The Bachelorette is set to return for its 16th season on ABC. As announced today on Good Morning America, Clare Crawley will head back to the Bachelor mansion as she embarks on a new journey to find true love, when The Bachelorette premieres Monday May 18 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT).
Clare first appeared on the Juan Pablo season of The Bachelor (Season 18 in 2014), where she famously stood up to controversial Bachelor. After Juan Pablo, Clare decided to give love another chance on Bachelor in Paradise, seasons one and two, but ultimately left both alone. She returned for Bachelor Winter Games, and it was there that she met Benoit, the charming French romantic from The Bachelorette Canada. Benoit showed Clare the romance she longed for, and when he got down on one knee to propose, Clare thought she had finally found her happily ever after. Unfortunately, over time they came to the realization that marriage wasn’t in the cards for them, however, the two remain friends to this day.
A native of Sacramento, California, Clare, 38, enjoys spending her days playing with her two dogs Elby and Honey, doing yoga and hiking with friends. She loves her career as a hairstylist. She 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.
When Clare walked away from Juan Pablo in St. Lucia, she wondered, “Where is the man who will fight for me?” Will she find this man when she returns on the 16th season of The Bachelorette?
The Bachelorette is hosted by Chris Harrison.
UPDATE: When ABC decided to cast a 38 year old Bachelorette, they felt the need to shake up the Bachelors already cast i.e. ditching the 20 somethings. From Reality Steve:
Another one of the 25 year olds that was on my list and originally told he was cast has now been removed from the show bc of his age. Casting is still happening this week. pic.twitter.com/L3hGx6PQgV
— RealitySteve (@RealitySteve) March 2, 2020
In her interview on GMA, Clare talks about being an older Bachelorette, and what her experiences will bring to the competition. She’s totally fine with dating younger men, but wonders if the men are ready for it. It became obvious that a current contestant would not become the Bachelorette. I’m surprised, however, that ABC reached back 6 years to cast the show. Also, this will be Clare’s fifth time on the franchise. That’s a lot! But I do like the idea of casting an older woman.
