Who Is Katie Thurston? All We Know about the New 'Bachelorette' for Season 17

“The Bachelor” alum Katie Thurston is the new “Bachelorette.” Although filming ended a week ahead of schedule, it is unclear if she really found love on the show.

After being one of the favorite contestants from Matt James’ season of “The Bachelor,” 30-year-old bank marketing manager Katie Thurston was named the new “Bachelorette” for the upcoming season 17.

Several people voiced their hopes for her to be the new Bachelorette as soon as James said he didn’t see a romantic future with Thurston and sent her home during Week 6.

BEST BACHELORETTE?

Although James sent Thurston home reasonably early on, he has nothing but positive comments about her. The former football player even described her as “incredible.”

James, who broke up with “Bachelor” finalist Rachael Kirkconnell, said Thurston would be one of the best Bachelorettes and wouldn’t be surprising to see everyone across the country fall in love with her.

According to Elite Daily, Katie Thurston’s sex positivity makes her a very relatable Bachelorette. One of her highlights on “The Bachelor” was meeting James with a vibrator in hand.

Her open approach to sex is nothing new, though. Before joining the show, she already had many followers on TikTok who loved her funny stories about everything from one-night stands to masturbation.

Thurston’s life has not been a walk in the park. In 2012, she lost her dad to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the same disease her fellow contestant, Sarah Trott’s father, was dealing with.

Trott and Thurston bonded over their loved ones’ battle with the disease. Thurston revealed she couldn’t say goodbye to her dad and wouldn’t want that for Trott, who ended up leaving the show to spend more time with her family.

Before hooking up, [Thurston] “got a random nosebleed.”

RELATIONSHIPS BEFORE “THE BACHELOR”

Nothing much is known about Thurston’s dating life before “The Bachelor.” She did an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit and confessed the favorite place she’s ever traveled was Taiwan.

What’s interesting about her answer was that she said her ex-boyfriend’s family “interpreted” for them, meaning that she was in a relationship serious enough to go abroad with her partner’s family.

Before her time on “The Bachelor,” Thurston was single. As shown in her TikTok account, she went on a blind date that wasn’t so successful. She’s even described herself as a “single cat lady.”

She also tried online dating, and one of her ex-flings is stand-up comedian Andrew Rivers. He confessed they went out a couple of times, but before hooking up, she “got a random nosebleed.”

After that, they couldn’t go on another date because he went on tour, and she began filming “The Bachelor.” Rivers hilariously said he wanted some royalties because she wouldn't be famous if they had hooked up.

Following “The Bachelor,” Katie Thurston and Matt James’ friend Tyler Cameron was rumored to be dating. When someone asked about it on Instagram, she said it wasn’t true, though.

KATIE THURSTON’S “BACHELORETTE” SEASON

Season 17 of “The Bachelorette,” which aired its first episode on June 7 and was filmed at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, is different in many ways.

Apart from having a very particular Bachelorette, longtime host, Chris Harrison is no longer on the show amid a racist controversy. Former “Bachelorette” stars Kaitlyn Bristowe, and Tayshia Adams replaced him.

The filming process ended a week earlier than expected, meaning that Thurston either found her match early on or decided none of the contestants were what she's looking for.

Katie Thurston’s shared some subtle hints on social media that she might have found love on the show, so “The Bachelorette” season 17 is definitely worth watching.