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Since Clayton Echard was chosen to be the next Bachelor, fans have had mixed feelings about the decision. As the premiere date for The Bachelor Season 26 steadily approaches, audiences will see whether or not Clayton will find true love. However, one member of Bachelor Nation believes that Clayton has a rocky road ahead as the next Bachelor. 

Clayton Echard is confirmed to be the next Bachelor

Headshot of Clayton Echard, the next bachelor for season 26 in 2022
Clayton Echard from ‘The Bachelor’ 2022 | Pamela Littky/ABC via Getty Images

In The Bachelorette Season 18, former football player and Michigan native Clayton Echard was one of the suitors that wanted to win over Michelle Young‘s heart. Before Michelle’s season aired on the network, ABC revealed that one of her suitors would be the next Bachelor. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC and Warner Bros. already selected Clayton as the next bachelor before Young’s season debut. Before the suitor made his official debut on Bachelor Nation, the show’s producers decided. The network revealed Clayton’s story “resonated most” with the producers and wanted to give him a “second chance” to find love.

Former ‘Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe explains why Clayton will have a ‘difficult’ journey

When Clayton Echard was confirmed to be the next Bachelor, fans were left scratching their heads. During Michelle’s season, fans argued that Clayton wasn’t anything significant that would make him a worthy contender. But, Bachelorette co-host Kaitlyn Bristowe argues that fans were unsure about the choice because they know little to no information about the former NFL player. 

In an exclusive interview with US Weekly, Kaitlyn explained why she believes Clayton had a “difficult” transition to becoming the Bachelor. “I kept thinking, like, if you’re going to make him the Bachelor, you gotta show more of him and why he’s going to be our next Bachelor. Because, I mean, if we’re watching [Michelle Young’s season], we’re rooting for Rodney [Matthews] to be someone to be the Bachelor — someone that we’re like, ‘Whoa, we fell love with that person and we’re rooting for them to find love,’” she explained. “With Clayton, we’re kinda like, ‘What? Oh, OK.’ And now we’re rooting for him, but we don’t know much about him.”

Kaitlyn went on to say that Clayton’s ability to be “in tune with his emotions” makes him the perfect Bachelor. “I can tell you this guy, Clayton, is one of the most sensitive, in tune with his emotions kind of person that I’ve ever met,” she continued. “And I think that will make for a good Bachelor. It’s going to be extremely difficult for him because of how, you know, sensitive and emotional he is. But that’s such a great quality [that] you want to see in a Bachelor. I think it’s going to be a really great season.”

What should fans expect from ‘The Bachelor’ Season 26?

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Clayton is ready to find love in his season of The Bachelor. However, the journey was not easy. While the teaser is filled with heartfelt moments, there is some steamy drama ahead. For instance, some clips showed the contestants throwing around insults like “fake” and “two-faced.” The preview ends with Clayton in tears, saying, “I’m just so broken.” 

So, will he find love in this season? Well, fans will be happy to hear that Clayton does find love on The Bachelor! In an interview with Good Morning America, The Bachelor lead confirmed that he did find the one. 

“I did find love,” he explained. “I was a little skeptical going into the whole journey, but I’m so pleasantly surprised that things worked out much different than I thought. Again, I’m just so excited to watch it back and have everyone else watch it as well.”

The Bachelor Season 26 premieres on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, on ABC.

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