ABC Clayton Echard's season of "The Bachelor" premieres on January 3, 2022.
Despite being an unpopular choice among Bachelor Nation, Clayton Echard’s season of “The Bachelor” kicks off tonight. Fans first met him on Michelle Young’s season of “The Bachelorette.”
“Ultimately, however, Michelle sent Clayton home, leading to one of the most emotional and heart-wrenching moments in ‘Bachelor’ history,” ABC wrote. “In that one touching moment, Clayton’s genuine desire to find a partner and start a family was front-and-center, and never has it been so evident that one man deserves a second chance at finding that great love.”
WARNING: STOP READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS FOR SEASON 26 OF “THE BACHELOR.”
So who are the women of season 26? Will he get engaged? Is there a new host? Here is what you need to know:
31 Women Are Vying for Echard’s Heart
Echard will greet 31 women as his season of “The Bachelor” kicks off on ABC. According to the network’s description for the episode, it is Echard’s “first evening full of dramatic ups, downs and everything in between. But before the first limo even arrives, a shocking franchise first will have Clayton clutching a rose and questioning everything on ‘The Bachelor.’”
The 31 contestants vying for Echard’s heart are:
- Cassidy Timbrooks, 26, an executive assistant from Los Angeles, California
- Claire Heilig, 28, a spray tanner from Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Daria Rose, 24, a law student from Baldwin, New York
- Eliza Isichei, 25, a marketing manager from Berlin, Germany
- Elizabeth Corrigan, 32, a real estate advisor from Highlands Ranch, Colorado
- Ency Abedin, 28, a sales manager from Burbank, California
- Gabby Windey, 30, an ICU nurse from Denver, Colorado
- Genevieve Parisi, 26, a bartender from Los Angeles, California
- Hailey Malles, 26, a pediatric nurse from Orlando, Florida
- Hunter Haag, 28, a human resources specialist from Charlotte, North Carolina
- Ivana Noble, 31, a bar mitzvah dancer from Queens, New York
- Jane Paik, 33, a social media director from Los Angeles, California
- Jill Chin, 26, an architectural historian from Scituate, Rhode Island
- Kate Gallivan, 32, a real estate agent from Lake Hollywood, California
- Kira Mengistu, 32, a physician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Lindsay Dobbs, 27, a neonatal nurse from Jacksonville, Florida
- Lyndsey Windham, 28, an industrial sales representative from Houston, Texas
- Mara Agreat, 32, an entrepreneur from Collingswood, New Jersey
- Mariena Wesh, 30, a former olympian from Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Melina Nasab, 27, a personal trainer from West Hollywood, California
- Rachel Recchia, 25, a flight instructor from Clermont, Florida
- Rianna Hockaday, 26, a registered nurse from Dallas, Texas
- Salley Carson, 26, was previously engaged from Charlottesville, Virginia
- Samantha Jeffries, 26, an occupational therapist from San Diego, California
- Sarah Hamrick, 23, a wealth management advisor from New York City, New York
- Serene Russell, 26, an elementary school teacher from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Shanae Ankney, 29, a recruiter from Sycamore, Ohio
- Sierra Jackson, 26, a recruiting coordinator from Dallas, Texas
- Susie Evans, 28, a wedding videographer from Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Teddi Wright, 24, a surgical unit nurse from Highland, California
- Tessa Tookes, 26, a human resources specialist from Stamford Connecticut
Echard Said His First Rose of the Season Was Rejected
In a promo for the season, Echard says, “The first rose that I have given out as the Bachelor was rejected.” So which contestant turned him down?
According to Reality Steve that would be Salley Carson, the 26-year-old from Charlottesville, Virginia. As ABC noted, she was previously engaged.
Reality Steve tweeted, “So Salley never made it to night 1. Once this all got out the day of the headshots being released, Salley was asked by production if she still wanted to do the show and she said no.”
He continued, “Clayton was probably informed of this and went to talk to her in her hotel room pre-show, which is why the promo last night had him saying the first rose of his season was rejected. He’s referring to Salley choosing not to be cast for the show.”
While Carson may not have accepted his rose, the Bachelor Whatever Instagram account revealed Teddi Wright receives his first impression rose.
Echard’s Final 4 Contestants Revealed
Reality Steve reported in November that this season’s final four contestants are Susie Evans, Rachel Recchia, Serene Russell and Gabby Windey. Though, the trailer insinuates Recchia and Windey are the final two women.
“I didn’t believe it could happen, but I’m in love with three women,” the 28-year-old said in a confessional before revealing it collectively to the women.
He adds, “I just want you to know that what I’m going to say is not going to be easy to hear. I want to be fully, fully transparent and I know it’s not easy to hear, but I was intimate with both of you.”
Former Bachelor Jesse Palmer Is the New Host
A familiar face is set to take up the mantel as host of “The Bachelor” after Chris Harrison left the popular dating franchise over culturally insensitive comments.
Jesse Palmer is a 43-year-old former football player who served as Bachelor in 2004. While he did not find lasting love on the show, he is now happily married to model Emely Fardo.
“For more than 20 years, ‘The Bachelor’ has brought the world dozens of unforgettable love stories, including at one time, my own,” Palmer told ABC. “Falling in love is one of life’s greatest gifts, and I am humbled by the opportunity to return to the show as host this season to offer the newest Bachelor advice gained from firsthand experience and I am grateful to play a small part in his journey.”
This is not Palmer’s first hosting job, having worked on the franchise’s spinoff “The Proposal,” ABC’s “The Ultimate Surfer,” Food Network’s “Holiday Baking Championship,” “DailyMail TV” and several holiday specials for Disney Parks. He also covers college football for ESPN and previously served as a special contributor on “Good Morning America” and ABC’s other news platforms.
Palmer will be following in the footsteps of two other franchise leads, Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe, who shared hosting duties on “The Bachelorette.” For “Bachelor in Paradise,” David Spade, Lance Bass, Titus Burgess, Lil Jon and Wells Adams rotated through the season.
Echard’s Season Marks a Return to the Bachelor Mansion
For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the dating competition is returning to the Bachelor Mansion. Peter Weber’s season was the last one filmed there.
The seasons for Clare Crawley, Tayshia Adams, Matt James and Katie Thurston were all filmed in a “bubble.” That means production took place after everyone was quarantined and tested, with all dates and rose ceremonies happening entirely at a resort. Michelle Young featured a hybrid, taking place in part at a resort, before visiting her hometown and then finishing the season out in Mexico.
It is unclear how much of the season will be at the mansion, but the trailer for the season teases a “worldwide” journey. Reality Steve reported they are filming hometown dates in the women’s actual hometowns.
Season 26 of “The Bachelor” premieres on January 3, 2022, at 8 p.m. Eastern time on ABC.
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