Did a Bachelorette Promo Spoil Eliminated Contestant Returning on Finale?

ABC Tayshia Adams on an episode of The Bachelorette.

Ben Smith was frustrated with himself after getting elimination at the conclusion of the hometown date episode of The Bachelorette. He planned to tell Tayshia Adams he loved her, but he never got the chance before he was sent home.

But a preview at the end of the “Men Tell All” may have revealed that he returns to express his feelings, after all. In a promo shown at the end of episode 10, Smith was shown pouring out his heart to Adams.

“I’ve never felt this feeling, but I’m in love with you,” Smith says in the clip (at the 1:06 mark).

That’s a significant moment in the show that definitely wasn’t shown ahead of his elimination. In fact, his inability to express his love for Adams was a huge part of the reason he was eliminated and a focal point of the final moments of the episode.

“In true Ben fashion, I just blew it,” Smith said at the end of his hometown date. “I’m in love with her and I should’ve told her. And now I’m terrified I won’t get a rose this week and I won’t get to tell her how I feel and that kills me.”

When Adams said goodbye to Smith she expressed frustration with his emotionless farewell. Smith was also frustrated with himself for never taking the opportunity to open up.

“I should have told her how I felt when I had the chance after my hometown,” Smith told the camera after his elimination. “Maybe she loved me and she thought I didn’t love her back. And if that’s the case, I f****** blew it.”

If Smith had a conversation with Adams to tell her “I’m in love with you,” as shown in the promo, that could only happen if he’s set to make a dramatic return to shake things up.

Ben Smith Wouldn’t Be the First Returnee

Earlier on The Bachelorette, Bennett Jordan couldn’t stomach the nature of his elimination from the show. After getting sent home on a two-on-one date with Noah Erb, Jordan returned to profess his love for Adams and that earned him the opportunity to stick around … only to get sent home immediately thereafter.

But it wouldn’t be surprising if Smith took a leaf out of Jordan’s book and took the opportunity to make a quick return. Especially when the alternative is leaving the show’s filming bubble and going back to a world that’s still battling a pandemic.

Eliminated contestants returning for the final episodes of the show isn’t uncommon anyway. In the last season of The Bachelorette, Luke Parker finished fourth place and returned (unsuccessfully) at the following rose ceremony to ask for another chance.

Way back in season five of The Bachelorette, Reid Rosenthal finished in third place, but decided to come back at the last possible moment to propose to Jillian Harris. He was also turned away.

If Smith plans on making a return, he’ll have a tall task convincing Adams to pick him over Zac Clark, Ivan Hall, and Brendan Morais.

ABC Hasn’t Done Well at Keeping Its Own Secrets

ABCBlake Moynes and Noah Erb during the “Men Tell All” episode of The Bachelorette.

It sure looks like ABC dropped a gigantic hint about the finale, but that’s nothing new. Just a week prior, the show accidentally revealed to everyone that Blake Moynes and Noah Erb were about to be eliminated.

With the list of contestants down to seven (eight if you include Jordan), ABC showed a preview for the upcoming “Men Tell All.” Clearly visible in the promo were Moynes and Erb, a dead giveaway that they’d be eliminated near the beginning of the episode.

That came not long after a promo on Instagram showed Erb on a lie detector-themed group date, which spoiled that he’d be the one to survive a two-on-one date with Jordan. It seems ABC producers can’t help but spoil their own show this season.

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