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Fantasy Suite week on The Bachelor is usually when things hit a new level of seriousness. Matt James has three women left right now and next week, he could be engaged to just one—after breaking the hearts of the two others.
Michelle Young, Rachael Kirkconnell and Bri Springs are the three women who will get to spend some overnight time with James this week. The fantasy suites present an opportunity for each woman to be with James sans camera crew—it'll be the first time that they'll interact without microphones. There's always a chance of getting intimate during the overnight dates, too, but most of the appeal seems to be the chance to finally interact as two people without an entire reality show crew following their every move.
When it's so close to the end of the season, it's often hard for the Bachelor or Bachelorette to say goodbye to any of the contestants. But James will have to. Next week is The Bachelor finale, and he'll enter the engagement week with just two women left. Unfortunately, that means Bri Springs will be sent packing after the Fantasy Suites, according to Reality Steve.
Reality Steve has reported that Young and Kirkconnell will be James' final two women during The Bachelor finale. The spoiler blog didn't give any clues as to why Springs will be the next eliminated. It seems likely that James' feelings for her just aren't as strong as the feelings that he has for Young and Kirkconnell.
This decision is likely to upset some in Bachelor Nation, given that Kirkconnell will reportedly be staying. The apparent frontrunner is caught in a giant controversy post-Bachelor filming because, in 2018, she attended an "Old South-themed" sorority party. Photos of Kirkconnell at that event, as well as photos of her wearing offensive costumes on other occasions, surfaced at the start of this current season.
Kirkconnell didn't comment on the photos for some time. Longtime Bachelor host Chris Harrison actually acknowledged the controversy and off-screen hate aimed at Kirkconnell before she even did. In a conversation with Rachel Lindsay on Extra, Harrison appeared to defend Kirkconnell, and because of that, he's stepped away from the series temporarily. Harrison was widely criticized for his comments and many fans want to see him to lose his hosting job permanently.
An apology from Kirkconnell came after Harrison's remarks to Lindsay. "I am ashamed of my lack of education, but it is no one's responsibility to educate me," she shared on Instagram on February 11. "I will never grow unless I recognize what I have done is wrong. I don't think one apology means that I deserve your forgiveness, but rather I hope I can earn your forgiveness through my future actions."
Even if Kirkconnell is making an honest attempt at understanding how her actions have hurt people, that doesn't mean members of Bachelor Nation want to see her end up engaged to the first Black Bachelor. But we'll all get to see how it plays out next week, with the three-hour Bachelor finale featuring Emmanuel Acho.
About the writer
Kelly started a career in journalism after completing her education at The New School in New York City. She currently ... Read more