During the live 19th season finale of “The Bachelorette” on Tuesday night, which featured Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia‘s journey to finding love, host Jesse Palmer and ABC announced that Zach Shallcross would be “The Bachelor” when the popular reality series returns for its 27th season beginning Monday, January 23, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT.

After coming to an emotional realization about his future with Rachel, Shallcross won Bachelor Nation’s affection when he decided to end his journey on “The Bachelorette,” which made him the perfect candidate for seeking love on the flagship series. The 26-year-old tech executive from Anaheim Hills, California, quickly became a fan favorite of the series with his quiet charm, quick wit and openness about finding lasting love.

Splitting time between Orange County and Texas, Shallcross is eager to begin his journey to find a love like his parents have found after 30 years of marriage. With that standard set, Shallcross heads back home to Southern California, not far from the Bachelor mansion.

“The Bachelor” is a production of Next Entertainment and Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon. The executive producers are Mike Fleiss, Martin Hilton, Nicole Woods, Bennett Graebner, Louis Caric, Peter Geist, Peter Gust, Tim Warner, Jodi Baskerville and Jeff Thomas.

Watch a clip of last night’s announcement below.