The Bachelorette alum Katie Thurston has sparked dating rumors after appearing cozy with Nick Uhlenhuth on New Year's Eve.

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"I used to hate having a birthday so close to the New Year but now I love it! It's this full circle moment each year that marks a brand new chapter," Katie, 32, captioned a slideshow of black-and-white photos from her big night out in San Diego, CA, on Tuesday via Instagram.

"Im excited to be 32 in 2023. In my gut, I just know, this is going to be one hell of a year and I'm so excited! My 2023 mantra: Watch me."

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In one of the pictures, Katie posed with Nick, who lives in Austin, TX, and appeared on Season 3 of Netflix's The Circle reality series.

Nick, for his part, also uploaded several pictures from the party, and one image featured Nick and the Season 17 The Bachelorette star dancing together.

"#NewYearsEve I couldn't be more stoked for 2023. I truly think it's gonna be an incredible year of personal growth and adventure. Buckle up!!!" Nick wrote on Monday.

Katie noticeably commented on Nick's post, "Starting off 2023 with a bang."

According to a TikTok user, Katie and Nick shared a kiss in one photo that wasn't posted on either of their Instagram accounts.

In August 2022, Katie shared during an episode of the "Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe" podcast that she had no interest in appearing on another reality dating show, whether it be on ABC or any other channel or streaming platform.

"I don't think so," Katie noted. "I think reality TV can be fun, but dating in reality? No."

Katie added, "The Bachelor franchise, I am not dipping into that pool anymore."

"Why?" asked Kaitlyn Bristowe, who got engaged to Shawn Booth at the end of The Bachelorette's eleventh season and is now engaged to The Bachelorette alum Jason Tartick.

"I don't want to generalize that much, but it's a certain type, you know what I mean?" Katie explained.

"They're all, to a certain extent, they're either a certain type or the show changes them a little bit -- and then they become a certain type."

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Kaitlyn's co-host suggested the men are "thirsty," and Katie agreed, "You said it!"

"But, you know, I've already done it twice. I'm just not interested," Katie elaborated. "There have been some that have slid into my DM's, and talking to them, it's so cringy."

Katie refused to share who had DM'd her in order to "respect their boundaries and privacy."

Katie said she knows "for sure" that the people mixed up with The Bachelor franchise are "too interchangeable."

"I can't explain it," Katie admitted. "I feel like I'm so open [otherwise]."

Katie also revealed she was actually "very, very excited" to be single.

"I'm just focusing on myself, truly. Am I open to finding someone? Sure, I hope so. But it's not a priority," Katie shared.

Katie told Kaitlyn that her future partner must love animals and will be confident and secure in himself, especially given her background of having dated 30 guys on television.

Katie's The Bachelorette season ended with her getting engaged to wildlife manager Blake Moynes, but the pair announced their breakup in October 2021 after less than six months together.

Katie and John Hersey -- a San-Diego based bartender who was eliminated during Week 2 of Katie's The Bachelorette season -- then went Instagram official in November 2021.

Katie had faced backlash for having moved on from her former fiance too quickly with a "rebound," but both Katie and John denied any wrongdoing in the press, and Katie insisted she never emotionally or physically cheated on Blake.

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John even posted a long Reddit message to fans at the time defending his romance with Katie, saying their connection was innocent and they always maintained the best of intentions and utmost respect for Blake.

Katie allowed John to move into her apartment in Spring 2022, and then Katie announced in the following June 2022 statement that their relationship was over: "Statement: no we aren't together," and declined to provide any details or specifics.

When John confirmed his split from Katie, he wrote in a statement of his own, "I love being able to share special moments with you all -- the funny ones. The happy ones. The outrageous, embarrassing, and heartfelt ones. But I don't know if it will ever get easier to share the sad ones."

"As Katie stated earlier, we are no longer dating. This decision was not made lightly, and it was obviously not an easy one to make," he continued.

"I appreciate every one of you that has supported us throughout this journey. We could not (and would not) be here without you."

Katie later shared in a Q&A session with fans how her breakup was "complicated," adding, "At the end of the day, you just want the person you love to be happy and you support whatever path they want to take to find that."

Katie told Kaitlyn on her podcast that John had actually dumped her, and she suggested it was going to be difficult for them to remain friends after the split. (Katie and John were close friends before lovers).

Prior to starring on The Bachelorette, Katie competed on Matt James' season of The Bachelor.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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