What happens when you cross "The Bachelorette" [1] with Netflix's "Bridgerton" [2]? You get "The Courtship," [3] a reality dating show [4] unlike any of its predecessors. At the centre of NBC's newest dating show is Nicole Rémy, a bachelorette looking for love, with a twist. Ditching the modern methods of dating, like Tinder matches and quick hookups, "The Courtship" brings back the type of dating that Jane Austen [5] once wrote about.
In "The Courtship," which debuted on March 6, Rémy is in pursuit of an old-school kind of love. She is presented with 16 bachelors, who week by week are either kept in her circle or rejected based on how well they can win her heart as they compete in a number of challenges. Here's what you need to know about the show's leading lady.
She's a Software Engineer
When Rémy isn't attempting to find a Regency-era love story, she works as a software engineer. According to her LinkedIn [6], Rémy attended the University of Southern California from 2014 to 2018 and earned a bachelor's of science degree. Following her graduation, she worked in the architecture industry before going back to school, this time at the University of Washington, and getting a certificate in full-stack development and coding.
The job search was a challenge; Rémy shared on her Instagram [7] that it took "130 job applications, 27 interviews, 15 technical assessments, 4 whiteboarding interviews" to ultimately secure a position as a software engineer at the Making App, a community-based startup that is focussed on elevating the voices and art of BIPOC creators in the crafting world.
She Was a Cheerleader in College
While she was in college, Rémy was also a student athlete. She cheered with USC's Song Girls and could often be seen on the sidelines of games waving around her pom-poms. In an Instagram post [8], Nicole discussed her experience cheering at the 2017 Rose Bowl. "It just doesn't get better than this," she wrote. "Thank you so much to the football team, Trojan family, and my teammates for the best experience of my life."
She Was Also a Cheerleader For the NFL
Not long after she graduated from USC in 2018, Rémy moved on from the Song Girls to the Seattle Seahawks' cheerleading team, the Sea Gals. She cheered with the team for two years before leaving in 2020. In an announcement on her Instagram [9], she wrote: "My time with the Sea Gals and Seahawks Dancers was nothing short of incredible. This was a tough decision to make, but I am so excited to see what the world has in store for me!"
She Believes in the Importance of Representation
Rémy's identity is incredibly important to her, which is why her part in "The Courtship" is especially significant. In an Instagram post [10], she explained the importance of representation. "I didn't grow up with princesses in popular culture that looked like me," she wrote. "Disney's first black princess wasn't until I was a teen. As a result, when my friends and I would dress up like princesses for Halloween [11] as little girls, I used to feel uncomfortable about which princess I could 'pretend' to be. Well I don't have to pretend anymore. We've made the fairytale a reality."
She further wrote that she hopes that her role in "The Courtship" will positively impact BIPOC people, saying, "My hope is that little girls, and boys, black, Haitian, or anyone who hasn't felt represented, valued, or beautiful, will find hope in my journey."