Sorry to this woman. I do not know who that is.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
ABC announced that Clare Crawley is going to be the next bachelorette this morning on GMA, and color me shocked. I’ve been watching The Bachelor religiously since Ben Higgins’ season with the exception of Winter Games and a few Bachelor in Paradise episodes here and there, so I have no idea who this woman is. If you’re in the same boat, I’ve done some research. Here’s the lowdown on Clare Crawley, the newest bachelorette, and why you should be excited for her season.
Clare, a hairstylist from California, is virtually perfect but somehow still down-to-earth.
According to her official bio from ABC, Clare is a hairstylist from Sacramento, California. She has two dogs, her hobbies include yoga and hiking, and her Insta game is on point. In her Insta bio, she calls herself a “health enthusiast”, which probably means that she eats a salad more than once a month. She posts a ton of pictures of her dogs, hiking, and the beach, which basically means that this woman is a walking online dating ad. She clearly enjoys long walks on the beach.
Clare is not new to The Bachelor franchise and has been around the block a few times.
Back in 2018, ABC shocked us all when they picked Arie for bachelor. Arie had not been on television since 2012, when he was the runner-up on Emily Maynard’s season of the bachelorette. ABC usually picks someone from a current season, and they have never picked someone from the past for bachelorette until now. Clare first entered the franchise in 2014, when she fought a losing battle for Juan Pablo’s heart, went on Paradise twice, and even got briefly engaged on Winter Games. Now she’s back with the same kind of confidence that I have whenever I download a dating app for the 20th time. Maybe it will be different this time, girl.
Clare knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to stand up for herself.
Clare has been in the running for bachelorette since she gave a fiery speech to Juan Pablo when he dumped her. After putting up with his crap for an entire season, Clare put him in his place when he dumped her after he told her something along the lines that he would pick her. My favorite part is when she says, “What you just made me go through, I’d never want my children having a father like you.” YAS, KWEEN.
Throughout her time with the franchise, Clare has made it quite clear that she’s not putting up with any bull and thank goodness. I love Hannah Brown even more than some of my own personal friends, but if I have to watch another bachelorette put up with a Luke P. kind of guy for a whole season, I’m going to lose it. Clare told GMA, “I want a man who is strong, but is willing to take off the body armor, open himself up and be vulnerable, and I think that is some serious strength right there.” For all our sakes, I hope she finds that. I’m sick of rooting against people on this show. Looking at you, Peter.
Clare is the oldest bachelorette ever.
I guess everyone got fed up with watching a bunch of influencers in their early 20’s who have never even told anyone that they love them compete for a lifelong commitment, because Clare is the oldest bachelorette ever. She is 38, but she told GMA that her age is an asset and I couldn’t agree more. She said that she now knows what she wants and what she doesn’t want, and what she refuses to settle for. I’m sick of the Hannah Blands, let’s bring in a Clare. I’m beginning to feel old watching this show, and I’m only 25. I want to believe that there’s still hope for me to find love, even though I have one grey hair.
I thought that Tia had the bachelorette gig in the bag, but after doing some research, I’m stoked for Clare’s season. She seems mature, cool, and legitimately ready for marriage, which is more than I can say for most contestants. (Peter, are you reading this?) The Bachelorette begins on April 16th, and you can bet I’ll be watching. Will you be?