‘The Bachelorette’ Season 16: Everything We Know

Credit: Bob D'Amico/ABC; Craig Sjodin/ABC

‘The Bachelorette’ Season 16: Everything We Know

First comes Clare Crawley’s love story … and then comes Tayshia Adams’ turn. ABC named the 39-year-old hairdresser the 16th Bachelorette in March. Less than a month later, the network was forced to postpone production due to the coronavirus pandemic. “With the rapidly changing events related to COVID-19, and out of an abundance of caution, Warner Bros. Television Group is halting production on some of our 70-plus series and pilots currently filming or about to begin,” Warner Bros. Television Group told Us Weekly in a statement on March 13. “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.” The news came just hours before cameras were set to start rolling at the Los Angeles mansion. [jwplayer XtUiWham] “Well hello! Talk about most dramatic season ever!” Clare wrote via Instagram at the time. “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. 🌹 We are taking it day by day and even hour by hour as this is so unpredictable.” She added: “All I know for sure is that my heart is so full from all the love and support thus far, and am still so excited for my journey to begin! I’ve waited 38 years for these moments, what’s a little bit longer, right! 😉❤️ xoxo.” Why did Colton Underwood have to stay 100 yards away from Cassie Randolph? Hear the alleged crazy texts he sent her that earned him a restraining order. In under 2 minutes! Fans first met Clare on Juan Pablo Galavis’ The Bachelor. The season 18 runner-up went on to appear on Bachelor in Paradise seasons 1 and 2 and Bachelor Winter Games. While she got engaged to Benoit Beauséjour-Savard during the February 2018 finale of Bachelor Winter Games, they split two months later. Not long after Clare left to film in July, news broke that Tayshia was spotted on the set of season 16, prompting speculation that she took over for Clare. Scroll through for everything we know about season 16:

Credit: Bob D'Amico/ABC; Craig Sjodin/ABC

‘The Bachelorette’ Season 16: Everything We Know

First comes Clare Crawley’s love story … and then comes Tayshia Adams’ turn. ABC named the 39-year-old hairdresser the 16th Bachelorette in March. Less than a month later, the network was forced to postpone production due to the coronavirus pandemic. “With the rapidly changing events related to COVID-19, and out of an abundance of caution, Warner Bros. Television Group is halting production on some of our 70-plus series and pilots currently filming or about to begin,” Warner Bros. Television Group told Us Weekly in a statement on March 13. “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.” The news came just hours before cameras were set to start rolling at the Los Angeles mansion. [jwplayer XtUiWham] “Well hello! Talk about most dramatic season ever!” Clare wrote via Instagram at the time. “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. 🌹 We are taking it day by day and even hour by hour as this is so unpredictable.” She added: “All I know for sure is that my heart is so full from all the love and support thus far, and am still so excited for my journey to begin! I’ve waited 38 years for these moments, what’s a little bit longer, right! 😉❤️ xoxo.” Why did Colton Underwood have to stay 100 yards away from Cassie Randolph? Hear the alleged crazy texts he sent her that earned him a restraining order. In under 2 minutes! Fans first met Clare on Juan Pablo Galavis’ The Bachelor. The season 18 runner-up went on to appear on Bachelor in Paradise seasons 1 and 2 and Bachelor Winter Games. While she got engaged to Benoit Beauséjour-Savard during the February 2018 finale of Bachelor Winter Games, they split two months later. Not long after Clare left to film in July, news broke that Tayshia was spotted on the set of season 16, prompting speculation that she took over for Clare. Scroll through for everything we know about season 16:

Credit: ABC/Paula Lobo; Craig Sjodin/ABC

Premiere Date

Season 16 of The Bachelorette will debut on ABC Tuesday, October 13, at 8 p.m. ET.

