It was the shockwave felt 'round Bachelor Nation.
Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey are both ready to hand out the roses.
During part two of The Bachelor's finale on March 15, aptly titled After the Final Rose, Rachel and Gabby were both named leading ladies for season 19 of The Bachelorette. It's the first time in the show's history that two contestants will be the face of the show for an entire season. (Kaitlyn Bristowe briefly had a co-lead, named Britt Nilsson, back in season 11.)
Host Jesse Palmer shared the good news, telling Bachelor Nation, "This decision was the hardest we've ever had to make."
Jesse revealed that the pair's friendship during season 26 of The Bachelor helped form the decision, noting, "Watching you both support each other in Iceland, and also how you have tonight, that was really the big reason why we decided to give you both a shot."
When asked about her feelings, Rachel turned the attention to Gabby.
"I'm so happy for her," she exclaimed. "This is insane and I'm excited to do this journey with you. We did it once together and we've been through the most crazy experience together."
Similarly, Gabby was thrilled about the unprecedented journey ahead. "I'm a girl's girl, through and through," she said. "Having a friend by my side is the best thing I could ask for!"
It was also announced that Jesse would be replacing Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams as hosts on The Bachelorette. Kaitlyn and Tayshia have acted as co-hosts the past two seasons, taking over for Chris Harrison, who left after defending contestant Rachael Kirkconnell. The latter faced controversy when photos of her attending a 2018 plantation-themed party resurfaced.
The news came as Clayton Echard's dramatic season of the dating show came to a close, in which both Gabby and Rachel were left heartbroken by the season 26 Bachelor.
For those who need a refresher, Clayton found himself unraveling and unsure of what to do after former front-runner Susie Evans revealed that she could not move forward in a relationship with him if he was in love with or had been intimate with other people. After Clayton revealed that he did have feelings for contestants Gabby and Rachel, Susie expressed her disapproval of that, resulting in the 28-year-old wedding videographer being eliminated.
Despite being gone, Susie took up space in Clayton's mind, inspiring the Bachelor to sacrifice his relationships with Gabby and Rachel. He then made an attempt to reconnect with Susie. During the final rose ceremony, however, Susie told Clayton that she wasn't prepared to move forward and left Iceland alone.
She told Clayton the five words that no Bachelor ever wants to hear: "I feel like it's over."
However, during the After the Final Rose portion of the finale, Clayton brought out Susie and said that they had rekindled their relationship after filming ended.
"We took time apart after the show and we reset," Susie said. "We've re-laid the foundation. And we're really happy, and we're happy to be here today."
And that's how Gabby and Rachel found themselves set to lead the next season in the popular ABC franchise.
We hope this journey is more successful for Gabby and Rachel than season 26 of The Bachelor.
Season 19 of The Bachelorette premieres July 11 on ABC.