Clayton Echard has not been warmly received by Bachelor Nation as many were disappointed about him taking on the leading role even before his official debut.
Active on social media, Clayton Echard is privy to the less than thrilled response he’s received from viewers and he recently spoke about the critique and how he’s handling the limelight.
Clayton Echard is accustomed to criticism
While The Bachelor Season 26 didn’t air a new episode this week, Clayton Echard still provided some Bachelor content and insight as he shared about all the ways he’s been scrutinized as the Bachelor on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast.
Clayton was aware that he was not The Bachelor viewers’ first, second, or even fifth choice to be the lead when he read mean tweets that threw shade at both his looks and personality during The Bachelorette Season 18 finale.
With such little screen time during Michelle Young’s season of The Bachelorette, viewers felt they hardly knew Clayton and that he embodied the same white guys the show often tends to center. Clayton becoming The Bachelor was especially disappointing to those who felt there were several men of color who would have been far more interesting choices.
All these criticisms occurred before Clayton’s season began, and now that his season is taking off it seems Clayton has only received more flak.
Clayton Echard faces shame for being ‘too reassuring’ and dull
Chatting with former Bachelorette lead Becca Kufrin and The Bachelor Season 25 contestant Serena Pitt on the podcast, Clayton detailed the criticism he’s received.
Clayton shared that some The Bachelor viewers have accused him of having no personality, being promiscuous as a single man, and being ‘too reassuring’ to the women on his season as though he’s their ‘coach.’
Regarding the latter, Clayton explained that if he sounds like a coach it might be because he was an athlete for most of his life.
He also explained that he has such little time to connect with the women and so he has to be extra reassuring and a really good listener which is part of why he doesn’t talk as much in his conversations with the women.
Clayton received criticism for his past as a single man as some people felt he was too sexual. Clayton emphasized that he never claimed to be a saint or to be celibate when he was single and so in his past, he ‘enjoyed singleness’ and ‘had fun.’
Not receiving much love from viewers, Clayton shared that he learned there is no way to make everyone happy and so he’s just going to be himself.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.
Just be yourself, you can’t please everyone. Pick the girl you love, and not who the viewer’s love or want. Send the villains home.