Becca Kufrin is officially the next star of The Bachelorette [1], and it's about time this girl got some happy news!
After "winning" season 22 of The Bachelor [2] and getting engaged to Arie Luyendyk Jr. in the finale, everything was coming up roses for the Minnesota native . . . or so we all thought. Sadly, she was later dumped by Arie [3], after he decided he was still in love with the show's runner-up, Lauren Burnham, and the couple's breakup was horrible [4]. Seriously, it was terrible to watch, and so painful to see happen to Becca. Luckily, now Becca will be making all the decisions [5], and she couldn't be happier to be handing out roses [6] for the next season of The Bachelorette [7].
"This is crazy!" Becca told Chris Harrison on the After the Final Rose special. "I have some big shoes to fill, that's for sure. I want to be the best damn Bachelorette I can be. So I'm so excited. I want to find love. I want to meet so many amazing guys. I'm just ready to do this!"
Becca was so ready in fact that she actually met a few of the men who will be competing for her heart, and hopefully not getting down on one knee and then changing his mind — no Arie, we will never be over this shady move — and there are some pretty good options thus far.
In anticipation of season 14 of The Bachelorette, we've rounded up a few details about the first five men (of 30 total) who will be stepping into the Bachelor [8] Mansion shortly. We are so ready to move on from this season of The Bachelor and onto The Bachelorette.
Lincoln
Lincoln was the first man to meet the newest Bachelorette, and boy did he make an impression. In addition to knowing his name, we know that Lincoln is British and he has the accent to back it up.
"I have to say, you are absolutely glowing tonight — you look magnificent. This is a special night. It is all about you tonight, but I have another twist," he said after stepping up to the fake Bachelor Mansion. "Tonight is also my birthday, so I can't ask for a better birthday present. I'm really looking forward to going on this incredible journey with you."
He then called out Arie for being a "wanker," and instantly won over Bachelor Nation.
Chase
Next up was Chase, and boy does he have a million-dollar smile. Just look at those pearly whites! When talking with Becca he gave her props for making it through such a dramatic breakup, and we could feel his sincerity.
"I saw what you went through as well and my heart goes out to you," Chase said. "I think that everyone agrees with me here that you deserve better than that. When one door closes, another door opens and I hope to be that open door. That smile is beautiful and I can't wait to see it when I walk out of the limo for the first time!"
Darius
Another one of the contestants was Darius, who started things off with a major apology . . . for all the men out there who are jerks. He said he wanted to "formally apologize on behalf of my gender" and then reassured her that he's not messing around, which is always good to hear. "I'm here for one reason. I'm here for you," he said. "I'm excited for this journey with you, and you are beautiful."
Brian
Come on, he has a banjo for goodness sake . . . that's so charming. We can already tell that Brian is a bit of a free spirit, has his own style, and has musical talent, all of which is attractive in a suitor, so yay for Becca.
"I'm feeling pretty groovy. You look incredible. I've heard many incredible things about you," he said, after singing a sweet song for the lady of the hour. Swoon!
Blake
This guy really pulled out all the stops for his first impression, and became Becca's knight in shining armor by bringing a horse along with him. Talk about being Prince Charming!
"I want you to know how incredibly brave I think it is that you're standing here right now. I really respect that a lot and I can't wait to get to know you. As the saying goes, when you fall off the horse, you've got to get back up again," he said. "So I've brought you this horse, and I want to be the man to help you get back up again."
The Bachelorette [9] premieres on May 28, so mark your calendar!