The Bachelor has been around for a long time and is approaching its 30th season. While in the beginning it was common for casting to select the lead from a pool of unknown everyday citizens, more recent tradition has been to select a Bachelor who had previously appeared on the franchise in some capacity.
The most recent choice to buck the trend was Matt James for Season 25, and even he was originally cast as a contestant on Claire Crowley's season before the COVID-19 pandemic changed casting plans. Before that, you would have to go all the way back to Season 12, when Matt Grant was cast as the first-ever international Bachelor, as a U.K. citizen.
Rumors have been flying about who could be the lead for the milestone Season 30, and Swooon sat down with former Bachelor Clayton Echard for an exclusive interview. While Clayton is not a casting director himself, he apparently has heard some behind-the-scenes info about the next Bachelor lead, and the details may surprise fans.
Clayton Echard leaks what he knows about The Bachelor Season 30
Clayton is not exactly everyone's favorite Bachelor. Quite the contrary, he joked that he is known for "ruining the love lives of 30 women." That is a bit of hyperbole, but in his season, he had fallen in love with someone who ultimately left the show, and the remaining women felt like leftovers, with his final choice ultimately rejecting his proposal.
To be clear, Clayton is not in the running as the Bachelor. However, he does have some insider insight on what fans could expect.
According to his interview with Swoon, “They’re also looking for somebody that hasn’t been on reality television prior,” he told Swooon. “Actually, I know of a few people who are talking to [The Bachelor casting team].”
He continued, “I’m excited. It’ll be interesting to see what happens. I mean, I’m very shocked with a few of them, [that I’ve been] hearing. I can’t believe that this is a possibility. Right now, it’s still too early to tell. No one’s been chosen. But if somebody is chosen, and it’s somebody I happen to know, it’d be pretty crazy."
If Clayton's information is correct and the new Bachelor is going to be someone from outside reality television, that would buck the trend for their casting decisions, for sure. Whether that brings more of an audience or less of one, only time will tell. But the change could certainly be an exciting one, and it is very intriguing to see who they pick is connected to anyone we may know.
This casting choice could go either way.
On the one side, choosing someone who was not previously on the show means that fans may not be as attached to the lead in the way they grew attached to previous choices. On the flip side, a new voice and character could be a refreshing start and a clean slate without any preconceived notions or opinions that could drive controversy.
Matt James' season was not received favorably, but perhaps this time around, the season will go more smoothly. We can't wait to find out.