Bachelor spoilers: Who did 'The Bachelor' star Matt James end up with and pick as his winner? Does Matt pick Rachael Kirkconnell? Who are Matt's Final 3 'The Bachelor' bachelorettes? (SPOILERS)

Bachelor spoilers reveal the details of what's still to come on Matt James' 2021 season of The Bachelor -- including spoilers revealing The Bachelor star's Final 3 bachelorettes, Matt's runner-up, who Matt picked as his winner and ended up with, whether he got engaged, and if Matt and his final pick are still together now!

[Bachelor Spoilers Warning: This report features spoilers revealing Matt James' Final 3 bachelorettes, who finished as  The Bachelor star's runner-up, and who Matt picked as his winner and ended up with.]

Matt narrowed down his cast of bachelorettes to the following four women in the latest episode: Bri Springs, a 24-year-old communications manager from Owatonna, MN; Michelle Young, a 27-year-old teacher from Edina, MN; Rachael Kirkconnell, a 24-year-old graphic designer from Cumming, GA; and Serena Pitt, a 22-year-old publicist from Markham, ON.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' SEASON 25 BACHELORETTES: MEET ALL OF MATT JAMES' LADIES! (PHOTOS)

Matt made some big decisions after going on two one-on-one dates, a group date and then handing out roses at two Rose Ceremonies in one jam-packed episode.

Matt's first move was to ask The Bachelor alum Heather Martin to leave in order to please the women who had already given Matt their heart.


Matt then chose to eliminate Chelsea Vaughn, a 29-year-old runway model from Marietta, GA; Serena Chew, a 24-year-old flight attendant from San Bruno, CA; and Abigail Heringer, a 25-year-old client financial from Salem, OR.

After Matt sent Abigail home on a group date, Kit Keenan, a 21-year-old fashion entrepreneur from New York, NY, decided to quit The Bachelor because she didn't feel ready to accept a marriage proposal in a week or two -- much unlike Matt's other remaining bachelorettes.

Matt also sent home Jessenia Cruz, a 27-year-old social media marketer from San Antonio, TX, during a one-on-one date as well as Pieper James, a 24-year-old graduate student from Happy Valley, OR.

Pieper was the only woman ousted at the Rose Ceremony that determined Matt's Final 4 women.

At this point in his journey, Matt -- who told his best friend Tyler Cameron he could see himself getting engaged at the end of the process -- said he is "falling in love" with Rachael.


And it appears Matt may be developing similar feelings for more than just one woman.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)  

Going into hometown dates, Rachael says she is madly in love with Matt.

"I truly could not be happier right now. I am head over heels in love. Get on one knee right now; it's a done deal," Rachael gushed in a confessional.

And Michelle, who arrived late in the game, is also crazy about The Bachelor star.


"I am fully invested in Matt," Michelle shared with the cameras.

"He is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. He's the person I want to have a family with. Getting sent home at this point, my heart is going to be broken."

Serena P. and Bri aren't quite in love with Matt yet, but there is still time for the women to completely fall for The Bachelor star and express themselves.

So will Serena P. or Bri end up being The One? Or does Matt choose Rachael or Michelle in the end given they're a bit further along in their feelings?

Who receives Matt's final rose and did he get engaged? Keep reading for The Bachelor Season 25 spoilers!

The Bachelor Episode 8 Spoilers

The Bachelor airs its next episode, Episode 8, on Monday, February 22 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.

Matt will be shown meeting Michelle, Rachael, Bri and Serena P.'s loved ones.

This season's hometown dates filmed at Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania due to the coronavirus pandemic and Matt being unable to travel around the United States.

"Their families came to Nemacolin just like on [Tayshia Adams'] season where their families traveled to the location of filming due to COVID," Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone wrote in his blog.

Based on the preview for the next episode, the four girls are overjoyed to introduce Matt to their family.


Rachael says, "I want them to ask the hard questions. It's so important to get their stamp of approval."

But Matt and the girls will experience some drama during the hometown dates.

"I've never seen Rachael in love, so I'm not quite sure what that looks like," says Rachael's mother.

And Michelle admits she's "terrified" of proceeding on the show.

Michelle's mother asks her daughter, "Is this too fast for you?"

And Michelle responds by nodding her head "yes."


Bri is also reluctant to share with Matt what's really in her heart, and a relative warns the bachelorette to protect herself going forward.

One of Serena P.'s loved ones points out, "To me, you don't seem smitten [with Matt]."

In addition, Rachael's father admits he's concerned about his daughter supposedly being in a love with a man after getting to know him for only a few weeks.

And a skydiving date appears to have a rough landing!

"Everything I've been working towards is starting to crumble," Matt says in a confessional.

In a January 21 post, Carbone revealed Matt had chosen to eliminate Serena P. after the hometown dates and so she finished in fourth place.


