“Yes.” That was the whole answer. One word, no hesitation — Emma Johnston looked into the camera in the Season 18 trailer and said yes, she wants a boyfriend. She turned 21 on July 1, 2026, and after eleven years as the baby of the family on 7 Little Johnstons, she has finally said the word fans waited years to hear. The only question left is who gets to pick the boy — Emma herself, or the two women already lining up to do it for her.
One Word in the Trailer: “Yes”
Emma has told fans directly that she does not have a boyfriend. The Season 18 trailer, released on October 23, does not show Emma on a date, and it does not name a boyfriend. What it shows is intent — and, according to The Ashley’s Reality Roundup on October 31, a plan forming around her. Jonah’s girlfriend Ashley and Alex’s girlfriend Allie are teaming up to play matchmaker for Emma, seemingly with one person in mind: Joose Jeskanen, the family’s former Finnish exchange guest, who reportedly still holds a flame for her. TLC has confirmed no couple, and the trailer shows a conversation, not a romance. But the matchmaking is already the season’s most argued-about storyline.
Team Matchmakers: Joose Is the Safe Bet
Joose is not a stranger from a dating app — he is a known quantity. The 17-year-old exchange student from Finland stayed with the Johnston family for three months in 2021, filmed TikToks with Emma, and became so close that the family flew to Finland to visit him in 2022. According to reports, the crush never fully faded on his side. Emma would not be gambling on a stranger; she would be dating someone her whole family already vetted and welcomed back. Ashley is Emma’s “bestie” and “other sister.” Allie just earned the American FFA Degree on October 27, and Alex gave Allie a promise ring — so the matchmakers are not theorizing about love from the sidelines. If anyone can spot a safe first boyfriend for Emma, the argument goes, it is these two.
Team Hands Off: Emma Is 21, Not 16
Now the other side — and it starts with a number. Emma is 21, not 16. She launched Emma’s Rings ‘n Things in 2019, while still in middle school. She finished school in 2024, worked her first boutique job, drives her own car, and took a solo flight to adventure camp. Her road from nine-year-old scene-stealer to 21 is a record of someone who keeps choosing her own next step — so why should her first boyfriend be chosen for her? The fan-pairing record is not encouraging, either. Her first public connection, Lucca Rannigan, once told her “I love you” on camera in Season 7 — Emma said they were too young to date, and Lucca has a new girlfriend now. Then there is the practical problem: Joose lives in Finland, an ocean away. A first relationship that starts as a family project, across 4,000 miles, with cameras rolling, is a lot to ask of a 21-year-old who has never had a boyfriend.
What November 17 Will Actually Show
Season 18 premieres Tuesday, November 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on TLC — and the premiere will settle one thing fast: does Joose appear on screen? Brice, Ashley and Allie are driving Season 18 in a way no partners ever have. So here it is: should Allie and Ashley set Emma up with Joose — the boy who lived downstairs for three months in 2021 and, according to reports, still holds a flame for her — or should Emma choose her own first boyfriend, Joose or someone brand new? Team Matchmakers, or Team Hands Off?
More 7 Little Johnstons drama
7 Little JohnstonsThe 5 Outsiders Circling the Johnstons, Ranked by How Close They Really Are
7 Little JohnstonsJonah Johnston’s Timeline: From NICU Baby to 25 — and the Ring That Still Isn’t There
7 Little JohnstonsThe Empty Chair at Liz and Brice’s Wedding Still Explains the Johnstons, One Year Later
