Season 16 of The Bachelorette is less than two weeks away — and ABC is finally giving Us a closer look at Clare Crawley’s (and Tayshia Adams) suitors.
Chris Harrison introduced the 31 men competing for Clare’s heart on the reality TV series on Tuesday, September 29. While some of the contestants were part of the original lineup, released in March before the coronavirus pandemic forced the network to postpone production, other suitors were introduced for the first time on Tuesday.
Us Weekly confirmed in August that Clare, 39, stopped filming season 16 at the La Quinta resort in Palm Springs early because she was in love with one of her suitors. ABC subsequently called in Tayshia, 30, to pick up where she left off.
“We saw a lot of people on set. Becca [Kufrin] and JoJo [Fletcher] and Wells [Adams] was on set,” the host told Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday, playing coy. “We brought a lot of friends in to help us out this season.”
While Wells was spotted bartending on set of the show, Us broke the news that JoJo filled in for Harrison for a series of episodes.
“I was there helping out Chris, who had to take a little bit of time off to go be with his son going to college,” the season 12 Bachelorette, 29, told Us exclusively on our “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast. “I jumped right into a mix of a whole bunch of things going on without really knowing anything that had gone on. So, it was definitely crazy.”
JoJo added, “The episodes that I was a part of, I can tell you, are going to be very good. This whole season is going to be very crazy and dramatic. I’m sure everyone’s heard of it before, but it really will be! And it was fun.”
In addition to drama, it’s possible both women may find love as Tayshia previously declared she wanted older contestants if she was ever to be named the lead — and Clare is the oldest Bachelorette in the show’s history.
“I require a little bit more life experience, someone who really knows who they are and still aren’t trying to figure themselves out,” Tayshia told Vulture in 2019. “Show up, or get out. No bulls—t, let’s go, I’m trying to find a husband!”
Scroll through for the must-read lines from the Bachelorette season 16 bios: