ABC has crowned its newest leading lady—and it’s a name already familiar to fans of reality TV and the online influencer world. On Wednesday, September 10, Taylor Frankie Paul, 31, was revealed as the star of The Bachelorette season 22, marking a bold new chapter for the long-running dating franchise.
The announcement was made on the Call Her Daddy podcast, where host Alex Cooper officially broke the news to Paul during a candid conversation. “You are this season’s Bachelorette,” Cooper told her, prompting Paul to pause and take in the gravity of the moment.
“Surreal,” Paul replied. “It has not hit me right now in this moment. I’m just thinking about it, and it’s not real. And it’s not going to be until I think the limo is pulling up, you know? And meeting the people.”
From MomTok to Prime Time
Paul first rose to national attention through TikTok’s MomTok community, where her candid posts about motherhood and marriage earned her a devoted following. But in 2022, she shocked fans by announcing her divorce from husband Tate Paul—and then dropped another bombshell by confirming that a circle of MomTok friends had engaged in what she described as “soft-swinging” arrangements.
That revelation helped launch Hulu’s hit series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which chronicled Paul’s breakup, her complicated new relationship with Dakota Mortensen, and the upheaval that followed. The series drew both fascination and criticism, cementing Paul as one of the most talked-about figures in reality entertainment.
Now, ABC is betting that her blend of vulnerability, controversy, and relatability will capture audiences looking for a fresh face in the Bachelor franchise.
A Single Mom Takes the Rose
Unlike past Bachelorettes, Paul steps into the role as a mother of three children: Indy and Ocean, whom she shares with her ex-husband, and Ever, her son with Mortensen. That reality makes her journey different—and, by her own admission, more complicated.
“I’m a co-parent. I have two baby daddies, not one, so I’m dealing with two different people, my children, my home base is here,” Paul explained on the podcast. “Can I travel that long? Can I be gone that long? But then I thought, if you want to, you can. And it comes down to that.”
Paul said she drew inspiration from her Secret Lives of Mormon Wives costars, Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt, who joined Dancing with the Stars and brought their families along for the ride. “I can ask for help more,” Paul added. “I will make it work.”
Family Reactions and Fan Buzz
Paul admitted her family was “shocked” by the announcement but ultimately supportive. “They’re all excited,” she said.
As for her fellow Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars, Paul said she’s received nothing but positive reactions so far. “I think most of them are going to be happy for me and support me,” she said. Still, she acknowledged that group dynamics can shift quickly. “I can’t speak for everyone and what they actually truly think. You never really know.”
The casting news comes after ABC confirmed earlier this year that The Bachelorette would not air in its usual summer slot, sparking speculation about the franchise’s future. Host Jesse Palmer reassured fans in February that the series was not canceled but simply being recalibrated.
Breaking the Mold
The announcement of Paul as Bachelorette is significant for another reason: she has never competed on The Bachelor. Traditionally, the franchise chooses its leads from within its existing contestant pool. Paul’s casting suggests that ABC is willing to take bigger risks to reinvigorate the format.
“This is going to be great for ratings,” Cooper said on the podcast, joking about Paul’s crossover from Hulu to ABC.
For Paul, the reality of finding love on television—while juggling motherhood and two co-parenting arrangements—may be daunting. But she insists she’s ready. “It started as a joke three years ago when I made a TikTok,” she said. “But when they actually asked me, I thought, no way. And then I realized, why not me?”
What Comes Next
Season 22 of The Bachelorette will debut on ABC in 2026. Meanwhile, Paul will continue to appear on Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which returns for its third season on November 13, 2025.
Whether audiences will embrace her as a groundbreaking lead or remain skeptical of her reality-TV résumé remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Taylor Frankie Paul’s journey from MomTok to primetime roses represents one of the most unconventional—and potentially most compelling—turns the franchise has taken in years.
And if Paul herself is still pinching her arm to believe it, she isn’t alone.
