Katie Thurston on The Bachelor: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Katie Thurston made one of the most memorable entrances ever on The Bachelor when she showed Matt James her trusty vibrator that has helped her through the pandemic. But in the weeks since her bold entrance aired on ABC, Thurston has also endeared herself to America with her kindness, maturity, and compassion.

Thurston was the one who sat down with Sarah Trott after several other contestants were accused of bullying her, and Thurston stood up for five newcomers who were mistreated by the women who arrived on the season premiere.

It was Thurston who finally told James that he should address the bullying culture among the contestants, which led to the departures of Victoria Larson and Anna Redman.

WARNING: THE FIFTH FAST FACT CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM FUTURE ‘THE BACHELOR,’ EPISODES.

1. Thurston Is a Bank Marketing Manager

Thurston, 30, is listed as a “bank marketing manager” on ABC, and appears to work for First Financial Northwest Bank in Seattle, Washington.

She put that career on hold to appear on The Bachelor, but has posted Instagram stories in 2021 that show she returned to work at her office job. But will her newfound fame cause a change in her career path? It certainly might.

Thurston’s ABC profile says that she “would love to host her own talk show one day.”

2. She Amassed a Large TikTok Following Before ‘The Bachelor’

Thurston has over a quarter million followers on TikTok, and while many of those came after she appeared on The Bachelor, she already had a large following ahead of her national television debut.

Her bio on TikTok reads “Adult humor (18+)” and has plenty of wild anecdotes from Thurston. Her most popular video — which has been viewed more than five million times — talks about how the pandemic has led to more masturbation and how Casper the Friendly Ghost was the first movie that gave her “tingly feelings” as a kid.

Sex positivity has been Thurston’s brand since the first seconds of The Bachelor, and she’s clearly sticking to it.

3. Her Father Died When She Was 21

During Thurston’s emotional conversation with fellow contestant Sarah Trott, Trott revealed that her father has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and may only have weeks to live. That struck a chord with Thurston, who revealed that her father died nearly a decade ago.

“My dad passed away in 2012, so I 100 percent encourage you to be with him,” Thurston told Trott. “If I could get back the minutes I had with him … I understand that more than I would like to. Knowing that, yeah that changes everything. And I missed out on my goodbye to my dad, so I would never want that for you.”

How Thurston’s dad died and why she didn’t get the opportunity to say goodbye has not yet been revealed on the show.

4. Thurston Played Volleyball in High School

Thurston showed off a little bit of her athleticism on a boxing-themed group date when she beat Jessenia Cruz in a sparring session. But her real skills would shine if there was a volleyball date on The Bachelor.

She was the libero (a defensive specialist) at Lynnwood High School in Bothell, Washington and appears in a few articles from local newspapers who cited her defensive skills.

Thurston posted a photo on Instagram with a volleyball in August 2020, so apparently she hasn’t completely put the sport behind her.

5. Thurston Is Reportedly the Next ‘Bachelorette’

Just a few hours after Bachelor producer Mike Fleiss teased that the announcement of the next lead of The Bachelorette was coming soon, spoilers expert Reality Steve beat him to the punch and reported that Thurston was chosen for the role.

While Thurston seemingly denied the news was true, and another contestant, Mari Pepin, said the report was “false,” those appear to be battles over semantics. Reality Steve originally wrote that the decision was announced at the “Women Tell All” special, but clarified that the decision was finalized there. He said that the announcement of the news is imminent.

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