Why Bachelorette Fans Think Ariel Frenkel Was the Ideal Lead for Season 20

Although Charity Lawson will star as the lead of The Bachelorette season 20, some fans think Ariel Frenkel deserved it more. On March 14, 2023, fans remained glued to their screens as The Bachelor season 27 ladies tore into each other during an explosive 2-hour special of The Bachelor: Women Tell All. However, the network saved the best drama for later when they announced Charity Lawson as the lead for the upcoming season 20 of The Bachelorette. 

However, the decision to cast Charity as the lead has had a polarizing effect on The Bachelorette fanbase. While some sections of the fanbase support the decision, the other side has firmly kicked against the decision and has even gone further to suggest that Ariel Frenkel would have been a better fit for the role for so many reasons.

Ariel Frenkel was one of the 30 women vying for Zach Shallcross’ heart in season 27 of The Bachelor. The 28-year-old marketing executive made it to the final four alongside Kaity Biggar, Charity Lawson, and Gabi Elnicki. Unfortunately, Zach eliminated Ariel after March 13’s crucial hometown episode that saw Zach visit the families of all four ladies. 

Nonetheless, viewers saw Ariel’s family and learned much about her Ukrainian-Jewish background. Although Ariel has Ukrainian/Jewish heritage and speaks Russian, she originally hails from New York. However, she is passionate about travel and has explored several cities in Europe, Asia, and South America.

Ariel Frenkel As The Bachelorette Promotes Diversity

Interestingly, Ariel’s ethnicity didn’t draw much attention while still on The Bachelor season 27. However, that does not take away from the fact that she has a unique race worthy of mention. Per her bio on ABC, the George Washington University grad is from a “big, loving Ukrainian family.” Interestingly, she also has a Jewish heritage, highlighted by her brother’s traditional Jewish wedding back in 2021. Ariel shared snaps from the wedding, a beautiful celebration of Jewish culture and some elements of their Ukrainian heritage. She shared the pictures with the caption:

“Congratulations to my brother and his wife for choosing to get married before Omicron became omnipresent.”

Since ABC decided to cast Charity as the lead, many viewers have been scouring the internet for information about Ariel’s background. And fans increasingly feel that the show missed a significant opportunity to promote diversity by casting Ariel as the lead. On Reddit, where the conversations originated, one user, u/brightlove, slammed the network for having a narrow perspective on diversity. The user lamented how monoracial Asian women have been overlooked by the show over the years, noting that ABC could have scored a big win by casting Ariel as the lead.

Ariel Frenkel Would Bring More Fun As the Bachelorette Lead

After making a case for Ariel over the need to promote diversity on the show, fans on Reddit took the arguments up a notch by tearing into Charity’s ability to lead an entertaining show. This group of fans argued that Charity was a boring character throughout her time on The Bachelor season 27 and never really stood out from the other girls. The users felt these were telling signs of what to expect when The Bachelorette season 20 finally kicks off in the summer.

A Reddit user, u/properminting, accused the producers of a lack of imagination. The user also queried the network for constantly pushing the narrative of a “heartbroken nice girl,” claiming it always led to forced drama. The user advised fans to brace up for another season of forced drama with Charity while emphasizing that Ariel would have brought more to the show due to her many qualities. 

The Redditor claimed Charity was boring on the show, and they had to skip almost all the scenes that featured her. Again, the user ended the mini tirade by claiming the network missed out on Ariel because she was “truly different to anyone we have ever seen in the franchise” and would have brought much more fun as the Bachelorette lead. Nonetheless, Charity remains the main star of The Bachelorette season 20, and fans can’t wait for the series premiere.