ABC Salley Carson wasn't ready for another relationship after her failed engagement.
Clayton Echard‘s season of “The Bachelor” premiered on Monday, January 3, 2022, and fans of the show got to get to know him a little bit better than they did on Michelle Young’s season of “The Bachelorette.”
The former football player got to meet the women who will be vying for his love, and some made better impressions than others. However, before the limo entrances at the Bachelor mansion, Clayton went to meet a woman named Salley Carson.
“Salley is a real-life Meredith Grey looking for her McDreamy. She is a spine surgery robot operator who keeps a tight circle of friends that she likes to have dinner and drinks with but is a career-focused girl who is usually in bed by 11 p.m. She describes herself as religious, family-oriented and adventurous,” her ABC bio reads.
Those who read spoilers or follow Reality Steve probably heard about Salley. She was previously engaged and was set to tie the knot on September 26, 2021 — she even celebrated her bachelorette party. However, the wedding was called off, and Salley joined the cast of “The Bachelor” shortly thereafter.
Before Salley made it to the limo entrances, however, she had a change of heart. She evidently told producers that she didn’t want to stay, but she was given the opportunity to talk to Clayton before filming technically started.
Here’s what you need to know:
Salley Met With Clayton & Told Him How She Was Feeling
Fairly early on in the episode, Salley is seen crying. “I didn’t know it would be so hard to be here today,” she said in a confessional-style interview, crying.
Salley showed up at Clayton’s hotel room before he met any of the other women on his season. She explained to him that her wedding was supposed to take place that weekend, and that she just didn’t feel right being on the show — she wanted to go home and be with her family.
“I am here for a reason,” Salley told Clayton. “I came into this with an open mind. And I was excited… and then I got here, and this weekend has been extremely hard for me. I was engaged in the past, and I was supposed to get married yesterday,” she explained, adding that she felt “weird” being there “the weekend of [her] wedding.”
Clayton was sympathetic to Salley, and said that he understood how she felt. At the same time, he also seemed to think that they had a connection. “I already like when I’m seeing [in] you,” he told Salley.
He left the room, grabbed a rose from production, and then went back in and offered it to Salley. Although she did seem like she was strongly considering accepting it, she ultimately told Clayton that she had to leave.
Fans Wonder if Salley Will Return Later on in the Season
Many fans of the show seemed to like Salley, and several wondered if she’d end up coming back later on in the season.
“I feel like she’ll be back in the show later,” one fan wrote in a Facebook fan group.
“OMG what if she comes back half way through the show,” someone else wrote.
“I am sure that she will be back… They didn’t have her on the beginning like that if she wasn’t coming back later on in the season,” a third person added.
However, according to Reality Steve’s episode-by-episode spoilers, it doesn’t seem like Salley will be making surprise appearance later on in the season.
In fact, judging by Steve’s spoilers, it doesn’t look like there will be any huge surprises or unexpected twists in Clayton’s season.
Interestingly, Steve has spoilers up to Fantasy Suite dates, but he doesn’t know who Clayton is engaged to (or if Clayton is absolutely engaged, though Steve feels that he is).
“I will keep you updated on any news I hear regarding the final [three] women this season and how it shook out in Iceland. Clayton has said in interviews he found love, so he’s definitely with one of those [three], and most likely engaged. I doubt he’d be saying he found love in his post-show interviews and they’re just dating,” Reality Steve wrote in his December 16, 2021, blog post.
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