The Bachelorette star Katie Thurston has revealed her choice for the next The Bachelor star.
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At The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All taping, Katie dished on which of her Season 17 suitors she'd like to see become the next Bachelor for Season 26 premiering in early 2022.
"Definitely Michael," Katie shared with Access, referring to 36-year-old single father and business owner Michael Allio from Akron, OH.
Katie said she also wouldn't mind seeing Andrew Spencer, a 26-year-old football player who splits his time between Vienna, Austria and Chicago, IL, lead the upcoming season.
"Those are going to be my Top 2 picks, if I had any say, which I don't," Katie noted. "But they'd both be amazing Bachelors."
Katie denied Andrew a rose at the Rose Ceremony preceding hometown dates, but the fifth-place finisher returned the next morning to talk to Katie and hopefully end their relationship on a good note.
Katie already didn't feel confident in her decision to let Andrew go, and then, on his way out of her hotel room, he left her a sweet card that read, "If you change your mind... I'll be waiting."
Katie did in fact change her mind and proceeded to ask Andrew in tears if he wanted to stay on the show longer, but Andrew rejected Katie's invitation and chose to leave so he wouldn't have to go through another breakup.
Michael received a rose ahead of hometown dates, but he ultimately decided to quit the show in fourth place after FaceTiming with his four-year-old son James, who sadly voiced how it seemed like his father didn't want to see him.
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Michael had already been away filming in New Mexico for over a month, and so he thought it was necessary to return home and be there for his child, especially since James' mother Laura had passed away from breast cancer in 2019.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWOn Monday night's The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All special, Michael admitted he'd love to date Katie again if she'd be willing to give their relationship another shot, but Katie confirmed she had moved on and was happy with the way her season ended.
"I was definitely a little nervous to see Michael and Andrew [at The Men Tell All]," Katie told Access.
"Those emotions are still a little fresh, but I knew tonight was going to offer me that closure I was looking for, and that's exactly what I received."
Katie continued, "I've since moved forward and I kind of hope they've done the same as well, because all I want is for them to be happy. But ultimately I am in a place where I'm leaving that in the past and focusing on the future."
While Andrew has yet to publicly announce whether he'd be open to starring as the next Bachelor, Michael told People that he's definitely "not sold on the idea."
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"I literally just got my heart broken on TV," Michael explained, "so I am trying to mend those wings. And I have to think about what it would be like to get engaged in and introduce someone to my son in such a quick timeframe."
Starring on The Bachelor's upcoming 26th season would also mean more time away from his son, unless ABC let Michael bring James along for the ride or film in his hometown, like how Emily Maynard had taped a big portion of The Bachelorette's eighth season in North Carolina in order to stay with her daughter Ricki.
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"I'm getting a lot of messages from people who are resonating with my story and my message to any widower is that they can find it, too. It is possible -- and they are worth it."
To read spoilers on Katie's The Bachelorette season and find out who is her winner and whether she is engaged, click here.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