Credit: ABC/Paul Hebert

What Clare’s Looking For in a Man

“For me the most important thing is that I want a man that will take off his armor, I want a man who is strong, willing to take off the body armor, open himself up and be vulnerable,” Clare said on Good Morning America in March. “A lot of people [saw] that side of me and saw me stand up to Juan Pablo. … And I’m strong enough to let someone in and be vulnerable and open up and share that with them.” 

According to her ABC bio, Clare “looks up to her late father as an example of the man she hopes to marry, someone strong and compassionate that can live life to the fullest.”

Credit: ABC (3)

The OG Cast

ABC announced Clare’s contestants on March 11. While some fans assumed the cast would be made up of older men as Clare turned 39 in March, more than half of the original suitors are in their twenties.

“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,” Clare said on Good Morning America in March.

Credit: Stewart Cook/ABC

The Call for More Suitors

During commercial breaks of The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heart, which ran for for six episodes in late April and May, ABC called for more applications for Clare’s season. The reality star also suggested men still apply.

“I feel like since we have a break in the show right now, I don’t think it’s too late to submit people,” she told her followers via Instagram Live. “So, submit them, why not? What’s the worst that could happen?”

Host Chris Harrison agreed.

“Obviously with this virus who knows when this thing is going to blow through. The idea that everybody is going to be able to take off work and do this again, probably very slim,” he said via his own Instagram Live.

Credit: ABC/Paula Lobo; Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock

The Matt James of It All

Tyler Cameron’s best friend was part of ABC’s initial season 16 cast. He made headlines in April when Clare tweeted, “If you are doing interviews and creating Cameo accounts before you are even on my season… you are in it for the wrong reasons… #dontwasteyourtime.”

While Clare didn’t name names, Matt is part of a Cameo campaign to raise money for The Robin Hood Foundation, a nonprofit that fights poverty in New York City.

In June, however, ABC announced Matt would be the next Bachelor instead of competing on Clare’s season. The season 25 star will be the first black man to be the lead in Bachelor history. 

“Matt has been on our radar since February, when producers first approached him to join Bachelor Nation, as part of Clare’s season. When filming couldn’t move forward as planned, we were given the benefit of time to get to know Matt and all agreed he would make a perfect Bachelor,” ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said in a statement. “We know we have a responsibility to make sure the love stories we’re seeing onscreen are representative of the world we live in and we are proudly in service to our audience. This is just the beginning and we will continue to take action with regard to diversity issues on this franchise.”

Credit: ABC

The New Cast

When ABC announced the group of Clare’s 42 potential suitors on July 16, 25 of them were new names, while 17 were from the original cast announcement earlier this year. Fans were quick to notice a big difference from the original group of men, however — of the 25 new men who were added, 20 of them are 30 years old or over.

Credit: ROGER WONG/INSTARimages.com

No Travel

“They’re scoping out multiple different resorts to see if it’s possible to film the entire season in one location,” an insider told Us in April. “The show has discussed filming the season without the usual travel.”

According to Variety, hometown dates are still up in the air. The outlet also notes that contestants and crew members will be tested for COVID-19 before filming and quarantined on location.

Credit: ABC/Paula Lobo

The Resort

Clare’s season will film at La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, California. The resort features 41 pools, 53 hot spas, 23 tennis courts, five golf courses, seven restaurants and 796 guest rooms. The resort is set to reopen publicly in September.

She arrived at the resort in July.

Credit: ABC/John Fleenor

New Day

ABC announced their fall schedule in June 2020, revealing that The Bachelorette will air at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, rather than the usual Monday slot.

Credit: ABC/Kelsey McNeal

The Start Date

ABC exec Robert Mills told Variety in April that they were hoping to film Clare’s season during the summer and turn it around for a fall premiere date. “If I’m being realistic, it would probably be mid-summer that we start,” he explained, noting that Bachelor and Bachelorette production are top priority over season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise, which typically films in Mexico.

After announcing Matt was the new Bachelor, ABC confirmed Clare’s season is expected to air in the fall.

