Truly the most dramatic season of all time? Maybe so! Bachelorette lead Clare Crawley and host Chris Harrison have broken their silence following the news that season 16 has been pushed back due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
“Talk about most dramatic season ever! In all seriousness, everyone’s health is the most important priority at this time, and as I’m sure you’ve heard, we are pressing pause for now on filming The Bachelorette,” Crawley, 38, wrote on Instagram on Friday, March 13. “We are taking it day by day and even hour by hour as this is so unpredictable. All I know for sure is that my heart is so full from all the love and support this far, and am still so excited for my journey to begin!”
She then added: “I’ve waited 38 years for these moments, what’s a little bit longer, right! xoxo.”
Hours before her post, Warner Bros. Television Group announced that they are “halting production on some of our 70-plus series and pilots currently filming or about to begin,” which includes The Bachelorette. “There have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on any of our productions, but the health and safety of our employees, casts and crews remains our top priority. During this time, we will continue to follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control as well as local officials and public health professionals in each city where our productions are based.”
Harrison, 48, also posted about the delay, sharing an Instagram Video on Friday night.
“Right now, at this very minute, I should be standing on a very wet driveway with a very excited woman, ready to change lives. But in a fact, lives have been changed,” he said in the video, revealing that Friday was supposed to be the first night of production and the first rose ceremony. “The Bachelorette has been postponed for two weeks, at least. In two weeks we will reaccess where we are in the world. … I was consulted about this. It was not only the right thing to do, it was the only thing to do. But that doesn’t mean this decision wasn’t hard to make because this will affect a lot of people.”
The Bachelorette (as of now) is set to premiere on ABC Monday, May 19 at 8 p.m. ET.
