The Bachelorette: Everything To Know About Ben Smith
Ben Smith is a 29-year-old army veteran trying to find a soulmate on The Bachelorette season 16. Going on a reality show to find love is, admittedly, a very unique path. Still, The Bachelor franchise has been very successful over the years, and quite a few contestants did find their soulmates through this platform. Bachelor Nation first got to know Clare Crawley in 2014, which is when she competed for Juan Pablo Galavis' love on The Bachelor season 18. Clare made it to the grand finale but ended up not being chosen by him, landing in second place. Nonetheless, the fans didn't particularly like Juan Pablo, so Clare came out of that season looking like a fierce woman who stood up to a toxic man.
However, things aren't going all that smoothly on Clare's season of The Bachelorette so far. In theory, the idea that a woman could find a guy that she can really fall in love with on her first day filming The Bachelorette is an ideal scenario. But the fans don't usually expect a lead to fall in love that quickly and that deeply for a particular guy, either. The whole point of The Bachelor franchise is watching these people slowly developing relationships and getting to know each other one day at a time. The viewers also expect to see some back and forth and power struggles between the contestants, because that's what makes any reality competition a good one.
It is now official that Tayshia Adams will take over The Bachelorette season 16 after Clare Crawley and Dale Moss leave the show together. This is pretty good news for the guys who haven't had a shot at winning over Clare's heart. One of these guys is Ben Smith, a 29-year-old army veteran from Venice, California. According to his profile with ABC, Ben is a "sweet Midwestern boy" who is passionate about health and nutrition. Unfortunately, Ben reportedly "suffered a life-changing back injury" that ended his military career. He now works as a personal trainer and is associated with brands like Bodybuilding Club and Deuce Gym.
Now that he's on The Bachelorette, Ben Smith is looking for a partner who is emotionally available and capable of communicating well. Ben loves to dance and have fun, and he is assumedly ready to get married to the love of his life. It is fair to say that Ben and the other season 16 men haven't had a real shot at pursuing Clare. Since the beginning of the season, Clare has only been focusing on her relationship with Dale, blocking out all of the attempts made by the other guys.
The fans hope that Ben will actually be allowed to fall in love with Tayshia Adams. All in all, his odds with Tayshia will certainly be better than anything Clare is able to give him at the moment.
The Bachelorette season 16 airs Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on ABC.
Sources: Ben Smith's Instagram, ABC