt acknowledged, "and you know, lucky for me, I had a very good group of women and I've taken a lot of what I've learned from them and applied it to my life."

Matt even pointed out the shirt he was wearing for his video interview was inspired by Kit's fashion given she's the daughter of fashion designer Cynthia Rowley.

"A lot of the things I'm doing going forward were taken from my time with these women," Matt concluded.

Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell's non-engagement was originally reported in early February

While Carbone had stated Matt and Rachael were still together as a couple in his January 21 blog post, he had clarified he wasn't sure they got engaged at The Bachelor season's final Rose Ceremony or if the couple may have gotten engaged afterwards.


"I do not know if they're engaged or not," he wrote.

However on February 2, Carbone reported he had now confirmed Matt and Rachael did not get engaged at The Bachelor season's final Rose Ceremony.

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"Matt did not propose to Rachael. They are still together today though," he wrote in a blog post.

"Everyone will basically say this relationship has zero chance because it doesn't have that 'label' of engagement, even though that's never mattered in the past since so many don't make it any way," he added.

"But I can already tell you him not proposing will immediately have people giving the hot take that these two won't make it. I mean, I don't think they will either, but not because he didn't propose."


"I don't think they'll make it because I don't think for a second Matt is ready for a serious relationship, and never was." 

Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell stayed together for weeks after her racism scandal first broke

In mid-February, Rachael finally broke her silence and released a lengthy apology for prior offensive and racist behavior that came to light and surfaced online after The Bachelor premiered on ABC in January.

Given the widespread media coverage Rachael's racism scandal has attracted, some viewers had wondered if Matt and Rachael's status may have changed after Carbone's February 2 blog post in which he stated Matt and Rachael were still together.

However the couple's relationship status had not changed a couple of weeks after the blog post, according to Carbone.

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"They are still together," he reiterated in another February 17 blog posting.


"Matt and Rachael are still together and will be come [After the Final Rose]. I don't see that changing. After that? Anybody's guess.," he added later in the blog post.

"Just think of how hard it is to make it as a couple in this franchise when everything is great and America loves you. Matt and Rachael don't have much support publicly, they're living through the biggest scandal this show has ever seen, and they can't address it publicly for another month. Gonna be real tough for these two to make it in the long run.

But Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell split up recently!

"Breaking news last night... We all know Matt picks Rachael in the end, but after last night, well, they are no more," Carbone wrote in a February 23 blog post.

After the Huffington Post reported Matt and Rachael's breakup on February 22, Carbone said he was able to confirm the news.

"Matt and Rachael broke up within the last week. I don't have an exact day, and I don't have any details as to why, but judging by Matt's [Instagram] post yesterday, I get the sense that the guy was put in a no-win situation," Carbone explained.

"So basically no matter what he did, he was going to take some heat. If he sticks this out and shows up with Rachael on the ATFR as a couple, it'll be 'how is [he] not affected by what she did?' Now they've broken it off, it'll be 'why couldn't he stand by her?'"


Carbone also reported The Bachelor: After the Final Rose will not air as a live event this March and will be instead be filmed more than a week in advance.

The special's scheduling marks a departure from The Bachelor's other recent seasons -- although given The Bachelorette's recent fall season didn't feature any After the Final Rose special, it's unclear how big a role Rachael's racism scandal may have played in the decision versus other factors like the ongoing pandemic.

Chris Harrison will also not be hosting the special as he recently decided to "step aside" from the franchise for "a period of time" after he sparked an outrage by defending the allegations against Rachael prior to her public apology.

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Carbone speculates anything could happen on After the Final Rose and he is unable to provide specific details at this time.

"Because the breakup is so new, when these two see each other again, does some reconciliation happen? Is there any way they make it through this?" Carbone questioned.


"Does Matt possibly have the balls to ask Bri or Michelle for a second chance? Does he leave solo?...  Will there even be an audience? I'm not sure. But this sure is gonna be messy. I can't remember the last couple that couldn't even make it to their ATFR taping."

Carbone had also insisted in his February 23 blog that Matt gave Rachael a promise ring at the final Rose Ceremony -- a fact he reported was actually incorrect in his subsequent March 4 blog.

"A promise to stay together 3 months? Whatever the case, that's what we're getting at the end of this season," Carbone wrote on February 23.

"A lot obviously came about post filming, all stuff Matt had no clue about while he was falling for Rachael and ultimately choosing her. It's really going to be interesting seeing what Matt says is the reason for the breakup with Rachael."

The spoiler blogger guessed that Matt probably broke it off with Rachael due to all the negative press surrounding the bachelorette.

"There just doesn't seem to be any other reason why a week before taping the ATFR. They've been together this whole time," Carbone reasoned


"Accusations have been out there since the night of the premiere 2 months ago. Like, WTF? Why now?... There's a lot of questions out there that definitely need to be answered."

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski