On Season 19 of “The Bachelorette," which premiered on July 11, a few frontrunners from among the 32 contestants have emerged early on for both of the two Bachelorettes.
While Rachel Recchia seems to be gravitating toward Tino Franco, second bachelorette Gabriela “Gabby” Windey is developing a strong connection with Nate Mitchell, a 33-year-old electrical engineer from Chicago.
Mitchell didn’t get a lot of screen time in the premiere, but in Episode Two viewers learned more about him after Windey chose him for her first one-on-one date.
He received a rose at the end of the night and viewers immediately took to Twitter to praise his maturity and his respect for the Bachelorettes. He has the potential to go far this season, so here’s everything you need to know about this early fan-favorite.
Here's what he's looking for in a partner
Mitchell's official cast bio from ABC described him as having “a weakness for a woman who can make him laugh so hard his belly hurts.”
Given that Windey is known for her humor and silliness, it’s no surprise that the two are connecting.
On their romantic first date, which included a helicopter ride and a private dinner at Los Angeles’ Union Station, Mitchell and Windey spent most of their time giggling and speaking in goofy voices.
He’s a rom-com fan
Mitchell’s list of fun facts on his ABC bio page revealed that the electrical engineer’s favorite movie is “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” Maybe he and Windey will have a happy ending like Ben (Matthew McConaughey) and Andie (Kate Hudson).
His other two facts said that he enjoys a gas station Icee (who doesn’t?) and that he is not a fan of mosh pits.
Fans applauded how he stood up to a 'villain'
Episode Two introduced Bachelor Nation to the first, short-lived villain of the season: Chris Austin. While speaking with a few suitors at the Bachelor Mansion, Austin said he would not be comfortable if Windey and Recchia were intimate with multiple men during fantasy suites week.
This scenario caused drama during Clayton Echard's previous season of "The Bachelor," when frontrunner Susie Evans leveled the same ultimatum. Upon finding out Echard had been intimate with Windey and Recchia, Evans left the show, leaving Echard to chase after her.
Austin's comments bothered some of the men, including Mitchell who spoke up about why Austin’s opinion was problematic.
“Anytime that you have a premeditated thought of, ‘You won’t do this, unless that,’ that is a form of control,” Mitchell said. “And that is manipulative. This could be our queen. This could be the mother of our children. This could be someone we spend the rest of our lives with.”
He continued, “You cannot have preconditions to love. It’s just a form of control that a lot of men just don’t realize that they do that damages good women.”
On social media, fans weighed in on the moment, quoting his speech.
He's a self-described 'girl dad'
On his one-on-one date, Mitchell told Windey he has a 6-year-old daughter.
“She is my world. Like, a pocket of my heart just burst open for the first time when she said, ‘Dad,’ (and) the first time she told me she loved me,” he said.
The self-described “girl dad” also adorably referred to his daughter as “the human form of coffee.”
After the episode aired, he stopped by the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast and told former “Bachelorette” leads Becca Kufrin and Michelle Young that Windey’s openness made him feel comfortable speaking about his relationship with his daughter.
He is friends with some Bachelor Nation alums
A few days after the official Season 19 cast was released, Dustin Kendrick from Hannah Brown’s season of “The Bachelorette” revealed on Instagram that he is close friends with Mitchell.
“Meet my childhood friend … y’all can meet him on the bachelorette July 11th!” he captioned a video that featured close-ups of Mitchell’s unique style.
Mitchell sported a safety pin earring in the earring, which he also wore on his date with Windey.
Kendrick is close with fellow Season 15 contestant and former Bachelor Peter Weber. They co-host the podcast "Bachelors in the City."
If it doesn't work out with Windey, Mitchell is likely to remain connected to Bachelor Nation. Former Bachelorette Katie Thurston already nominated him to be the next lead in a Tweet.
Follow him on Instagram for travel pics
Mitchell posts under the handle @nate_mitchell12.
Follow for pictures of him around his hometown, Chicago, or various other locales — including New York with a bulldog.