Several weeks ago, Clayton Echard was revealed to be the next lead of The Bachelor, but after his recent debut on The Bachelorette, it’s clear that ABC jumped the gun with their announcement of the next Bachelor. This isn’t the first time the network has spoiled their own show by announcing the next lead, but this is perhaps the most egregious example. Fans already know how Clayton’s Bachelorette journey ends, and viewers will likely lose interest in his relationship with Bachelorette Michelle Young.
After Matt James’ lackluster season of The Bachelor, the pressure was on to pick a lead that would impress fans. At first, it seemed like the next Bachelor would be selected from the men on Katie Thurston’s season of The Bachelorette. Contestants like Michael Allio, Andrew Spencer, and even controversial Greg Grippo were considered for The Bachelor. However, ABC decided to pivot at the last minute and revealed that Clayton, a contestant who had not even been on the show yet, would be the next lead.
Given that Clayton is the next Bachelor, it’s fair to say he and Michelle don’t get engaged at the end of the season. Fans knew going into night one that Clayton will eventually be sent home heartbroken, and it’s cast a shadow over the season. Clayton’s early Bachelor announcement invalidates his journey with Michelle, and it’s going to be hard for viewers to get invested in their storyline. Usually leads become popular because fans follow them throughout an entire season and are rooting for them to find love. But new Bachelor lead Clayton obviously doesn’t end up with Michelle, so all their intimate moments and romantic dates are going to be a snooze fest.
Of course, that’s not the only reason why the network should have held off on announcing Clayton as The Bachelor. Now that Michelle’s season has premiered, all eyes are on Clayton, and he’ll be scrutinized in a way that other contestants won’t be. Everything Clayton does on the show will be judged and analyzed through the lens of him being the next lead. Viewers will be forgiving when it comes to many of the contestants, but not with Clayton. During Michelle’s season of The Bachelorette, Clayton will be expected to possess outstanding charisma and compelling backstory, and anything else will be a disappointment.
The next season of The Bachelor has already begun filming, so perhaps ABC decided to spill the beans early so the information wouldn’t leak. However, many fans don’t read spoilers, and they probably would have liked to be kept in the dark about Clayton at least a little while longer. From the minute he stepped out of the limo and introduced himself to Michelle, viewers couldn’t help but roll their eyes because they know Clayton and Michelle’s love story is over before it even began on the show.