Everything to Know About the New Bachelorette Rachel Recchia

From her profession as a pilot to her love of Flaming Hot Cheetos, get to know the star of The Bachelorette, Rachel Recchia

By

Skyler Caruso

Updated on July 11, 2022 10:29 AM

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Rachel Recchia's next journey for love is about to take off.

After an emotional experience of highs and lows as a contestant on Clayton Echard's season of The Bachelor, the flight instructor is ready to find her co-pilot when she takes the lead on The Bachelorette starting July 11.

Recchia's time on The Bachelor was nonetheless turbulent after Echard dropped a major bombshell on his final three women.

Not only did he confess to being intimate with both Recchia and Gabby Windey, but he admitted to being in love with each of them — including Susie Evans, who Echard got together with in the end (following her decision to leave when she heard the Fantasy Suite news).

The hearts of Bachelor Nation went out to Recchia during her emotional breakup with Echard (who ended things with her and Windey simultaneously).

When Recchia faced Echard for the first time since filming during the After the Final Rose special, she said one of the hardest parts was "to see complete disrespect," showed towards her and Windey, adding, "in the sense that he couldn't even break up with us separately."

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After a whirlwind experience on The Bachelor, Recchia is ready to embark on a new adventure on The Bachelorette. Keep scrolling to learn more about Recchia, who is set to star alongside Windey when season 19 premieres.

Rachel Recchia is a flight instructor and commercial pilot.

It only makes sense that Recchia is looking for a man who will travel the world with her due to the fact that she's a commercial pilot and flight instructor herself. The fearless flyer seeks adventure, and having a partner to join her would only double the fun — and take their relationship to new heights!

Rachel Recchia is originally from Chicago.

As a pilot, Recchia is constantly traveling, but she resides in Clermont, Florida, just outside Orlando. During her hometown date with Echard, she took him kayaking through a swamp in a neighboring town called Apopka.

Although Florida is where she considers home now, she was born and raised in Chicago but relocated with her family when she was a teenager. Recchia shared that fun fact on her Instagram, where she also rehashed her hometown pride of the Windy City with hashtags "#chicagoforever" and "#gocubsgo."

Rachel Recchia has an all-time favorite snack.

Between Windey's love of strawberries with champagne and Shanae Ankney's infamous shrimp fiasco, this season of The Bachelor had its fair share of foodies, but what was failed to be mentioned was Recchia's snack secret.

According to her Bachelor bio, Recchia "could live off of Flaming Hot Cheetos."

Rachel Recchia is a Harry Potter fan.

Her love of Flaming Hot Cheetos wasn't the only takeaway from her Bachelor bio! It appears Recchia is also a fan of Harry Potter as it says that she "can't wait to read the Harry Potter series with her kids one day."

Rachel Recchia was a cheerleader.

Similar to her bachelorette counterpart, Windey, Recchia also has a cheerleading past. Though she didn't cheer professionally — like Windey, who represented the Denver Broncos in the NFL — Recchia cheered for Ohio University, where she attended school.

Rachel Recchia knows what she's looking for in a relationship.

After Recchia's emotional experience on The Bachelor, she most definitely learned what she doesn't want in a partner. During After the Final Rose, she revealed what she's now looking for, saying, "Someone that's supportive and someone that loves me."

"He should be nurturing, empathetic and MUST be respectful in all facets of life – to her, to family, and especially to waiters," her bio reads. "In the end, Rachel wants to find crazy, insane love that makes sense to no one else but her and her soul mate."