The Bachelor star Matt James is convinced Katie Thurston will be an amazing The Bachelorette star, maybe even the best leading lady to date, and he's eager to watch her season unfold.
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Katie, a 30-year-old bank marketing manager from Lynnwood, WA, was eliminated from Matt's The Bachelor season before hometown dates but made a lasting impression on Matt and home viewers with her raunchy humor and bold personality.
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Katie also put an end to bullying in the house and took pride in being unapologetically herself and embracing her sexuality on Season 25.
Matt said he's excited to watch Katie look for love on the ABC reality dating series' upcoming seventeenth season because "she's incredible."
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"She's going to do so well," Matt told E! News. "I'm excited for her to have this space to find her person."
Matt apparently has high hopes for Katie and what she will bring to the franchise.
"I think that she's going to be one of the best to ever do it," Matt gushed. "And it's not going to be a surprise to me as we watch everyone across the country fall in love with her."
Matt, whose journey on the show was tumultuous due to Chris Harrison and Rachael Kirkconnell's racism scandal and his attempt to seek closure from his painful past -- which included his parents' divorce and father's neglect -- admitted he doesn't have much words of wisdom for Katie.
"I should've [asked] Katie for advice," joked Matt, who broke up with his winner Rachael in February but recently reconciled with her and is currently working on their relationship.
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Katie returned to Instagram on Wednesday, April 28 and hinted at how she has started "a healthy relationship."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Katie's The Bachelorette season wrapped filming unexpectedly early and "ahead of schedule" on April 24, according to an Us Weekly source, because "Katie was "in control" and decisive over the men she wanted to date or send packing.
Katie's entire season taped at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, where cast and crew were required to quarantine and follow safety measures amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone.
ABC had announced Katie's cast of 34 potential bachelors last month, just a few days before filming began on March 22.
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In the first promo ABC released for Katie's season, which premieres Monday, June 7 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC, Katie says, "I never want to stop pursuing love. I am who I am, and I want someone who knows who they are. My person is still out there."
Season 17 of The Bachelorette will be co-hosted by former The Bachelorette stars Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe.
"Tayshia and Kaitlyn can relate to Katie's journey in a lot of different ways, which you'll see play out, so it was nice to have them there to help out with whatever situation came up," the source told Us, adding that the co-hosts were professional and always on-time.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
"Tayshia had fun and loved doing it. She and Kaitlyn made a great team."
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ABC hired Kaitlyn and Tayshia to fill in for longtime host Chris Harrison after he announced in February he'd be "stepping aside" from his hosting duties to educate himself on racism in society on a "profound" level.
Chris came under fire during Matt's The Bachelor season after he defended Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's racially-ignorant and racially-insensitive actions in the last several years during a controversial interview he had with Extra's Rachel Lindsay, who starred as the first Black Bachelorette.
It remains unclear who will host Season 18 of The Bachelorette starring Michelle Young when it films later this year and premieres in Fall 2021.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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