Kaitlyn Bristowe is “sad” that Jesse Palmer is taking over hosting duties for the upcoming season of “The Bachelorette.”
“OK, so I’ve been getting a lot of questions, whether or not I’m being on the next ‘Bachelorette’ season, so I thought I would just quickly touch base on it,” Bristowe — who co-hosted back-to-back seasons with fellow former franchise lead Tayshia Adams — said during her “Off the Vine” podcast.
“I saw at the end of the [‘Bachelor’ Season 26] finale that Jesse was announcing the two ‘Bachelorettes,’ and he said he was going to be by their side for that,” she continued. “So I guess, spoiler alert: I’m not coming back.”
It was announced during the “Bachelor: After the Final Rose” special that aired earlier this month that fan favorites Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey will star as co-leads for Season 19 of the ABC dating series, which is slated to return on July 11.
“He’ll be a great host and I hope he helped Gabby and Rachel in any way that he can,” Bristowe, 36, said of Palmer, 43. “It’s been a wild year, and I’m coming off filming two ‘Bachelorette’ seasons, my live podcast tour and now ending the ‘Dancing With the Stars’ tour.”
Despite her packed schedule, the “DWTS” Season 29 winner would have liked to pencil in another season of “The Bachelorette” — especially since she believes women are better equipped to guide each other through what can be a challenging journey on the show.
“I want to support Gabby and Rachel and be there for them so bad,” said Bristowe. “I think it makes sense to have a woman being there for them.”
However, Bristowe is making an effort to look on the bright side. She noted that the hole in her schedule gives her more time to focus on other work and her home life in Nashville, where she lives with fiancé Jason Tartick and their two golden retrievers, Pinot and Ramen.
“I also do want to prioritize being at home with Jason and the boys [our dogs] and start planning my wedding and catch up on my businesses,” the Spade & Sparrows Wine founder said.
Bristowe went on to call the end of her co-hosting gig a “blessing in disguise.”
“There’s a lot of exciting things coming up in the next few months, and it all just feels very overwhelming,” she elaborated. “But I guess it’s that saying, like, ‘You can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once’ … I will be sad, though. I want to be there to support them, but that’s the update.”
There are also no plans for Adams, 31, to return to Season 19 of “The Bachelorette” in a co-hosting capacity, Page Six can confirm.
Bristowe and Adams were named co-hosts of “The Bachelorette” in 2021 after Chris Harrison — who had presided over rose ceremonies since the “The Bachelor” premiered in 2002 — was terminated following backlash for his defense of Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell’s past racist behavior.
In Harrison’s absence, Bristowe and Adams stepped in to assist Season 17 lead Katie Thurston and Season 18 lead Michelle Young in their respective searches for Mr. Right.
Meanwhile, Palmer was named the new host of “The Bachelor” in September 2021. The NFL player-turned-broadcaster coached Clayton Echard through his experience leading Season 26 and ultimately finding love with Susie Evans.