Taylor Frankie Paul has been officially announced as the leading lady for season 22 of "The Bachelorette," marking a historic first for the ABC franchise.

The reality star revealed her casting during a September 10 appearance on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" podcast, confirming widespread speculation about her involvement with the dating show.

Paul's involvement represents a significant departure from the franchise's traditional casting approach. Unlike previous "The Bachelorette" leads who typically emerged from earlier seasons of "The Bachelor," the 31-year-old Utah native has never appeared on any Bachelor Nation programs.

This makes her the first woman to lead "The Bachelorette" without prior franchise experience, though there is precedent for external casting, as demonstrated by Matt James leading "The Bachelor" Season 25 without previous show involvement.

The mother of three gained widespread recognition through Hulu's "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," where she serves as a breakout star. The Emmy-nominated series follows the aftermath of Paul's divorce and her role in exposing a "soft-swinging" arrangement among her friend group, which became known as the "MomTok scandal." Paul has amassed over 7 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, earning recognition on Time magazine's Time100 Creators list in July 2025.

Paul was previously married to Tate Paul from 2016 until their 2022 divorce, with whom she shares two children. She also has a third child with Dakota Mortensen, though the couple officially ended their relationship following the second season of "Mormon Wives."

During her podcast appearance, Paul acknowledged her limited dating experience, stating, "I got married young, divorced, and then the first guy I met was the next relationship. So I have not done the whole meeting new people out, like dating at the same time."

The casting decision keeps Paul within Disney's reality television environment, as "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" airs on Hulu. She joins fellow cast members Jennifer Affleck and Whitney Leavitt, who are currently competing on Season 34 of "Dancing with the Stars." Paul previously expressed interest in "The Bachelorette" role during a June 2025 interview with Variety and posted a TikTok video jokingly applying to become the next lead.

"The Bachelorette" Season 22 will premiere in 2026, while the third season of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" returns November 13, 2025. Paul confirmed she will continue appearing on both shows despite her new Bachelorette responsibilities.

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Reality star, The bachelorette, Season