ABCChris Harrison is returning to host the 2017 Miss America pageant, stepping up for the eighth time to take the stage as 52 women compete from the coveted crown.
"For 96 years, Miss America has shone light on some of the brightest and most talented young women in the country," Harrison said in a statement to People magazine. "This year will surely be a fun-filled night showcasing talent, glamour, fitness, presentation and community achievement as the country's brightest compete for the crown!"
Harrison is obviously the perfect person for the role as he's used to hosting shows in which women compete for something very special. The only difference with the Bachelor is the women are competing for a husband, and sometimes they don't always put their best foot forward to do so.
In fact, Harrison's announcement got us thinking of all the contestants on the Bachelor over the years, debating which of them would make for great competition in the Miss America pageant. We took the necessary qualities the judges look for in a winner—class, talent and poise—into consideration, but we couldn't help but mix in a little crazy, a little fierce and a little drama into the mix, too, of course!
Here's who we came up with:
Tierra Licausi: We had to start off with Tierra from Sean Lowe's season of The Bachelor for obvious reasons. Her name says it all, but no one will forget her greatest quote from the season: "They told me, 'You have a sparkle. Do not let those girls take your sparkle away!'" We think her "sparkle" would make for a great pageant contestant, too!
Becca Tilley: The blonde beauty who competed for both Prince Farming Chris Soules' and Ben Higgins' hearts on The Bachelor was a huge fan-favorite. She was kindhearted, gentle, non-dramatic and beautiful—inside and out! For these reasons, we think she encompasses a lot of what Miss America would look for.
Melissa Rycroft: A former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and winner of Dancing With the Stars, Melissa—who ended up engaged to Jason Mesnick but later split—has all the talent she needs to compete in Miss America. Add her sweet and charming southern personality into the mix, and we might just have a winner!
Kaitlyn Bristowe: Another solid lady from Chris Soules' season, Kaitlyn Bristowe. She was an obvious fan-favorite from the first moment we met her—she told Chris she would "plow his field"—but her hilarious and goofy demeanor aside, she won our hearts over with her ability to just be real in the middle of a very unreal scenario (perfect for a pageant, right?). After falling for Shawn Booth as the Bachelorette, we ended up falling for her even more. Not to mention, she's got talent: dance!
Jubilee Sharpe: Not only is Jubilee (from Ben Higgins' season), a war veteran, she's a bad ass with an incredible story and a lot of determination. We think her disciplined attitude, go-getter personality and beauty make for a great Miss America contestant.
Desiree Hartsock: The wedding dress designer from Colorado won our hearts over during Sean Lowe's season and then again when she became the Bachelorette. Her girl-next-door personality, big heart and love for others are definitely some traits that would make her the perfect Miss America.
Ashley Iaconetti: While Ashley fits more into the realm of a Kardashian star, she would definitely make for an interesting Miss America contestant, too. We know she'd add to the show with lots of tears, hilarious commentary (can you imagine her interview answers?!) and even more drama. Not to mention, she's definitely got her makeup skills, hair and tan down!
Michelle Money: Every pageant needs at least one cut-throat bad gal, and we can't think of anyone better than Michelle Money herself. The brunette would surely add some fierce competition to the pageant and make everyone else step up their game, too—just like she did on Brad Womack's season!
Courtney Robertson: Along the same villainous lines, we think Courtney Robertson—winner of Ben Flajnik's season—would make an excellent competitive addition to the pageant. Not only was she fierce and unfiltered, she also added some humor to the show, and we think that would make an interesting plot twist for any show and pageant alike!
Erica Rose: The girl came in wearing a tiara while competing for Prince Lorenzo Borghese's affection on season 9 of The Bachelor. We figured, since she's already used to rocking a crown, she'd be a good pick for any pageant.
Tenley Molzahn: The sweetheart from Jake Pavelka's season of The Bachelor proved to be big competition when she finished as a runner up in the show (he ended up choosing Vienna Giardi). But the fact that she was once a Disney princess really made us realize she'd probably be a great fit for the Miss America pageant, too. After all, both roles require beauty, brains and a big heart!
Britt Nilsson: There's no denying Britt won over many people's hearts during Chris Soules' season of The Bachelor, which is why she and Kaitlyn went head-to-head for The Bachelorette. She was cute, goofy and had a very charming personality. Of course, the Internet claimed she may have only done the show to boost her resume and gain some fame, and if that's true, we know she'd be down to participate in Miss America. One more check off that list, girl!
Sharleen Joynt: Juan Pablo Galavis missed out on a great woman when Sharleen left his season of The Bachelor. With a background in Opera singing and some serious brains, she would make for the perfect Miss America contestant (and probably end up winning).
Catherine Giudici: The adorable brunette is already a big winner after marrying Sean Lowe and now expecting their first child. But her quirky, down-to-earth, charismatic personality that won Sean over is exactly what we'd think the Miss America judges would adore, too!
Clare Crawley: It wouldn't be a pageant without at least one woman like Clare: a fierce, competitive, spit-fire who speaks her mind and has no qualms telling you exactly how it is. We'd like to see that twist of drama in the Miss America pageant, wouldn't you?!
Jillian Harris: The Canadian sweetheart won our hearts over during Jason Mesnick's season with her silly personality and her great fashion sense. Though she didn't win, she took on The Bachelorette and continued gaining popularity. Her ability to easily win over an audience is why we think she'd make a great contestant for Miss America, too.
Kelsey Poe: There is really only one reason we think Krazy Kelsey from Chris Soules' season would make for a great Miss America contestant: to see how many times she mentions her "amazing" and "tragic" story about being a widow in order to win. LOL!
Caila Quinn: The spunky little sales rep from Ohio who almost won Ben Higgins' heart was definitely sweet and charming, but she also wasn't afraid to speak her mind either. The combination of sweet with a hint of edge gives her a little bit of mystery that we'd love to see play out during the Miss America pageant. Not to mention, she has really great hair!
Andi Dorfman: The lawyer from Atlanta, Ga., is all beauty and brains, and there's no better combination for the Miss America pageant. She piqued our interested on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, and we have no doubt she'd do the same in a pageant, too!
Trista Sutter: The blonde beauty is one of The Bachelor's most notable names and became the first to lead The Bachelorette. Her looks, personality and ability to win over an audience would make her a great contestant for Miss America.
Ashley Salter: She made us believe a pomegranate was an onion, she talked to cats and told Chris Soules she loved him extremely early in the game. Essentially, Ashley S. will go down as one of the looniest characters on The Bachelor, and no pageant would be complete without a little crazy, right? We choose you, Ashley S.!