Photo: ABC/Rick Rowell

Nick Viall is a lucky man indeed, as he has his pick of 30 beautiful women all vying for his attention. As season 21 of The Bachelor premiered last night, eager viewers are excited to know more about front-runner Raven Gates.

With the new year comes a brand new season of The Bachelor, starring none other than the hit series’ alum Nick Viall. The 36-year-old Wisconsin native, who works as a software sales executive, will be faced with the challenging prospect of choosing a bride to take home to his conservative Catholic family. The Bachelor season 21 premiere episode aired last night (Monday, January 2) and excited fans seemed to have already placed their bets on who will win the coveted rose. With his flourishing reality TV career and dashing good looks, Viall is definitely a catch and the bevy of 20-something beauties are impatiently waiting their turn to win him over. After tonight’s episode aired, Reality Steve has already predicted that the final two contenders for Viall’s rose will be Canadian Vanessa Grimaldi and Arkansan Raven Gates. Scroll down to keep reading for five juicy and interesting facts about The Bachelor season 21’s front-runner Raven Gates, including her wiki, Instagram, net worth, and pics.

Fact #1: She Is a Savvy 25-Year-Old Entrepreneur

At first glance, Raven Gates is a gorgeous brunette who easily stands apart from the crowd. Only 25 years old, the talented contestant is a self-made woman who runs her own store and is obviously hard-working and determined by nature. It looks like these defining qualities have already helped her captivate the heart of the new bachelor Nick Viall, who is said to be taken by the stunner. Although she is over a decade younger than her potential husband-to-be, the brown-eyed beauty is mature far beyond her years. Standing at 5’6″, the outspoken and opinionated entrepreneur isn’t afraid of getting older. In an interview with ABC, she has stated that “Oh, I’m sure I’ll use cosmetic procedures to my advantage, but tastefully done.” Such honesty is truly refreshing!

Fact #2: She Hails From Hoxie, Arkansas

The small-town Southern belle is charming and spirited, displaying wide-eyed enthusiasm unlike her jaded big-city contenders. Gates hails from the tiny town of Hoxie, Arkansas, which boasts a population of fewer than 3,000 people. An hour’s drive from nearby cities Little Rock and Memphis, Gates’ boutique shop is located in her hometown of Jonesboro. As of now, not much is known about Raven Gates’ wiki and parents other than she born and raised in Arkansas. Raven Gates’ family is a close-knit one, and she is said to love hunting. One thing’s for sure; her endearing personality surely has her poised to be a threat to the other 29 contestants trying to catch Viall’s eye on The Bachelor.

Fact #3: She Owns a Fashion Boutique Called Grey Suede

Even though she is predicted to go far in The Bachelor franchise, Gates’ career is already up and running. The talented 25-year-old is a woman of many talents, now adding “reality TV star” to her resume. Raven Gates’ net worth is all set to spike after her appearance on The Bachelor 2017 and with her successful fashion boutique, she is definitely one to watch out for. Currently, Gates is the owner of a store called Grey Suede, which is active on Instagram, with nearly 4,000 followers. Naturally, business will boom after Gates’ stint on The Bachelor, and with the deadly combination of Southern sweetness and business savvy, the dark-haired beauty will go a long way indeed.

Fact #4: She Is a Strong Contender on Season 21 of The Bachelor 

(Possible spoiler alert!)

Being young, beautiful, and successful immediately places Raven Gates at the front of the line, and it seems like Viall has his work cut out for him when he has to make his final decision. Her sweet-talking Southern accent has already captured millions of The Bachelor viewers across the country. Raven Gates’ Instagram posts document her regular visits to church and showcase that she is very active in the community. Apparently, she has already met Nick Viall’s family, as they went on a date to his hometown of Waukesha, Wisconsin, attending a soccer game his sister Bella was playing in. It seems like things are already getting pretty cozy between Viall and Gates!

According to The Bachelor host Chris Harrison, Gates is definitely one of the contenders to watch out for on this season of the hit reality matchmaking series. In an interview, Harrison stated, “Raven is a professional woman but from a small town. She is from Arkansas and went to the University of Arkansas. She is a very straight-shooting, no-nonsense Southern belle. She has a very sweet quality to her, and she is friendly to everyone, but she is sharp as a tack and will not be walked all over. I dare you to underestimate her. Some of the girls will learn that lesson. She is around fashion and clothes as a boutique owner. She is always ‘put together’ and dreams of the big country wedding. She does fit that stereotype. She is very kind, loving, and sweet, and Nick finds that very attractive. He very much enjoys being comforted by her. She is that girl who makes him forget and relax and takes him away from all the nonsense in the house, and that girl is always someone you have to watch out for on The Bachelor.”

Raven Gates From The Bachelor

Photo: ABC/Mitch Haaseth

Fact #5: She Is a Spirited, Fun-Loving, Regular Girl

In her bio on ABC’s official web site, Gates has confessed that she would love to be Blue Ivy, the daughter of Jay-Z and Beyonce, because “who doesn’t want to?” A lover of romantic comedies, Gates’ favorite movies include Uptown Girls, Bridesmaids, and Step Brothers and she has cited the late actress Brittany Murphy as her favorite actress. Her favorite fictional character is Jasmine from Aladdin because of “That hair and a pet tiger!”

The 25-year-old reality show newbie isn’t afraid to admit that she’s a terrible cook and that she has a weakness for cheap hair products! Last but not the least, Gates revealed that the most romantic present she ever received was, “A diamond necklace and roses left on my car. I didn’t even care if they were diamonds. I just never had a man buy me anything before. So thoughtful!” It looks like The Bachelor season 21 already has a winner folks!

Raven Gates The Bachelor

Photo: ABC/Rick Rowell