Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 to premiere in August; The Bachelorette returns in June

Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 finally has a premiere date, folks! After two excruciating years of no beach drama, we’re finally returning to our regularly scheduled programming this summer. Is anyone else as excited as I am?!

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the franchise’s beach-y version of its show had to take a year off and skipped over the 2020 season. But with ABC and the production crew figuring out a way to film with safety protocols in place and no positive cases to date, we’re going to get all the glory of Paradise drama once again.

Entertainment Weekly also revealed ABC’s plans for The Bachelorette Season 17 which will star Katie Thurston as the lead. She hails from Matt James’ controversial and dramatic season of The Bachelor and is getting her shot at love this summer. But she’s not the only one who will be getting a chance to finding true love this year, fellow contestant Michelle Young is also getting her own season which will likely air this fall.

So when are Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 and The Bachelorette Season 17 premiering exactly? We’ve got the details for you below!

When does Bachelor in Paradise Season 7 premiere?

We can expect to head to the beaches of Paradise starting August 16 when it officially premieres on ABC. You (along with all of Bachelor Nation’s fans) are curious to know if it will mark the return of host Chris Harrison after his self-proclaimed hiatus from the franchise. As of now, there have been no updates on that front, but we will certainly be keeping our eyes and ears peeled.

And as far as who will be joining Paradise? The cast list has not yet been announced, but what we do allegedly know is that production has been having a hard time wrangling a cast together given the franchise’s recent controversy over race-related issues. With that said, there is one contestant who has been confirmed for the seventh season of Paradise, and that is none other than fan-favorite Joe Park.

It will be interesting to see who else opts to head to the beach and attempts to find love–but there are certainly some frontrunners already. Ahem, Bennett Jordan–just saying.

When does The Bachelorette Season 17 premiere?

ABC has set the premiere for The Bachelorette Season 17 for June 7, about a month or so after when the series would usually air. It’s not too off schedule from what we’re used to, so it’s nice to see them being able to stick to that.

Katie Thurston will be the lead and is currently filming the season in New Mexico, with former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe taking over hosting duties. Dare I say this is going to be a fun season to watch?

A list of confirmed contestants has not yet been released but there have been leaked pictures of Blake Moynes from Tayshia and Clare Crawley’s season on set. Whether he’s a contestant or not is yet to be confirmed, but that should be somewhat interesting. And then there’s Bachelor Nation alum Clay Harbor’s cousin, Andrew Spencer, who is apparently a part of the group of potential contestants.

Tune in to see who makes the final cut of men competing for Katie’s love!

Three cheers for a year full of Bachelor Nation shows–hip hip hooray!

Are you excited for the return of Bachelor in Paradise? Share your comments below!