ABC Clare Crawley is expected to be replaced by Tayshia Adams soon on 'The Bachelorette.'
Tyler Cameron was a fan favorite when he appeared on season 15 of The Bachelorette, but he said he’s happy his friend Matt James didn’t have the same opportunity to win over fans in season 16.
In an interview on E! News’s The Rundown, Cameron said James was fortunate not to be one of the contestants dating Clare Crawley on The Bachelorette.
“That boy dodged a bullet,” Cameron said. “Just cause it’s a mess. It’s just a disaster. You know what I mean? It’s nothing about Clare. It’s a mess, you know? Just to be able to jump and skip and be the Bachelor, like who, I mean, of course, good for him, so I am very happy he’s not there.”
James, 28, was originally named a cast member on Crawley’s season of The Bachelorette in March. But when COVID-19 forced a delay in filming, ABC decided in June that James was better suited as the lead of season 25 of The Bachelor.
Cameron Wishes He Could’ve Seen a Crawley Vs. James Confrontation
ABCClare Crawley on a group date during episode two of The Bachelorette.
Part of ABC’s motivation for moving James to a lead role in the franchise may have been some social media drama between him and Crawley. It seemed as though a feud between the pair had James doomed for an early departure before ever even stepping out of the limousine.
During COVID-19 lockdowns, a group of friends known as “The Quarantine Crew” — which included James, Cameron, and Hannah Brown — made several videos for Instagram and TikTok. James also created a Cameo account and did a few interviews. So it seemed like Crawley was criticizing James when she questioned the motivations of her future suitors.
If you are doing interviews and creating Cameo accounts before you are even on my season… you are in it for the wrong reasons… #dontwasteyourtime
When James defended himself and said his social media activity was raising money for charity, Crawley said the tweet wasn’t about any one individual.
@OliviaCaridi @r3dhagg You weren’t supposed to deduce babe, it was about MULTIPLE men and a general thought I was having while we sit here in a real life crisis where someone’s (everyone’s) time + sincerity hold so much weight and value. 🤷🏼♀️🥰
James brushed off the interaction and said he was still excited to meet Crawley, but Cameron thought the interaction was shaping up for an entertaining conflict on television. He was ready to laugh, even if it meant an early exit for his friend.
“I would have loved a showdown of Matt and Clare,” Tyler said. “They would have probably made that the first one-on-one date. They would have had to hash it out. Matt would have probably gotten kicked out and it would have been hilarious.”
Matt James Is the First Bachelor in Over a Decade Not to Appear on The Bachelorette
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Hudson River ParkThe Bachelor, Matt James, attends a gala
Early in the history of The Bachelor, leads for the show varied from rich playboys to famous actors to star athletes. But eventually the franchise found that its most popular choices for both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette were leads who were previous contestants.
The last time a lead for The Bachelor hadn’t appeared on a prior season of The Bachelorette was when Matt Grant was the lead of season 12 back in 2008.
James bucked that trend, even if that comes with the caveat that he wasn’t an entirely unfamiliar face for Bachelor Nation, which already fell in with Cameron and knew James by association.
The next season of The Bachelor is set to air in January.