The silver lining! Since The Bachelorette was pushed back due to the coronavirus, for the first time in the show’s history, lead Clare Crawley was able to google her contestants ahead of time — and get to know them before filming began.
One man, who is ultimately the suitor Crawley, 39, chose to leave the show for, “always thought Clare was attractive before they even met,” a source tells Us Weekly. “She is totally his type and he loved her energy.”
The mystery man “contacted her before the show and they really hit it off,” the insider continues. “They would DM a bunch and then started FaceTiming and things moved quickly.”
On Monday, August 3, Us confirmed that the Bachelor alum decided to quit after falling in love with one of her suitors less than two weeks in. Tayshia Adams then joined the show, which is filming at the La Quinta Resort & Club, and both Crawley’s journey as well as Adams’ will air in the fall.
The cast for Crawley’s season was originally announced in March. However, due to the pandemic, not all men could return. In May, an updated list was revealed, although it included some from the original list. On the new list, 20 of the men were over the age of 30 — which was perfect for the original lead.
It turns out, the age of the men is also perfect for Adams, 29, who made her Bachelor nation debut on Colton Underwood‘s season of The Bachelor.
“I might be more tough on the guys, in the sense I’d need them to stand up a little bit more than Hannah,” the Bachelor in Paradise alum said in March 2019 during a Vulture interview about Hannah Brown‘s season. “She’s pretty fun and doesn’t take herself too seriously all the time. The guys would definitely have to be much older, I’d tell you that much. I require a little bit more life experience, someone who really knows who they are and still aren’t trying to figure themselves out. Show up, or get out. No bulls—t, let’s go, I’m trying to find a husband!”
The Bachelorette is set to air on ABC Tuesdays this fall.