Credit: Courtesy of Clare Crawley/Instagram

The First Rose Ceremony

Clare penned an inspiring message to herself on July 7 via Instagram: “Dear self- I want to thank you. You walked on so many difficult journeys these past few years. You fought battles- with those who love you, and with those whom you love. You were let down time and time again, but you didn’t let it shatter your faith in relationships, in love. You’ve had to prove your worth to those unworthy and you were broken – more than words can explain but you have been reborn.” She continued, “You found your true self and changed the meaning of your life – turning it into something beautiful, into something worth living! So, I want to say that I’m proud of you. I know how hard it has been. I cannot thank you enough for taking care of me. I promise that I will continue to take care of you too. Just keeping strong. For me. Keep going. Keep on fighting. You know you can do this. – Ruby Dahl.”

Less than two weeks later, Fleiss confirmed that Clare's first rose ceremony went down on July 18.

Credit: Courtesy of Clare Crawley/Instagram

The Backup Contestants

Less than two weeks after Clare's journey to find love began, an insider told Us that producers were searching for new options to join the group at the La Quinta Resort & Club in California. "Last weekend, producers reached out to backup Bachelorette contestants who had been vetted for Clare’s season but were ultimately not cast to film at La Quinta," the source said in July. "When producers reached back out, out of the blue, it was very apparent that something had happened with production. Something had obviously happened two weeks into filming and last weekend, producers were calling backup contestants and asking them to come to La Quinta within 24 hours."

Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock

Enter Tayshia

After Us confirmed that the former contestants were contacted, news broke that Clare didn’t want to continue her time on the show. Tayshia was subsequently brought to the Palm Springs resort to take over. Us later confirmed that viewers will see both Clare and Tayshia on season 16.

A source told Us producers were "scrambling" amid the drama.

Credit:

The First Promo

ABC ran the first promo for the season on August 3, the same day the news of the Tayshia shakeup broke. The clip was brief and ominous, showing a shadow of Clare preparing for an on-camera interview.

Credit:

The Second Promo

A day later, ABC released a second promo.

Credit: AFF-USA/Shutterstock

What Tayshia Wants in a Man

Time will tell if one of Clare’s suitors is a match for Tayshia, but the phlebotomist previously opened up about what she was looking for in a man while discussing Hannah Brown’s season with Vulture.

“I might be more tough on the guys, in the sense I’d need them to stand up a little bit more than Hannah,” she said in March 2019. “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!”

Credit: ABC/Bob D'Amico

Clare’s Status

A source confirmed to Us that Clare is indeed in love with one of her suitors — and they talked prior to filming. The mystery man “always thought Clare was attractive before they even met,” the source said. “She is totally his type and he loved her energy. He contacted her before the show and they really hit it off,” the insider continued. “They would DM a bunch and then started FaceTiming and things moved quickly.”

Credit: Courtesy Hannah Ann Sluss/Instagram

Hannah Ann Arrives

Us broke the news on August 4 that Hannah Ann Sluss was also on the set of season 16 of The Bachelorette. The photos sparked speculation that Tayshia might not be the only one getting a shot with Clare’s suitors. “This season is so off the wall that absolutely anything and everything is on the table,” an insider told Us. “Producers continue to reach out to women from the franchise in an attempt to salvage a season that just might be the most dramatic ever.”

Credit:

Bartender Alert!

Us Weekly obtained exclusive photos of Wells Adams spotted at the La Quinta Resort bartending and chatting with Harrison on August 5. Adams, who has appeared on The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, has been the resident bartender on BiP since season 4 in 2017.

Credit: Instagram

Hey Sydney!

Sydney Lotuaco, who competed on Underwood's season of The Bachelor, shared a photo on her Instagram Story on August 5, which appeared to be her at La Quinta. Fans quickly noticed she was wearing the green wristband that others had on and that the background looked like the resort.

