YouTube/ABC Clayton Echard
The two-night event on “The Bachelor” concludes tonight with fantasy suite dates. Clayton Echard has narrowed his contestants down to just three following Serene Russell’s elimination.
Customarily, should the lead and their suitor decide to forgo individual suites for the night, they will get time away from prying cameras.
WARNING: STOP READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS FOR SEASON 26 OF “THE BACHELOR.”
Heading into the Bachelor Nation milestone, fans are left wondering what will happen as the dating competition nears its conclusion. Could this really be the show’s most dramatic finale?
Echard Has Fantasy Suite Dates With His Remaining 3 Contestants
After hometown dates, Echard and his remaining three contestants head to Reykjavik, Iceland for fantasy suite dates. ABC is teasing “passionate dates filled with the awe-inspiring landscapes, all the romance the country has to offer, and the opportunity to spend a relationship-changing night together.”
The three women still vying for his heart are:
- Gabby Windey, 30, an ICU nurse from Denver, Colorado
- Rachel Recchia, 25, a flight instructor from Clermont, Florida
- Susie Evans, 28, a wedding videographer from Virginia Beach, Virginia
“Despite the alluring atmosphere, it’s here that Clayton faces the possibility that he may have gone too far in opening himself up to love, a possibility made all too real when one woman’s questions send him reeling,” according to the episode’s description. “Will Clayton’s heart survive the journey?”
Echard Flies in a Helicopter with Rachel Recchia
A preview of fantasy suite dates shows Echard going on a helicopter ride with Rachel Recchia. The 25-year-old flight instructor says in the clip, “Clayton truly sees me like no one else ever has. He’s so kind, he makes me laugh.”
The trailer seemingly confirms they enjoy an overnight date, with Echard leaving her while she dons a robe. Each is seen publicly declaring their love for each other.
Echard Confesses He Is ‘Falling in Love’ With Windey
Gabby Windey and Echard appear to ride dune buggies during the day portion of their fantasy suite date. Then, during dinner, he confesses he is “falling in love” to the 30-year-old ICU nurse.
She says in the clip, “I could see myself with Clayton for the rest of my life. Whenever I’m with him, it’s easy and it feels right,” she seems to change her tune after the rose ceremony.
Echard Has a ‘Meltdown’ After Being Questioned by Susie Evans
An exchange between Echard and Susie Evans leads the Missouri-native to have the long-awaited “meltdown” shown in many of this season’s previews, reports Reality Steve.
ABC provided a sneak peek of this conversation on Instagram, teasing in the caption, “A few simple questions could change everything.”
“We’ve had so many experiences, so many first times,” he tells Evans in a sneak peek of their exchange. “The biggest moment for me was in Croatia, for you to tell me that you were falling in love with me. Like, you’ve made me feel a way I haven’t felt in so long. It’s no longer about me falling in love with you. Like, I am in love with you. And this just felt like the perfect time.”
“Oh my gosh,” the 28-year-old interjects. “Well, I like appreciate you. Honestly, I didn’t expect to hear that. I adore you, like I think you’re incredible, but there are things that I feel like I can’t compromise. I know you just told me that like you feel like you’re in love with me but I don’t know.”
She continues, “Like, do you feel that same way with somebody else? Or have you like slept with another woman? Like those are things I think would be like impossible to move forward towards an engagement.”
While the blogger reports she is left “distraught” and “leaves” following their date, Evans had to remain in Iceland until filming concluded. Still, as Reality Steve reveals, the videographer does not self-eliminate as speculated and is instead “convinced to stay.”
Echard Admits to Being in Love With 3 Women During the Rose Ceremony
The long-awaited explosive rose ceremony is finally here. As Echard is seen telling his remaining three women, “What I’m about to say is not going to be easy to hear but I want to be fully transparent. I am in love with each of you and I also was intimate with both of you.”
All three women appear to storm off crying.
In the preview, Echard is seemingly told by Windey after the rose ceremony, “I can’t believe anything you say, not one thing.”
Susie Evans Rejects Echard’s Proposal
Susie Evans will make Bachelor Nation history, according to Reality Steve. As he wrote in a blog post on March 8, 2022, “Susie is convinced to stay and at the final rose ceremony, she rejects Clayton’s proposal and Clayton left Iceland single.”
Reality Steve does not have the details surrounding the rejection, but on the day of the final rose ceremony, only Evans remained. He said she was not malicious, but rather it is an “I can’t do this” moment.
While Bachelor Nation is teasing that they do not know the outcome of the season, Reality Steve warns against any hopes of reconciliation. He does not believe Echard and Evans have enjoyed any “Happy Couple weekends,” where the winning couple meets in secret after the show.
As he writes, “Gabby and Rachel are completely out of the picture, and I’d be real surprised if Susie were to take him back.”
READ NEXT: Former ‘Bachelorette’ Responds to Claims That Producers Are Manipulating Fans