If you watched Matt James' Bachelor season (opens in new tab), you're familiar with Michelle Young (opens in new tab) - the 28-year-old elementary school teacher and college basketball star from Minnesota who was runner-up to season 25 winner Rachel Kirkconnell. You probably know her. (Opens in new tab) Fans were thrilled when they learned from the "After the Final Rose" special that Young would be the star of "The Bachelorette" Season 18. Her season premiered on Tuesday, October 19, following Katie Thurston's season (opens in new tab) (which aired in the spring and early summer) and after Bachelor in Paradise (opens in new tab) (which ended in early October).

Notably, Michelle's season will air on Tuesdays, rather than the Mondays traditionally occupied by the "Bachelor" series. Ahead, here is everything we know so far about Young's Bachelorette season, including the premiere air date, Michelle's contestants, and (open in new tab) filming locations. (If you want to know who will win Michelle's season, please visit our Bachelorette Spoiler Guide. (Opens in a new tab))

Young's season premiered Tuesday, October 19 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Filming began at the end of July and ended in early September. Apparently, ABC and Young worked out this schedule so that Young could film during the summer break and not miss any time with his students when school resumes in the fall.

Michelle's hosts were Tayshia Adams and Caitlin Bristow (open in new tab).

No long-term hosts for the franchise have been announced yet after Chris Harrison's departure. For the 2022 season of The Bachelor, former Bachelor and sports commentator Jesse Palmer will host; Reality Steve reports (opens in new tab) that The Bachelor has two seasons next year, so it is unclear if Palmer will return to the show ...

No spoilers here, but expect tears, drama, and plenty of accusations about "the wrong reasons" this season; according to E., Michelle says: "I'm just so happy that this whole experience worked out. I learned so much about myself and what I want."

Meanwhile, co-host Caitlin Bristow told E.: (opens in new tab) "I feel like what Michelle was looking for was so genuine. I feel like she wasn't there for the wrong reasons. She wanted to go right back to her students after the shoot and that's who she is," Caitlin said. 'There's authenticity, there's romance, and there's some really heartbreaking heartbreak. I cried a few times."

Her co-host Teasia Adams added: "It's like a fairy tale, and I don't think it is. It unfolds beautifully."

The show relaxed the COVID-19 protocol slightly for Michelle's season, meaning that Young's final season of The Bachelor could be filmed in multiple locations. Her season was initially filmed at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa near Palm Springs, California (opens in new tab), followed by the Marquette Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota (opens in new tab). At the end of the season, Michelle and the last contestants were able to leave the United States and visit Punta de Mita, Mexico.

ABC released the full list (opens in new tab) of Young's 35 contestants earlier this month. While most of the men appear to be typical Bachelor contestants, the roster skews older, with most of the men in their late 20s and early 30s.

One thing we do know: one of Michelle's contestants is our next Bachelor. The Hollywood Reporter reported on September 9 that "the star of Season 26 is a contestant from the upcoming season." The man in question is named Clayton Eckardt, a (opens in new tab) former Seattle Seahawks tight end; in an interview with "Entertainment Tonight," Young described Clayton as his "lover. "

The Bachelor franchise is trying to tackle its diversity issues both behind the scenes and on camera; Variety (opens in new tab) has named Jodi Baskerville as The Bachelor's first black executive producer The report said. Baskerville has been with the station for 10 years and will begin her new role during Young's season.

Asked by The Hollywood Reporter (open in new tab) about her season, Young replied: "Having Jodi there, having another woman of color, if there's something on my mind or something I want to talk about, she's right there and I can feel like she's listening to me, and I can sit down and have a conversation and let everyone else join in that conversation."

Asked about her goals in taking on the lead role, Young told THR: "The first is, yes, I want to be a part of the show. But the second is to introduce a diverse love story. I didn't have a "my character has to be physically like this" kind of thing going into this production. It's not every day that other young women of color, girls of color, get to turn on a TV screen and see someone just like them. So I think it's incredibly important to give those girls that opportunity, to benefit just one other person."