Reactions to Clare Crawley as The Bachelorette

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published 2 March 2020

After a long, kind of worrisome journey to discover who this season's Bachelorette would be (I begged the producers via ESP not to choose anyone from Weber's season), we finally got our definitive answer via Good Morning America. That's right: Clare Crawley is our new Bachelorette. The 39 year old is a longtime franchise participant, and she has a lot of fans (and critics!) alike. Nowhere was this more obvious than when Reality Steve spoiled the show pick over the weekend, with the official announcement coming out early Monday on Good Morning America. People had so many thoughts, and the below are just a few.

Former Bachelor contestant Ashley Spivey was all in, and I love that energy and support:

I am HERE for a 39 year old Bachelorette! Knew the pick was going to be unconventional since she is getting the early “Rachel release” but mostly just excited for @Clare_Crawley!!!! https://t.co/4kmMfIuJZJFebruary 29, 2020

So were other members of the franchise. Ben Higgins said to ET: "I love that she is mature and she does know what she is looking for and she really wants to find a partner. We've been shocked with Colton when he was the Bachelor, we were shocked with Hannah when she was announced as the Bachelorette, and it turned out great for the franchise."

Becca Kufrin also told ET: "I don't know her, but I am ready to kind of go back to the basics, to bump up the maturity level a little bit and to finally have hopefully deep real connections and conversations."

Nick Viall also weighed in:

Picking @Clare_Crawley for the next #bachelorette is an excellent choice!1) More believable with the times we are in. People are getting married later in life than ever before. 2) she as deserving as anyone3) she doesn’t know how to be inauthentic or hold back 4) bold/beautyMarch 2, 2020

Some people had worries, especially considering her long and fraught Bachelorette history:

Clare Crawley showed up to the mansion with a fake baby bump, had sex in the ocean with Juan Pablo, talked to raccoons on BIP, and got engaged to a french man on Winter Games. An absolute Bachelor legend, but if they make her bachelorette I s2g............ pic.twitter.com/eCoM4MN28sFebruary 27, 2020

But in that same thread, Wainschel changes her mind. "Ok I’ve thought about it and maybe I love the idea," she writes, lol.

And frankly, people thought that her time on the franchise made her a perfect pick and the potential perfect ending to her story:

Clare Crawley is a bachelor legend and easily one of the most memorable contestants of all time. The fact that she’s finally getting her own season after all these years is AMAZING. Perfect casting choice.February 29, 2020

Here's Crawley walking out during her announcement:

It’s really happening! ⁦@Clare_Crawley⁩ is #thebachelorette and I love it pic.twitter.com/c04mDAMIkaMarch 2, 2020

And here's how people reacted to her GMA appearance.

Please let them cast some solid guys for Clare. No 24 year old bros just looking to get instafamous. #TheBacheloretteMarch 2, 2020

I’m so excited about @Clare_Crawley being the next #bachelorette!! Finally someone older again!! Only thing that would be concerning is if they cast older gents for her, they won’t mesh well with #thebachelor castoffs in #BIP. Great choice @BacheloretteABC!! 🌹March 2, 2020

I don’t know Clare Crawley. BUT I read up on her, and I am all for her being the next #bachelorette 🙌🏼 tired of people coming straight out of school and signing up to “find love” aka get famous.March 2, 2020

Bachelor nation have been asking for older contestants for so long and with Clare Crawley as the Bachelorette we might finally get it. Also we all know that she will tell the men off when they are wrong and I’m so ready to see her journey next seasonMarch 2, 2020

I’m stoked for Clare Crawley. I think it’s gonna be a GREAT bachelorette season. I hardly saw any comments when Nick was the bachelor after he was on the show like 3 times. PLUS both Tia and Taysia have been on shows in the franchise more than once too. So y’all can take a seat.March 2, 2020

The only bad thing about Clare becoming #Bachelorette is remembering Juan Pablo existsMarch 2, 2020

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.