Kayla Nicole is throwing her hat into the ring to potentially become the next leading lady on The Bachelorette. The model, who previously garnered public attention for her past relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce, has made a playful bid for the coveted role following the abrupt cancellation of Taylor Frankie Paul’s highly anticipated season.
On Wednesday, March 25, Nicole took to TikTok to showcase her audition tape in a lighthearted and engaging manner. In the short clip, she lip-synced to an upbeat audio track, listing an array of humorous and exaggerated qualities designed to charm potential suitors.
Accompanying the video, Nicole captioned it, “My audition to be the next ‘Bachelorette.'” She further solidified her interest in the caption, tagging the official ABC account and jokingly asking, “Hey @ABC, heard you need a stand in? 🌹😂 .”
Nicole’s spontaneous application has quickly captured attention, particularly given the recent upheaval surrounding the popular dating reality franchise.
The Bachelorette Franchise in Turmoil
ABC made the decision to pull the plug on Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette in the wake of a highly publicised alleged domestic dispute. The incident reportedly involved Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. Coinciding with this development, production on the series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was also put on hold on March 16, amidst the same controversy.
A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed that an active “domestic assault investigation” is underway. Authorities indicated that “allegations have been made in both directions” and that law enforcement had made contact with the involved parties on both February 24th and 25th.
Taylor Frankie Paul was initially announced as the new Bachelorette lead in September 2025 during an appearance on the popular “Call Her Daddy” podcast. At the time of her announcement, the mother of three expressed some reservations about taking on such a demanding role.
“In my head, I’m like, ‘How do I make this work?’ I’m a co-parent. I have two baby daddies, not one, so I’m dealing with two different people,” Paul shared with host Alex Cooper. She elaborated on her concerns, stating, “My children, my home base is here. Can I travel that long? Can I be gone that long?”
Following the cancellation of her season, Paul has spoken candidly about the immense challenges she has faced behind the scenes.
“I had a mental breakdown the other day on-camera, and it was just like, ‘Well, we have to be here. We’re contracted,’” she revealed in a March 20 interview while filming The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5.
She emphatically stated, “No. This is not acting. I’m having a mental breakdown. I’m going home. That’s it, period.”
Paul attributed her emotional distress significantly to her demanding filming schedule. She explained that she had a very limited break over the holiday period between her various projects.
“I’m overwhelmed to the point that I feel suffocated. The emotional toll, it catches up to you, and I think I’ve been go-go-go that I have not processed s— that actually hurts,” she admitted, adding that this experience was the “closest she’s ever gotten” to quitting television altogether.
Despite the intense pressures, Paul did note that her experience filming The Bachelorette felt different in certain aspects. She expressed that she actually felt “healthier” while working on the dating show, as she wasn’t constantly in “survivor mode” as she often feels “at home.”
Kayla Nicole’s playful audition suggests a willingness to step into the role with a different energy, potentially offering a fresh perspective for the franchise amidst its current challenges. The public’s reaction to her TikTok video indicates a keen interest in seeing her, or any new candidate, take on the mantle of The Bachelorette.
