Charity Lawson has officially been announced as The Bachelorette star for Season 20 in 2023.
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"I am truly so happy, so grateful, and I'm so ready to get engaged to the right person. Where are you?! He's coming, he's coming!" Charity said on The Women Tell All special.
"I can't wait to show little girls that look like me being in a position like this. It's awesome. I know I'm going to make a lot of people proud. I'm the next Bachelorette!"
At the top of the pre-recorded broadcast, Jesse teased, "Later tonight, something is going to happen that has never happened in the history of our show before. Someone's life will change forever."
When it became time for the big reveal, Jesse walked to Charity's dressing room backstage.
"I'm about to go tell that woman that she's going to be our next Bachelorette, and I'm about to go do it right now," Jesse told the cameras.
"She has no idea this is happening. She thinks we're just doing some promotional shoot for our social media account. But little does she know, her life is never going to be the same again."
Jesse proceeded to knock on Charity's door, and she welcomed him into her dressing room.
Jesse explained how they were going to play a fun "This or That" game for social media.
"It's a cool way for fans at home to get to know you," Jesse noted.
Charity was all smiles and ready to answer Jesse's rapid-fire questions. He told Charity that she didn't need to think hard and should just blurt out what comes to the top of her mind.
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During the game, Charity shared that she prefers a vacation over a staycation, dining out over takeout, sunsets over sunrises, and glamping over camping.
Jesse then asked, "Bachelor in Paradise or The Bachelorette?"
"Oh, goodness gracious. I'd say The Bachelorette," Charity responded.
"Are you good with that?" Jesse asked.
"Yeah. What? Is that a wrong answer? Oh my god," Charity questioned while giggling.
"You think The Bachelorette is the one?" Jesse asked.
"Yeah," Charity confirmed with a confused look on her face.
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"No," Charity interjected, putting a hand over her mouth and appearing shocked.
"I want you to be our next Bachelorette," Jesse said.
"Stop! Is this for real? No way!" Charity said. "No way! Is this for real right now?! Oh my god, I want to cry!"
When Jesse confirmed this was "totally real," Charity was still in disbelief.
"Charity, this is happening," Jesse assured her.
"No way! I'm going to cry!" Charity responded. "It's a 'yes,' absolutely! 100 percent! Absolutely!"
Charity and Jesse hugged, and Charity admitted that she was "shaking" at the thought of being the franchise's next leading lady.
Charity proceeded to sit down and take it all in, and then Jesse explained how, in a couple of months, there's a pretty good chance she'll be engaged to the love of her life.
Charity called the opportunity "insane," and then she gushed to cameras about being the new Bachelorette.
"I can't even say that without crying and screaming, but I'm the next Bachelorette! It's me!" Charity gushed.
Jesse told Charity that her life was going to change and it couldn't happen to "a more deserving" person."
"I've waited forever to find the love of my life, and it blows my mind that I could meet my person and be engaged and literally have my happily ever after," Charity said with tears in her eyes.
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After Charity's mother assured her that she'd be by her side for every step of the way, Charity expressed how she was feeling "so many emotions."
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Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone took to Twitter on March 6 and spoiled whom he heard was chosen as the next The Bachelorette star.
"(SPOILER): Your next 'Bachelorette' is going to be... Charity Lawson," Carbone tweeted.
"Nothing is ever final until ABC officially announces it, but from everything I'm hearing it's going to be Charity."
Carbone added in his post, "I would expect this announcement to be made sometime in the next few weeks."
Former The Bachelorette stars Becca Kufrin and Michelle Young admitted last month on the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast that Charity was their top pick from Zach's season to be The Bachelorette's next leading lady because they believe she's genuine, hardworking, self-aware, sweet and well-rounded.
When asked at the time whether she'd say "yes" to starring on The Bachelorette's upcoming 20th season if the opportunity presented itself, Charity said on the same podcast episode, "I think I would [accept the offer], yeah."
"I think it takes a very special person to be in, kind of, the driver's seat in something like this. I think for me, obviously you guys can see my heart and how adamant I am about my journey."
She therefore concluded, "And so, I feel like if it was to happen, it could be a good thing. So yeah, I would be open!"
Charity was cast on The Bachelor's 27th season after a friend nominated her to be on the show.
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"I definitely had reservations [going into The Bachelor]. I was unsure of what the outcome would be... But for me, with the timing of everything, everything just kind of fell into place," Charity shared.
Charity -- who had just finished her Master's Degree when she received the phone call from ABC -- said, "Everything does happen for a reason, good or bad," and so she jumped into The Bachelor with a positive and optimistic attitude.
In terms of what she wants from her future husband, Charity told Becca and Michelle that she's looking for honesty, confidence, and a man who doesn't play games -- which are all qualities she found and loved in Zach.
Many The Bachelor fans have praised Charity for being vulnerable, relatable, empathetic and graceful in her pursuit of Zach on the show.
Ariel Frenkel and Brooklyn Willie recently said on the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast how Charity was a reliable and supportive friend in the house, always offering sound advice and a shoulder to lean on during the emotional and difficult process.
Zach eliminated Charity during the Rose Ceremony that followed hometown dates. Their breakup was especially hard since Zach had met Charity's extended family and best friends in Columbus, GA.
Zach gushed throughout the season about Charity's intelligence and kind heart and how he always felt at ease and comfortable around her. He thought that Charity made everything fun.
Charity opened up on the show about how she had been cheated on, multiple times, in her past long-term relationship, which left her feeling embarrassed and unable to fully trust her own decisions.
Charity, however, has clearly come a long way in the healing process since then and is ready to find her man.
Zach, meanwhile, is about to embark on Fantasy Suites on The Bachelor's 27th season with Ariel, Gabi Elnicki and Kaity Biggar.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
