I'd like to know what the ibuprofen budget is on The Bachelorette [1] set, because whew, the amount of surprise announcements [2], production changes [3], and last-minute cast switcharoos [4] in the past five months could give a person whiplash. The latest (unconfirmed) rumour is that lead Clare Crawley has quit the show [5] 12 days into filming after falling for Dale Moss [6], one of the men in her cast. With Clare refusing to go on, producers have reportedly tapped franchise alum Tayshia Adams to be the new Bachelorette [7].
This is a lot to take in, and the news — if true — prompts a lot of questions. On that note, ABC has already doubled down on fueling speculation by conveniently posting a promo starring Clare on The Bachelorette's official Twitter [8] smack in the middle of the rumours. While we wait for ABC to confirm or deny, let's talk through all our concerns.
Will Tayshia Get a New Cast of Men?
Let's start with some context: Clare Crawley was announced as the new Bachelorette [9] in early March. The names of the men set to be on her season were announced [10] just a few weeks later. The COVID-19 pandemic caused ABC to halt production the night before it was set to begin [11], and while filming was on pause, producers reassessed the group of men they had chosen. Shortly before production started up again in July, ABC revealed the updated cast list, which included 17 men from the original cast (new Bachelor Matt James was obviously missing [12]) and 25 new guys. That's a whopping 42 men who were there for Clare.
So . . . Tayshia is just going to step in and continue with Clare's cast? That can't be right, can it? Who wants someone else's leftovers, even if those leftovers are a bunch of handsome, accomplished men? Did producers actually start Clare with those 42 guys, or was she initially introduced to a smaller cast, and there were just some extras in case of a COVID-19 diagnosis caused one or more of the men to leave? Conversely, were there more than 42, and now they're bringing in the backups to be Tayshia's cast? Whatever the case, unless producers anticipated the Tayshia twist, there's no way they would have time to vet a whole new cast for her.
Then there's the mens' perspective. If Clare had enough time to fall for one guy, that means other guys had enough time to fall for her. Are heartbroken men then continuing with the season to date Tayshia?
Was Clare Talking to Dale Before the Show Began Filming?
I don't know about you, but if I was set to be the Bachelorette [13] and my production was paused, I would Google the sh*t out of my cast. That's why I don't blame Clare for looking up her suitors [14] while waiting for filming to restart. But did she do more than look? We can't know for sure — though there was a tiny bit of social media drama between her and Matt James [15] — but you know who was in that original cast [16]? Dale freakin' Moss, the man who Clare is rumoured to have chosen.
Is there a chance that Dale and Clare connected before her season began, and simply continued their relationship in person when the cameras began rolling? If so, did they tip producers off, and did ABC have Tayshia waiting in the wings the entire time? Were the new men they chose actually for Tayshia? Has this whole thing been a charade?!
At the very least, Clare may have checked out the men from her cast and made some judgments on who would be a good fit for her, mentally eliminating some of the guys before meeting them.
Will Tayshia Get the Full Bachelorette Experience?
Because of the pandemic, the show already looks a whole lot different than it would in any other year. Rather than filming at the Bachelor [17] Mansion, ABC has set up production at the La Quinta Resort & Club [18] just south of Palm Springs (not a terrible place to stay, by the looks of it). There will be no lavish international trips, no hometown visits, and no impromptu country music concerts where the lead dances with their date in the centre of a bunch of people.
Tayshia is stepping into a show that barely resembles The Bachelorette [19] 12 days late. Will she get dates that are tailored toward her, or will she be getting Clare's planned dates? Will her family be involved, or was it too late? Is she literally moving into Clare's hotel suite? Will production be extended 12 extra days to accommodate for the time she's lost?
Tayshia deserves the full red carpet, wet-driveway [20] treatment. I truly hope producers are prepared to pivot and make her THE Bachelorette [21], with all the bells and whistles — not just Clare's backup.