Zach Shallcross has been announced as the lead for The Bachelor season 27, with fans now analyzing his appearance on The Bachelorette for any clues they may have missed. While the leads of The Bachelor are typically widely speculated on by Bachelor Nation before their announcement, it is typical for the production team to have several contestants who they are considering for the role. As the lead, The Bachelor spends several weeks choosing from a pool of contestants and, ultimately, going from 25 women down to one after dating them, traveling, and meeting each other’s friends and family. The show has been delivering fans romantic stories, albeit sometimes with an expiration date, for two decades. Still, since its premiere in 2002, the way leads have been chosen has changed considerably.
Some fans feel that in recent years, The Bachelor focuses on drama over romance, and the show’s casting may be the reason. Several factors go into casting the show, most of which fans may not consider when critiquing the contestants and leads. When the show is casting its contestants, they are looking for people who could be potential romantic partners, but also for people who provide a level of entertainment. While there have been contestants that are entertaining and wind up with the lead, it is more common that the contestants who are cast for their personality or backstory get eliminated. These fan-favorite contestants sometimes get a more favorable edit from production, making them seem more interesting or likable than they actually are. These contestants can wind up as the lead of the next season of the franchise, which perpetuates the cycle, making Bachelor casting somewhat problematic.
Many fans feel Zach was set up to be The Bachelor's lead because of his favorable edit throughout The Bachelorette season 19. Zach, 26, was a fan favorite throughout the season as he spent weeks connecting with Rachel Recchia. The two shared several dates, and it seemed they were headed toward a relationship. Rachel even met Zach’s family, after which he told her he was in love with her. Zach chose to leave weeks later after spending some time off-camera with Rachel. He believes he didn't see the full picture of her personality while filming. Rachel cited Zach as not being ready for a serious relationship, but The Bachelor's Zach has refuted the marriage claim, saying he takes the opportunity “very seriously.”
Watching the footage of Zach that aired throughout the season, especially now that he's the next Bachelor, fans have taken notice of several moments that have built him up to be more serious. His confidence in his relationship with Rachel and ultimately, his confidence in knowing that they were not meant to be together is appealing to some fans. Zach was shown talking to The Bachelor franchise host Jesse Palmer about wanting to find a “genuine” partner, which directly correlated to his breakup with Rachel. Bachelor producers were likely able to edit the footage of Zach in order to show that his story is incomplete and to make it seem like he is looking for a partnership with genuine love. While many fans reacted negatively to Zach as The Bachelor this season, others are excited to see how his Bachelor season will unfold.
Both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, and their respective spin-offs, are heavily produced, but fans still tune in to watch the search for love. Some watch in hopes that the cast will form genuine relationships, while others do so in order to mock the efforts and spot the influence of production. The casting of Zach, as well as other past contestants in previous seasons, is a polarizing choice for Bachelor fans; some say they will no longer watch the show, citing Zach as boring and immature. While Zach may not be widely agreed upon by fans, it is clear that The Bachelor team has ideas for how he can work as the lead, and, hopefully, these ideas will be exciting and entertaining for fans.