Credit: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

Ashley’s Input

After Ashley Iaconetti was spotted on set in Palm Springs, she clarified reports that season 16 of The Bachelorette was turning into Bachelor in Paradise. “This is just the Bachelorette filming down there,” she said on her “Almost Famous” podcast with Ben Higgins. “And a lot of people are saying that COVID is happening, why are there so many people down there in Palm Springs? You guys, the Bachelor bubble down there is the safest place you can be right now. There’s so many tests going on down there and so much quarantining going on. Just wanted to put that out there.”

Credit:

A Third Tease

“Get ready for one heel of a season. #TheBachelorette is coming to Tuesdays on ABC. ❤️,” the network wrote alongside a promo of Clare dropping a pair of heels on August 11.

Credit: ABC

Clare Stayed

Clare might have found love in 12 days, but she stayed at the Palm Springs resort after Tayshia stepped in. She was spotted for the first time by Entertainment Tonight on August 12.

Credit: Shutterstock (2)

JoJo Steps In

Us broke the news on August 13 that the longtime host was forced to miss two weeks of filming after he left the Palm Springs resort to drop his son, Joshua, off at college. ABC called in JoJo Fletcher to temporarily replace him.

Credit: Gregory Pace/Shutterstock; MediaPunch/Shutterstock

He's Back!

On August 16, Harrison was spotted back on the Bachelorette set, three days after Us reported that he would be forced to miss two weeks of filming. In photos obtained by Entertainment Tonight, the longtime host chatted with Crawley and did not wear a face mask to protect himself amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Credit: Courtesy Tayshia Adams/Instagram

There She Is!

Tayshia was spotted on the Bachelorette set for the first time on August 20. In photos posted by the Daily Mail, she wore a turquoise bikini, a white sarong and a microphone pack as she chatted with a hair and makeup person and other crew members.

Credit: ABC

New Poster

On August 27, ABC revealed the Graduate-inspired poster for season 16. "I feel like this could be double trouble," Harrison tweeted with the pic.

Credit:

A Little Respect

ABC picked Keke Palmer‘s cover of Aretha Franklin‘s “Respect” as the song for Clare’s season. The track was used in a trailer shared on August 31 — sans Tayshia.

Credit: Courtesy of Tayshia Adams/Instagram

Tayshia Returns

After a month of social media silence, Adams shared a handful of Instagram Stories from a perfect day in her hometown of Newport Beach, California. "It's been a minute!" she joked on September 10 before posting snapshots of a perfect Nobu meal. One week earlier, Crawley also returned to the social media platform.

Credit: Courtesy Chris Harrison/Instagram

All Done!

Harrison hinted that filming had wrapped when he shared a photo of his grill on August 30 with the caption, "Good to be home!"

Clare also returned to social media on August 31, dancing along to Cabana Ace’s “Palm Springs Summer” via her Instagram Stories. She added a GIF of the words “thankful,” “grateful” and “blessed.”

Us confirmed on August 2 that La Quinta Resort was open again to the public. 

Credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock; AFF-USA/Shutterstock

Tayshia's Title

Harrison dished on some of the unprecedented season's juicy details during an interview with Entertainment Tonight — and revealed Adams was always under consideration for the big role. "[She's] not not the Bachelorette," he said on September 29. "In all seriousness, Tayshia is a very good friend of mine. I absolutely love and adore this woman, and I would love for her to have that opportunity to be the Bachelorette, should that ever arise. She would be a great candidate. ... She was on the top of our list from the start."

Credit: ABC

'No Rules'

Fans are convinced Crawley connected with her leading man before filming for season 16 began, and Harrison didn't exactly rule out that possibility. "She definitely took a peek," Harrison told ET on September 29, teasing that there are "no rules" this year. "She admitted to me that she started looking through and getting an idea of what these guys stood for who they were — not a terrible idea, and maybe that's something we incorporate into the future of this show."

Credit: ABC

Staying Tight-Lipped

Crawley refused to confirm that she exited the show early during a Good Morning America interview hours before the October 13 premiere. “A lot of stuff happened on this season,” she teased. “I feel like it would not be doing it any justice if I was to give any of it away to you.”