‘The Bachelorette’ Gets Season 22 Premiere Date Following Hiatus

The Bachelorette is back and better than ever.

After the show’s uncertain future, ABC has confirmed that the reality dating competition series will return for Season 22 on Sunday, March 22, 2026.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul, 31, was announced as the new Bachelorette in September. She made the announcement on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast and admitted it was “surreal.” The network announced Paul’s 26 suitors, with most ranging in their 20s and 30s, and one even in their 40s.

It’s been a long wait for The Bachelorette. ABC pulled the series from its 2025 schedule in February, with reports of the network “pausing” production on Season 22. At the time, it was unknown if and when it would return, but it was stressed that The Bachelorette “has not been canceled.” Not long after news broke of production pausing, host and former Bachelor star Jesse Palmer shared he knows “it’s not going away.”

Luckily, that turned out to be true. And with Paul leading the new season, The Bachelorette will likely be bringing in new and old fans. Paul can currently be seen on Hulu’s hit reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and she is the latest one on the show to transition to another reality series. Both Whitney Leavitt and Jen Affleck are currently competing on Dancing With the Stars, so it was only a matter of time before one decided to make the jump to The Bachelorette.

Although fans were without The Bachelorette this summer, they were treated to Bachelor in Paradise Season 10 instead. Additionally, the second season of The Golden Bachelor premiered in September and is currently airing on Wednesdays on ABC with lead Mel Owens. It’s still early to predict who he will end up with and if it’ll last, but fans will just have to tune in to see.

Meanwhile, The Rookie and Will Trent are also finally returning after a long hiatus for Seasons 8 and 4, respectively, as well as American Idol for Season 24. Fans will also be able to look forward to 9-1-1, Abbott Elementary, Shifting Gears, Grey’s Anatomy, and many more returning. With The Bachelorette rejoining ABC’s lineup after over a year, the wait will surely be worth it.