Bachelor season never ends. Instead, one rolls into another as the Nation ebbs and flows — which is why when someone's missing, we notice. During last night's season 13 premiere of The Bachelorette, star Rachel Lindsay chatted with former Bachelor contestants before officially meeting her suitors, including fan favorites Raven and Corinne. But you know who wasn't among the women giving her advice? Vanessa Grimaldi, winner of season 21 of The Bachelor and fianceé to Nick Viall.
It seems weird to leave a Bachelor Nation success story entirely out of the narrative of a new one, especially because they're happening back to back — but that also could have been the reason for her absence. The exact timing of Bachelorette filming is unknown, but we do know they announced Rachel as the Bachelorette when episodes of her time on The Bachelor were still airing. Then, in Monday night's Bachelorette premiere, the men who met Rachel on After The Final Rose continued to refer to it as "the other night," suggesting that filming for this season closely followed the wrap of The Bachelor. We know that Nick Viall jumped from The Bachelor to Dancing With The Stars, and Vanessa came with him, so perhaps they were too busy twisting the night away to return to the mansion.
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Despite Vanessa and Rachel ending up as the final contestants on the show, Rachel doesn't seem to have bad blood with any of the women. We certainly don't think the absence was due to any kind of feud between the two. It's just a missed opportunity for someone who found her soulmate to pass on advice to someone looking to do the same.
However, we're just at episode 1. There's still so much ahead for Rachel, and we wouldn't be surprised if Vanessa or Nick appear in any of the many future surprises.