How Fans of ‘The Bachelorette’ Reacted to Charity Lawson as Season 20 Lead

The Bachelor Nation fans have conflicting thoughts about the announcement of Charity Lawson as the leading lady of The Bachelorette. Charity Lawson was one of the women vying for Zach Shallcross’ heart on season 27 of The Bachelor. The 27-year-old child and family therapist made it to the hometown dates, where she took Zach to meet her parents in Columbus, Georgia.

Sadly, following the hometown episodes, Charity didn’t get a rose from Zach, which eliminated her from the show. Unbeknownst to her, as the door to Zach’s heart shut to her, another door opened. Last Tuesday, things became more apparent at the end of The Bachelor: Women Tell All. ABC cameras caught up with host Jesse Palmer as he joined Charity in her dressing room for a fake promotional video. Jesse told Charity they would play a “this or that” game before asking her some quick-fire questions.

At some point, he asked her to choose between Bachelor In Paradise and The Bachelorette, to which Charity chose the latter. Jesse then asks her if she’d like to take on the role leaving Charity stunned and short of words. She eventually got together quickly enough to confirm she would “absolutely,” “100 percent” be taking the network’s offer. Later, Charity expressed her delight to be able to continue her journey to find lasting love. She said:

“I’ve waited forever to find the love of my life. It blows my mind that I could meet my person and be engaged and literally have my happily ever after.”

A premiere date for The Bachelorette season 20 is yet to be announced. Nevertheless, ABC has revealed that the series will return this summer. Following the recent news, The Bachelorette fans have taken to social media to discuss Charity as the series lead.

High Expectations For Charity as The Bachelorette Season 20 Lead

Since Charity’s announcement as the lead for The Bachelorette season 20, social media has been frantic — with many of the show’s fans already penning down their expectations for Charity Lawson’s season. On Reddit, a fan u/curiousrut started a thread about Charity while sharing a picture of the Georgia native alongside the caption, “Charity Lawson is officially the new Bachelorette!”

The network’s decision to cast her as the lead impressed many fans, and they poured encomiums on the black beauty. One user, u/Random0s2oh, said, 

“Whoop! Whoop! I loved Charity from night one. Plus, she’s from my beautiful state! Classy, elegant, smart, kind, funny. What else do we need in a bachelorette?”

Some other users recalled her fantastic run on The Bachelor season 27 and argued that she perfectly fits the bill for the lead. They touched on all her unique qualities, including being emotionally open and not being afraid to get involved in some drama. Many fans feel she has all the qualities to make good TV content and has high expectations for her season. Meanwhile, some fans have focused on her fortuitous journey in the franchise so far. They feel there is still so much ahead of her and can’t wait to be a part of it.

The Bachelorette Fans Think Charity Might Underperform

While most fans are excited to see Charity as the lead of The Bachelorette, others feel The Bachelor alum might not live up to the hype. Fans who followed Charity’s journey on The Bachelor believe she is not as exciting as some of her co-stars. A fan u/properminting noted on Reddit,

“I am going to skip her season, I skipped almost all scenes with Charity. I really think she is that boring and we had tons of participants like her before. Sucks they missed out on Ariel – she seemed truly different to anyone we have ever seen in the franchise, and I would love to see her season.”

Meanwhile, some believe Charity got the part because the producers felt participants from other races deserved a shot as a lead. Some fans also slammed the franchise for constantly pushing the “heartbroken nice girl” storyline in most of The Bachelorette seasons. The user noted that the problem with casting likable leads is that the drama always appears forced and doesn’t make good entertainment. Nevertheless, Charity will take on the mantle when the next season air, and hopefully, she can change many minds with her performance.