“It Caught Me By Surprise”: The Bachelor’s Carolina Shockingly Reveals If She Could’ve Been Next Bachelorette Despite Being The Villain Amid Grant’s Struggles

In an alternate universe, there's a chance The Bachelor's Carolina Sofia might have been named the next lead of The Bachelorette. The Bachelor season 29 featured Carolina and 24 other women as they vied for Grant Ellis' heart. Unfortunately, Grant sent her home during week 5, leaving Juliana Pasquarosa, Litia Garr, Zoe McGrady and Dina Lupancu as the final four, with Juliana getting engaged to Grant after he really struggled to make a decision during the finale. Carolina was in the spotlight this season because her behavior and inability to take responsibility led to her being the season's villain.

Carolina appeared on the Dear Shandy Podcast and divulged all sorts of information about her time on The Bachelor. At one point, she was asked about whether she was under the impression she could be chosen as The Bachelorette star next season. While she was very careful with her words, Carolina admitted, "It seemed like a possibility." She went on to claim there were "some things" about that process she couldn't divulge. After news broke that The Bachelorette would be going on hiatus this year, she didn't find out ahead of time, and the announcement came as a complete surprise.

What Carolina Playing Coy Over Bachelorette Speculation Means

Carolina Might Have Been Talking To Producers

It's interesting that Carolina straight-up said she couldn't say certain things about the Bachelorette casting process, which seems to indicate that she was likely very much under consideration by producers. If that is the case, then it's confusing that the casting executives didn't tell her that The Bachelorette was being put on a hiatus for 2025. While some Bachelor franchise alums have been floated as being considered, it's possible all of them found out at the same time that fans did.

The Bachelor franchise has been in a bit of a free fall this year. ABC decided to park The Bachelorette, with the assumption that it will come back in the future. Instead, The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives will air in its timeslot. Bachelor In Paradise is returning after its own hiatus. The season of The Bachelor that Carolina just appeared on didn't fare that well in the ratings. This fragile house of cards has started to come tumbling down, with a lot of questions and not many answers about what it all means for the future of the franchise.

Our Take On Carolina Thinking She Could’ve Been The Next Bachelorette

Carolina Might Have Wanted To Shed Villain Label

Since Carolina was considered a villain during The Bachelor season 29, it's fascinating that she felt like she could be the next Bachelorette. Whether the producers told her she was being put under consideration or she just assumed she was a strong contender is not known. However, whenever The Bachelorette does return, it'll be interesting to see if producers cast from The Bachelor season 29 or decide to skip over it entirely.