Why Did Abigail Heringer Join ‘The Bachelor’? The Answer May Surprise You

Abigail Heringer/Instagram

Every season of The Bachelor, the lead tries to single out who is there “for the right reasons” and who isn’t. Each season features one or more contestants whose main goal is to promote their music career/business/etc. By the hometown dates, those hangers-on are usually long gone. 

That being said, the contestants who are serious about finding their life partner end up on the show in various ways. Some are nominated by friends or family. Others take the initiative and apply directly. For example, Matt James was nominated by Tyler Cameron’s late mother. 

Why did Abigail Heringer join Season 25 of The Bachelorette? Her reasons may surprise you. 

Did Abigail Heringer Know Matt James Would Be The Bachelor?

ABC announced Matt James as the next Bachelor in June of 2020. However, filming didn’t begin for several months due to COVID-19. He was originally supposed to join Clare Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette. But the network changed course and gave him the solo lead of his own show. 

The entire point of the franchise is to meet the man or woman of your dreams and marry them. So, do the contestants know who they are competing for before they apply? It depends on the timing. In Matt James’ season, Abigail Heringer did know. 

Matt James was the first Black Bachelor in the show’s history. It would be hard to miss that news when applying for the show. But in some cases, the network begins casting suitors before they officially announce the lead. 

Why Did She Apply to Show? 

Like most of the contestants, Abigail’s ultimate goal was to find love. As she spoke about on the show, dating hasn’t always been easy for her. She recently opened up in an interview with Hearing Like Me. She spilled a lot of tea that wasn’t shown during her time on The Bachelor.

Love aside, joining Season 25 really came down to timing for the Oregon native. She revealed that she had been “furloughed” from her event planning job. At the time, the company was struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic. And with COVID raging, she couldn’t “get out and meet people.” 

Due to not working she had the free time to join the ABC dating show. Contestants spend two to three months filming the reality series and often cannot return to ‘normal’ life until their exit has aired on TV. 

As she alluded to on the show, her dating life wasn’t going anywhere. When Matt James sent her home, Abigail broke down over yet another unsuccessful relationship. 

How Open Was She About Being Deaf? 

Before joining The Bachelor, Abigail wasn’t always open about her deafness. Thanks to a cochlear implant, she can hear in most situations. She also relies heavily on lip-reading. She told Hearing Like Me that she doesn’t always disclose her hearing loss, such as for “job applications or for college.” Was she upfront about being deaf when she applied for the show? 

Yes, because she knew it would help her stand out from the other applicants. She said, “I know it’s something that makes me different in a really good way. So I wanted to just put it out there and say this is what you should know about me.”

As viewers may recall, she told Matt James the very first time she met him that she’s deaf. He was so impressed with her honesty that he bestowed her with the first impression rose. 

Many fans want Abigail to remain in the ABC universe. That could be anything from Dancing With The Stars to Bachelor in Paradise. The network has yet to announce plans for new seasons of either. 

However, it’s clear that Abigail will be one of the most memorable contestants for years to come. 

Matt James hands out his final rose on Monday, March 15. Tune in to The Bachelor, only on ABC. 

Jennifer Havener
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