Bachelor: Reality Steve Reveals The Next Bachelor Lead
Reality Steve, the infamous blogger, has confirmed the next lead for The Bachelor. Since Katie Thurston's season of The Bachelorette came to an end, many fans were convinced her first impression rose recipient Greg Grippo would be taking on the role. Rumors began to circulate about the possibility of him being the lead with the show's creator, Mike Fleiss, even dropping subtle hints on social media. However, neither Greg nor ABC ever confirmed the news.
Besides Greg, other suitors from Katie's season, and even the current season of Bachelor in Paradise, were being considered by fans for the next lead. Some viewers called for Andrew S. from The Bachelorette to take on the lead role, while others would have liked to see Joe Amabile from BIP find love as the lead. While all these options would have made for great TV, it seems ABC decided to go with someone the fans have yet to meet.
According to Reality Steve, the next lead for The Bachelor is Clayton Echard from Michelle Young's season of The Bachelorette. On Wednesday, Steve confirmed the announcement himself, stating that the news is official and that Echard reportedly starts filming his season three weeks before viewers will even get to see him on-screen. On Thursday, production will begin filming his intro package at Eureka High School in Missouri, where Clayton attended during his teen years. Variety also reported the news earlier this week, revealing that sources told them the new leading man is slated to be Clayton. However, ABC declined to comment on the report. The 28-year-old will lead the franchise after viewers get to see him vie for Michelle's heart when her season premieres next month. Photos of Clayton revealed his identity when a camera crew was captured by E! News in his home state of Missouri.
The photographs seem to confirm that he will be the show's next lead. Even though an official announcement from ABC likely won't take place for a very long time, a source close to Page Six revealed the executives at ABC were interested in choosing a suitor from Michelle's season rather than Katie's. Some of the men who were in the running from Katie's season were Andrew Spencer, Michael Allio, and, of course, Greg. "The caliber of men who came on to Michelle’s season was incredible. Each guy was hotter than the next and so many of them treated her like a queen," the source admitted. "There was so much excitement about a lot of them. Clayton was no exception." Clayton, whose casting could be risky, is also a former tight end for the Seattle Seahawks, and the executives believe he is a major "upgrade" compared to any of Katie's men.
Now that lead for The Bachelor season 26 is seemingly confirmed, fans will keep an eye on Clayton while watching Michelle's season. Reality Steve is rarely ever wrong, and the confirmation from other popular news outlets means Clayton is most likely the next lead. So far, he seems like the perfect lead and far better than the other suitors ABC had in mind.
Sources: Reality Steve/ Twitter, Variety, E! News, Page Six
