Bachelor alum Clare Crawley was selected to be the next Bachelorette, and at 39 years old, she’ll be the franchise’s oldest female lead ever.
Crawley was the runner up on Juan Pablo’s season of The Bachelor. The hairstylist from Sacramento, California also appeared on two seasons of Bachelor in Paradise and The Bachelor Winter Games. A great deal of fans—myself included—are on board with Crawley. Aside from already being familiar with the ups and downs of her “journey to love,” Bachelor-watchers are thrilled about her age.
Why It’s So Refreshing
The last few seasons of both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have had notably young casts, most of whom are under the age of 25 and may or may not be settled into their careers. Not only that, but those 30 and older seem to be eliminated within the first few weeks.
Of course, people can find love and get married at any age. And yet, the consensus of many dedicated fans is that a majority of the recent casts seemed less-than-serious about romantic commitment and perhaps more interested in growing their Instagram followings.
To be sure, being a social media influencer and being ready for marriage aren’t mutually exclusive. Also, appearing on the show almost automatically means someone’s follower count will reach at least the tens of thousands, whether they expect it or not. This is just the world we live in, and capitalizing on an Instagram following doesn’t necessarily mean each cast member isn’t (or wasn’t) “in it for the right reasons.”
But since many of the marriage engagements from the last handful of Bachelor seasons have failed, it’s fair to presume an older cast of career-focused individuals might equate to a better success rate. And sure, fans probably shouldn’t expect to get much more than weekly entertainment from the reality series. But watching it is undoubtedly more satisfying when at least a portion of the couples work out.
39 Is the New 23
Appearing on Good Morning America shortly after being selected as the new Bachelorette, Crawley—now semi-famously—said, “I’m proud of my age.” I’m proud of your age, too, Clare! Let’s show them you’re never too old to find love.
She also expressed that she loves her job and her life in Sacramento. “I want a man that I can bring back into that life, that will go on a Friday night to the nursing home with me to visit my mom, and that will go with me after dinner going on walks with my dog, and not care about anything other than finding that happiness that I’m looking for,” she said.
Though filming of this year’s Bachelorette was put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic—and when production does start, the cast won’t be traveling overseas—Crawley’s season has the makings to be the best yet.
In light of the global crisis, the show had to be recast. (Many of the men weren’t able to take more time off work than they had already committed.) But since the original cast was selected before Crawley was chosen, this is a good thing, as a majority were in their twenties. The new cast’s average age is rumored to be closer to Crawley’s 39, and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some hot single dads and serious career men to grace the small screen.
