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Why Rachel Lindsay Was Able to Announce She's Engaged Before The Bachelorette Even Started?

Exclusive: Rachel Lindsay tells E! News she is "so excited to be engaged and so happy" after The Bachelorette's premiere...but why was she allowed to announce it so early?

By Tierney Bricker May 23, 2017 8:00 PMTags
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The season just started but we already know how Rachel Lindsay's journey ends.

For the first time in the franchise's history, The Bachelorette star was able to announce she's engaged before her season officially premiered. While viewers will have to wait to find out whose proposal Rachel accepts in the season finale, it's still surprising to already know how the ABC reality hit will ultimately end with the 32-year-old attorney getting her happily ever after. 

"We keep saying this is a season of firsts and I am so excited to be engaged and so happy, I don't think I could hide it," Rachel explained to E! News' Zuri Hall on Tuesday of announcing her engagement so early. "So they're like, ‘Rachel, just say it!'"

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And for Rachel, it's been "very liberating to be able to say, ‘Hey, I'm engaged and just watch and follow along,'" as opposed to each lead before her, who was not allowed to say if they were engaged, dating or single in all of their interviews throughout their season.

Still, Rachel and her man aren't allowed to be spotted together in public just yet, which she admitted has been a little hard.

"We do get to see each other here and there along the way, but it is hard because I am excited and I want everyone to know and enjoy and relish in our happiness," she said. 

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So how are Rachel and her mystery fiancé most likely seeing each other? 

Every Bachelor and Bachelorette couple has been forced to keep their relationship a secret while their season is airing, with The Bachelor's Nick Viall telling E! News he and Vanessa Grimaldi had top-secret date nights at "a safe house" set up by production.

"We got to see each other every two-to-three weeks for like four to five days at a time," he said. "Not ideal, but it was consistent." Because they couldn't go out in public, Nick said they were "basically locked in a house for that period of time. There's a lot of spending time together, a lot of talking, which is great, and then we cook, we watch TV, we play games, we did some Bob Ross painting." 

To hear more from Rachel on what to expect from the rest of her season, watch E! News tonight at 7 and 11 p.m.

The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.