Serena's elimination therefore left Bri, Michelle and Rachael as Matt's Final 3 bachelorettes heading into overnight Fantasy Suite dates.

Who does Matt pick as his Final 2 bachelorettes? 

According to Carbone, Michelle Young and Rachael Kirkconnell finished as Matt's Final 2 bachelorettes.

"I was told 'Michelle and Rachael were final 2,'" Carbone wrote in his January 4 blog, explaining he was still unsure who had been Matt's third-place finisher.

But in his subsequent January 21 blog, Carbone revealed he had now learned Bri was eliminated after Matt's overnight dates with his Final 3 bachelorettes.

"Bri gets eliminated after overnights," he wrote.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)


Matt's BFF Tyler visited The Bachelor star on-location while the season was filming and revealed in an early December video log that Matt seemed "extremely happy."

"He loves his girls... He spoke so highly of them," Tyler shared. "He's really pushing himself to be vulnerable and put himself out there, and I think you're got to get a great season and a great Matt."

Tyler predicted, "I'm excited to see how all of this ends here, because Matt seems genuinely happy. I think we're going to get the ending we all want and have been missing for a while." 

Matt's father appears on The Bachelor

According to Carbone, Matt also receives a surprise visit from his seemingly-estranged father, whom Matt has told multiple women about in conversations this season.

Matt revealed his father wasn't around much when he was growing up and his mother raised his brother and himself. Matt also gravitated towards friends with big families to fill that void and said his parents didn't set a good example of what a marriage should be.

"Just like last season where I reported [producers] were trying to get [Kelsey Weier]'s dad to show up for her hometown date, I guess they succeeded with Matt's," Carbone wrote in a January 26 blog post.


"I don't know the outcome. If it was contentious, if Matt got closure, if it's a touching moment, etc. Not sure."

In a preview The Bachelor has aired multiple times, Matt is shown sitting down outside on a curb as host Chris Harrison asks if he's okay. Matt replies, "No, I'm not."

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)

Carbone now believes this scene had to do with the appearance of Matt's father.

"Either he'd just met him or was just told his dad is there to speak with him," Carbone reasoned.

"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 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 predicted. "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."

Carbone, however, clarified how he does not know the end result of Matt and his father's conversation.

Matt James picks Rachael Kirkconnell as his The Bachelor winner and rejects Michelle Young 

In his January 4 blog, Carbone had insisted he was "positive" Serena Pitt and Michelle Young did not ultimately win Matt's heart.

Carbone reported in his January 4 blog post that he believed Rachael received Matt's final rose of the season.


"I was told, 'Michelle and Rachael were final 2, and Rachael wins,'" Carbone revealed.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' SEASON 25 BACHELORETTES: MEET ALL OF MATT JAMES' LADIES! (PHOTOS)

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.

"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."

But Carbone noted he heard similar information about Madison Prewett during Peter Weber's The Bachelor season -- and that information ultimately turned out to be incorrect.


(Peter got engaged to Hannah Ann Sluss at the Final Rose Ceremony after Madison quit the show in second place. After Peter and Hannah Ann split, Peter briefly reunited with Madison but the pair never really got their relationship off the ground and broke up within a few days).

"I never ran with it because I was never convinced it was that easy. And it ended up being wrong anyway," Carbone explained.

"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 another situation in which someone started a false rumor about her winning 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.

The spoiler blogger said he expected to hear more details as Matt's season unfolded on TV, "but that's what I got for you right now." 

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)  


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

"Tuesday night into yesterday, I 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 sends Michelle Young home before the final Rose Ceremony

In his January 26 blog post, Carbone reported he had also now learned that Matt did not follow The Bachelor's usual format and dump Michelle at the Final Rose Ceremony before choosing Rachael.

Instead, according to Carbone, Matt decided to send Michelle home early instead of embarrassing her and breaking her heart at the Final Rose Ceremony.

"Matt actually lets Michelle go before the final rose ceremony," Carbone wrote in his blog post.


It's rare viewers have seen The Bachelor star let a bachelorette go prior to the Final Rose Ceremony-dumping.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)

In Season, 23 The Bachelor star Colton Underwood had a similar outcome in which he decided to dump Tayshia Adams and Hannah Godwin during the overnight Fantasy Suite dates in order to pursue a relationship with only Cassie Randolph.

"Well, apparently it happens again and Matt eliminates Michelle before the final rose ceremony," Carbone wrote.

Matt seemingly accidentally spoiled he picked Rachael

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.

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.


"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 did not get engaged

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

"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.


"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." 

Rachael Kirkconnell and Matt James are still together despite her recent racism scandal

Earlier this month, 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 have wondered if Matt and Rachael's status may have changed since Carbone's February 2 blog post in which he stated Matt and Rachael were still together.


However the couple's relationship status has not changed, according to Carbone.

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

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)

Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group!







About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski