Is Maria the next Bachelorette for 2024?
Is Maria the next Bachelorette for 2024? ABC hasn’t confirmed whether who the lead is for The Bachelorette Season 21, however, there are clues that it could be Maria. The main clue was The Bachelor Season 28’s use of the word “slap shot” in a promo for casting on The Bachelorette Season 21 in Episode 6, which viewers believed to be a sign that the next Bachelorette is Canadian. Slap shot is a term in ice hockey that refers to “a hard, fast, and often wild shot executed with a powerful downward swing, and with the blade of the stick brushing firmly against the ice prior to striking the puck,” according to Collins Dictionary.
Given that Canada’s official national sport is ice hockey, viewers believed that the promo was a clue that the next Bachelorette is from Canada. There were two contestants from The Bachelor Season 28 who are from Canada: Lexi Young, a 30-year-old Digital Strategist who is originally from Toronto, and Maria Georgas, a 29-year-old Executive Assistant who’s originally from Kleinburg, Ontario. While fans can see both Lexi, who self-eliminated in Week 6 of The Bachelor Season 28, and Maria, who was sent home in Week 7, as the next Bachelorette, the more popular theory is that the Season 21 Bachelorette is Maria.
“Ok so for the two ads I’ve seen for the casting of men for the new bachelorette they’ve made two Canada references ( something about slap shot which is hockey lingo and they asked in French in the second one ) MARIA THE BACHELORETTE!????? #thebachelor,” a user tweeted.
Another user wrote, “From that promo I think Maria is the next Bachelorette. I mean I love hockey and I’m not from Canada. It is strongly associated with Cananda though. Slapshot at love #TheBachelor.” One more user tweeted, “Be on the next season of Bachelorette… slapshot…hockey…Canada…. #TheBachelor#TheBachelor.”
Maria also received her first One-on-One Date in Week 6, which was filmed in Montreal, Canada. While the slapshot reference in The Bachelorette Season 21 promo that aired in that episode could be a reference to the episode taking place in Canada, there’s no denying that Bachelor Nation fans want Maria as the next Bachelorette. “MARIA IS GETTING THE BACHELORETTE EDIT MARIA IS GETTING THE BACHELORETTE EDIT 🗣️🗣️🗣️ #TheBachelor #bachelor #bachelorabc #thebachelorabc,” a user tweeted. Another user wrote, “If Maria doesn’t marry Joey, I really hope she’s our next Bachelorette. She deserves it after everything she went through in that house #TheBachelor.” One more user tweeted, “Maria for bachelorette would honestly save the franchise. & the world #thebachelorette.”
Reality Steve also confirmed on his podcast in March 2024 that the next Bachelorette is likely between Maria and Daisy Kent, who made it to the finale of The Bachelor Season 28. “This is probably a situation where it’s between Maria and Daisy,” Steve said. “I think the show is very well aware that they are deciding between Maria and Daisy, I do not think they have made a decision yet.”
He continued, “ABC can do whatever they want because they’ve got us all over a barrel just dissecting everything. They’ve told people in the past they are the lead, and all of a sudden they weren’t. Because they changed their mind at the last minute… It’s a 50/50 shot, it’s not like, oh my gosh, someone’s gonna come out of left field,” Steve said. “No, it’s more than likely, based on everything I’ve heard, going to be between Daisy or Maria.”
Maria also responded to rumors she was the next Bachelorette in an interview with E! News after she was sent home on The Bachelor Season 28. “I’m in awe of it,” Maria said. “I always wanted to be on the show, but not once did I ever think I could get the opportunity to be the Bachelorette.” She continued, “Maybe the second time I’d do it better. And I would get my head in the game. Well, actually, I’d get out of my head.”
Maria also explained what she learned from her time on The Bachelor Season 28, telling E! News that she wished she “took a second to myself to take a couple deep breaths and [tell myself], ‘Don’t do anything that’s going to jeopardize this.’ Hindsight is 20/20.”
If Maria was the next Bachelorette for 2024, she would follow Season 20 Bachelorette Charity Lawson, who also was sent home in fourth place on The Bachelor Season 27 with Zach Shallcross and became the Bachelorette. Season 23 Bachelor Colton Underwood also went home in fourth place on The Bachelorette Season 14 before he became the Bachelor. Maria would also be one of the few “villains” to become the lead of a Bachelor Nation show after her feuds with contestants Sydney Gordon and Lea Cayanan on The Bachelor Season 28.
Maria went home on The Bachelor Season 28 in fourth place after Hometown Dates. The Season 20 Bachelorette, Charity Lawson, also went home in fourth place on The Bachelorette Season 27 with Zach Shallcross.
