Clare Crawley Is the Bachelorette: Bachelor Nation Reacts!

Credit: ROGER WONG/INSTARimages.com

Clare Crawley Is the Bachelorette: Bachelor Nation Reacts!

A pleasant surprise! Bachelor Nation was seemingly very happy with the Monday, March 2, announcement that Clare Crawley is the next star of The Bachelorette. Crawley, 38, was also shocked, she admitted on Good Morning America on Monday. “I cannot believe it. I mean, six years later. What is happening?” she said, revealing she had only found out the news herself two days before the announcement. The hairstylist makes history as the oldest Bachelorette in the franchise. The last Bachelorette was former pageant queen Hannah Brown, who was the youngest to lead a franchise at 24. [jwplayer hT1nCoAQ] “I feel like a lot of people put [age] out there as this negative thing, but for me, it just is more years under my belt, more learning and knowing what I want, what I don’t want and what I won’t settle for,” Crawley told the GMA hosts. "I want a man who is strong, who is willing to take off the body armor, open himself up and be vulnerable. I think that [shows] some serious strength right there, so I want a man who can do that." The reality star first joined the franchise in 2014, appearing on Juan Pablo Galavis’ season 18 of The Bachelor and coming in 2nd place. She searched for love again on seasons 1 and 2 of Bachelor in Paradise and a fourth time on The Bachelor Winter Games in 2018. At the reunion show, she got engaged to The Bachelorette Canada alum Benoit Beausejour-Savard, but the pair split a few months later. This is the perfect time for Crawley to become the Bachelorette too, as she had a very difficult 2019, she revealed via an emotional Instagram post in January. "2019 was awful tough. I don’t show it often, but there were so many days where I wanted to just crumble," she wrote in an emotional caption. "But my CHOSEN family, and 2 sisters fought right along side me when I was struggling. (Ya I said it) And I am forever forever grateful!! They held me up when the weight of my moms diagnosis crushed my soul. We fight together. So ya, here’s my 2020 energy, and who cares if I gained weight, earned a few more wrinkles and have a goofy looking chipped front tooth! I worked hard for this happiness. Thank you for coming to my TED talk." Scroll through the gallery below for reactions from Bachelor Nation: [podcast_block]

Credit: ROGER WONG/INSTARimages.com

Clare Crawley Is the Bachelorette: Bachelor Nation Reacts!

A pleasant surprise! Bachelor Nation was seemingly very happy with the Monday, March 2, announcement that Clare Crawley is the next star of The Bachelorette. Crawley, 38, was also shocked, she admitted on Good Morning America on Monday. “I cannot believe it. I mean, six years later. What is happening?” she said, revealing she had only found out the news herself two days before the announcement. The hairstylist makes history as the oldest Bachelorette in the franchise. The last Bachelorette was former pageant queen Hannah Brown, who was the youngest to lead a franchise at 24. [jwplayer hT1nCoAQ] “I feel like a lot of people put [age] out there as this negative thing, but for me, it just is more years under my belt, more learning and knowing what I want, what I don’t want and what I won’t settle for,” Crawley told the GMA hosts. "I want a man who is strong, who is willing to take off the body armor, open himself up and be vulnerable. I think that [shows] some serious strength right there, so I want a man who can do that." The reality star first joined the franchise in 2014, appearing on Juan Pablo Galavis’ season 18 of The Bachelor and coming in 2nd place. She searched for love again on seasons 1 and 2 of Bachelor in Paradise and a fourth time on The Bachelor Winter Games in 2018. At the reunion show, she got engaged to The Bachelorette Canada alum Benoit Beausejour-Savard, but the pair split a few months later. This is the perfect time for Crawley to become the Bachelorette too, as she had a very difficult 2019, she revealed via an emotional Instagram post in January. "2019 was awful tough. I don’t show it often, but there were so many days where I wanted to just crumble," she wrote in an emotional caption. "But my CHOSEN family, and 2 sisters fought right along side me when I was struggling. (Ya I said it) And I am forever forever grateful!! They held me up when the weight of my moms diagnosis crushed my soul. We fight together. So ya, here’s my 2020 energy, and who cares if I gained weight, earned a few more wrinkles and have a goofy looking chipped front tooth! I worked hard for this happiness. Thank you for coming to my TED talk." Scroll through the gallery below for reactions from Bachelor Nation: [podcast_block]

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Kaitlyn Bristowe

“Pumped,” the former Bachelorette tweeted after a fan asked her thoughts on the franchise’s newest leading lady. “@Clare_Crawley  is well spoken, knows what she wants, and I believe we will see more mature relationships develop. Will be a great season.”

Credit: Courtesy of Catherine Giudici/Instagram

Catherine Giudici

"I'm excited to watch this season," the Bachelor alum wrote on Instagram."@ClareCrawley, GET IT!"

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Arie Luyendyk Jr.

"Good choice," the former Bachelor commented on Us Weekly's Instagram, adding clapping emojis.

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Nick Viall

“Picking @Clare_Crawley for the next #bachelorette is an excellent choice,” Viall, 39, tweeted before listing reasons why. “1) More believable with the times we are in. People are getting married later in life than ever before. 2) she as deserving as anyone. 3) she doesn’t know how to be inauthentic or hold back. 4) bold/beauty."

Credit: ABC/Edward Herrera

Benoit Beausejour-Savard

Congratulations to this gem,” the 33-year-old wrote via Instagram of his ex-fiancée. “She will be a great bachelorette. She is smart, fun, strong, knows what she wants and most importantly, she will call out the guys messing around!! Hell yeah!! Good luck on your journey to find love @clarecrawley!! You will be the best. #bestbacheloretteever"

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Chris Bukowski

"Congratulations @Clare_Crawley!!" Bukowski, 33, tweeted along with a GIF of the pair on Bachelor in Paradise. When a follower asked if she'd been on more Bachelor shows than him, he responded, "I’m not good at math. (Bukowski has appeared on 6 Bachelor shows.)

Credit: Courtesy of Nicole Lopez-Alvar/Instagram

Nicole Lopez-Alvar

"I’ve followed Clare’s Bachelor journey since Juan Pablo, and I’m honestly excited," Lopez-Alvar, 27, tweeted. "I’m equally excited to see her older group of suitors. Furthermore, I just have to say — influencers don’t make good TV. THERE, I SAID IT."

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Chris Harrison

"Welcome your new Bachelorette Clare Crawley @clarecrawley," the host, 48, wrote on Instagram. "Welcome back my friend!"

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Tenley Molzahn

“It’s about time, she was born for this,” the Bachelor in Paradise alum, 35, wrote on Instagram.

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Ali Fedotowsky

"This is amazing, so so so happy for her," Fedotowski, 35, commented on Instagram.

The Bachelorette premieres on ABC Monday, May 18, at 8 p.m. ET.