Earlier in the season, Katie comforted Sarah Trott after the women in the house ganged up on her for requiring too much alone time with Matt, even though Sarah actually stole some of Katie’s time with Matt earlier in the episode. Nevertheless, she listened to Sarah tell her side of the story, including how her dad is terminally ill with ALS Lou Gehrig’s disease. Then, Katie shared her own story: She lost her dad not too long ago. Katie cried along with Sarah but also challenged her to stay and see through her spark with Matt. When Sarah expressed she felt she needed to be with her family instead, Katie commiserated with her and encouraged her to go to be with her dad. Later, Katie showed even more maturity by following up with the group and encouraging them to “be classy in this process, because you don’t know everyone’s story.” But who is Katie Thurston, exactly, and where is she now that the season is almost over? Here’s what you need to know about the girl who single-handedly saved the season, including if she’s your next Bachelorette! 

How old is Katie Thurston?

Katie is 29, according to her official Bachelor bio. But, in real life, she just turned 30, according to her Instagram.

What is Katie Thurston’s job?

Katie’s day job is listed as a bank marketing manager. She said on her Instagram Story in late December that she saw her coworkers for the first time since she left to shoot The Bachelor and said it was “super awkward” for her to know that they would see a non-work version of herself. View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Katie (@ventwithkatiee)

Katie is pretty big on social media

Katie actually has a massive social media following. She currently has 41,300 followers on Instagram (and skyrocketing), and she’s actually pretty huge on TikTok. She once went viral for telling the story of how she accidentally pooped herself at work. Details:

She’s pretty sex positive

Katie regularly talks about sex on TikTok, and even kicked off a video this summer about having sex with a ghost by talking about how much she was masturbating lately. “Let’s be honest: Who’s masturbating more than they usually do? I swear, there was a day when I did it three times, just because I was bored and I could.”

What happened to Katie’s dad?

Katie shared with Sarah that she lost her dad in 2012. “I 100 percent encourage you to be with him,” Katie said, after Sarah shared that she thought her dad only had “weeks” to live. “I understand that more than I would like to,” she continued. “I missed out on my goodbye to my dad. I would never want that for you.” Beyond that, details of Katie’s dad are scarce—he isn’t mentioned on her Bachelor bio, and she doesn’t talk about him on social media.

Katie seems ready to meet the right person

Her Bachelor bio repeatedly drills down on that, saying that she’s “done wasting her time on boys who won’t live up to her expectations” and that she’s looking for “a mature man who has ambitions to succeed in everything he does, both personally and professionally.”

Katie is ready to shake things up in her life

This, according to a recent Instagram post she shared just before she turned 30. “Life really does pass by quickly. If I died tomorrow, I wouldn’t be happy with what I’ve accomplished,” she wrote. “I followed ’the rules’ of life. Get the career. Save the money. Start that 401k. Buy the house. And for what? An entire decade to pass without feeling fulfilled? This past year, I finally unapologetically loved who I am. I lost people along the way. And that’s ok. We aren’t meant to please everyone. What I do know is life is too short to feel unfulfilled.”

She once planned a dog flash mob! 

It got a “huge turnout.” This, according to her Bachelor bio. Must. Get. Details.

Is Katie Thurston the next Bachelorette?

Yes! Here’s every detail we know about her season of The Bachelorette. Next, get to know fan-favorite Abigail Heringer. 

Bachelor Contestant Katie Thurston  Dad  TikTok  Job  Instagram - 97