The Bachelor Season 27 - Here's What We Can Tell Fans So Far

Clayton Echard's season of "The Bachelor" wrapped in March, but fans are already preparing for the latest dramatic installation in the franchise with the premiere of "The Bachelorette" Season 19. For those who didn't watch how things went down with Echard, the answer is ... not well. Per People, Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia were Echard's final two, but he ultimately rejected both of them in favor of Susie Evans, a woman he'd already sent home.

Outrage over Echard's decision prompted ABC to pick Windey and Recchia as the next season's co-Bachelorettes, something that hasn't been done since "The Bachelorette" Season 11, which saw Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson compete for the title. Meanwhile, ABC is promising "two much drama," but fans are unclear as to the logistics of a season headlined by two bachelorettes. Going into filming, even the leads themselves didn't know how the process would work.

"We just got thrown in," Windey said during a March interview on "Good Morning America." "But I have faith and a lot of trust and I love Rachel to death and I know we're gonna have each other's backs the whole way, so there's really not a doubt in my mind that it's gonna end up well." Those looking for a more typical — at least for now — season of "The Bachelor" will have to wait until Season 27, which was renewed in May, according to Collider. It may still be awhile before it premieres, but here's what we know so far.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, filming for "The Bachelorette" and "The Bachelor" took place in a quarantined bubble, per Variety. However, as Parade reported, things were back to normal for Clayton Echard's season, which was filmed in the likes of Croatia, Vienna, and Toronto. It's therefore safe to assume that Season 27 will follow a similar format, rather than being confined to Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, à la Matt James. As for which lucky Bachelor will headline Season 27 — well, that's the question all of Bachelor Nation wants to know.

According to Cosmopolitan, there are already a few frontrunners in the mix, including Brandon Jones from Michelle Young's season. Jones won over fans with his romantic declarations of love, telling Young, "Until my last breath, I will put you first." In December 2021, Jones took to Instagram Stories (via Elite Daily) to share about his friendship with producer Scott Marcin, so it sounds like the crew might be keeping him top of mind.

Another possible "Bachelor" contender is Rodney Matthew (aka Hot Rod), who, like Jones, made it to the final four of Young's season. When Echard was announced as the dark horse pick for "The Bachelor" Season 26, fans were quick to claim that Matthew had been robbed of the title. "Such a missed opportunity!! Rodney should've been our bachelor this season," one fan tweeted. Unsurprisingly though, it's blogger Reality Steve who claims he has the inside scoop on "The Bachelor" Season 27 headliner.

In October 2021, Reality Steve hosted an Instagram Live, in which he revealed that Clayton Echard's successor is expected to be Michael Allio. YouTube star Dave Neal backed up Reality Steve's claim in a separate video, stating he'd received a tip from an anonymous source. Neal further shared that he'd heard filming would take place in an as-of-yet-undisclosed location (but somewhere that isn't Bachelor Mansion or SoCal).

For those who may not remember, Michael Allio was one of the frontrunners on Katie Thurston's season of "The Bachelorette," which preceded Michelle Young's. Despite forming a real connection with Thurston — and getting along with the rest of the guys in the house (no small feat!) — Allio left the show early to spend time with his then-4-year-old son. Ever since he bowed out, there's been plenty of speculation that Allio would be crowned the next "Bachelor."

Per Cosmopolitan, he was reportedly on ABC's short list for Season 26, and hinted he was confused as to why he was passed over in the end. "Hmmm. I don't know," he said on Instagram Live, when asked why Echard was ABC's "Bachelor" pick over him. But should Reality Steve's claim prove true, parenting will take priority for Allio. "If I was the Bachelor, 100% James would be there," Allio shared on an episode of "The Viall Files." "I'm 37. I'm not looking to date around and do all that. Casting is totally different, location is different."