In a surprise announcement over the weekend, ABC announced that Jenn Tran has withdrawn as the network’s next “Bachelorette” and that she will be replaced by ARM industry professional Katie Zugsay, who was the other candidate being considered for the show.
The network did not announce why Tran had backed out. She was announced as the next Bachelorette last week.
Zugsay, who is the chief executive of Finexus Insurance Agency, has been in the ARM industry for more than a decade. Prior to founding Finexus, Zugsay was corporate counsel and chief compliance officer at a collection operation in Dallas.
“I was in shock when they called me last week and told me that Jenn was backing out and they wanted me for the show,” Zugsay said.
Zugsay said she submitted her entry for the show on a whim, after a friend convinced her to complete the short casting application for “The Bachelor.”
“When I wasn’t selected for ‘The Bachelor’, I figured that’s the end of that, and forgot all about it,” she said. “I never thought I’d make it to any final rounds of ‘The Bachelorette,’ let alone the final two. Bachelorettes are almost always selected from the actual contestants on ‘The Bachelor’, so this was a big surprise.”
The show will air its 21st season when it begins later this summer.
“I’ve watched the show since it started and I’ve always thought it would be fun to be on it,” Zugsay said. “It’s going to be hard to manage my work and the responsibilities of being ‘The Bachelorette’ but anyone would be a fool to turn this kind of opportunity down.”
A press release announcing Zugsay’s selection said that she is a compassionate and caring woman whose ambition personifies the type of contestant that the show is looking for. When not working, the San Diego resident enjoys outdoor sports like skiing and surfing.
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