Clayton Echard has not been shy when it comes to physical intimacy with the women on his season of The Bachelor, and it seems he’ll only grow more intimate as time goes on.
Previews for Clayton’s season suggest he tells three women he loves them, and he was also allegedly intimate with multiple women during fantasy suites.
Most of Bachelor Nation agrees that these are not the wisest decisions from Clayton, and former Bachelor lead Ben Higgins weighed in with his thoughts, as he personally learned some of Clayton’s lessons the hard way.
Ben Higgins feels the l-word can be more hurtful than helpful on The Bachelor
Speaking with Us Weekly podcast Here for the Right Reasons, Ben Higgins discussed Clayton Echard’s actions on The Bachelor and also issued some advice for future leads.
When Ben Higgins was the leading man on The Bachelor Season 20, he told two women he loved them and was heavily scrutinized for that choice. So with Clayton reportedly saying ‘I love you’ to three women, Higgins appeared adamant that professing love would be a bad and unhelpful idea.
Reflecting on his own journey, Ben Higgins recently shared, “I did break the seal. I think it was going on for a long time. I don’t know if anybody was ever saying it, I know they weren’t showing it. I look back now, and I would say, ‘Hey it’s just not a wise thing to do. It’s not helpful.”
Ben Higgins explained why he feels leads should refrain from “I love you’s’, saying “I don’t know what the benefit of telling anybody that is unless, like, you know you’re gonna be with them or there’s something in the future for you. I know that’s how a lot of people feel because you’re in an environment where you’re dating and you’re connecting and then you get to the end and you’re looking around like, ‘I want this person to know how I feel about them because I don’t know where this is going go.’ So you say it and then you look back and you’re like, ‘That was probably hurtful for everybody involved, including the person that said it.’”
Ben reiterated his advice but also acknowledged that people aren’t listening to him, stating, “So I would just advise any lead – but I mean, since I did it, many have done it so nobody’s listening to my advice and that’s fine, a lot of people don’t – I would just say, ‘Don’t say it.’ Like, hold it in or tell yourself it or talk to your pillow.”
Ben Higgins worries Clayton Echard’s season might not end well
Ben reflected on Clayton’s season and appeared to have some concerns.
Ben pinpointed one of Clayton’s most unwise decisions in being intimate with several women, saying, “What we’ve seen with Clayton is something that we haven’t seen before – which again is not wise – when he also said, ’Hey, I was intimate with two of you or three of you, whatever the number was there’ I don’t know in what scenario you feel like that’s gonna be helpful.”
Similar to host Jesse Palmer alluding to a shocking moment unfolding on Clayton’s season, Ben appeared to think that there is something unexpected for Clayton’s season and that there’s a possibility things don’t end well.
Ben shared, “Something at the end of this thing takes a turn that we haven’t seen yet or [aren’t] expecting yet. And I think it’s gonna put him in a situation to be as open and vulnerable and as honest as possible, or he’s just word vomiting, and that could not end well for him, I would think.”
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8/7.