It’s no secret that Bachelor Nation was left disappointed when Michelle Young sent Missouri native Clayton Echard home after their fun-filled one-on-one. Shortly after his sudden exit from The Bachelorette – the heartthrob was granted the opportunity to be the new face of season 26.
After months of speculation around Enchard being the next leading man, the franchise put the rumors to rest and officially confirmed his title on Tuesday, November 30. The 28-year-old former NFL player will embark on his journey to find love on January 3, 2022. The Bachelor broke the news on Twitter by using a photo of Enchard surrounded by precious puppies and rose petals.
Bring on the puppy love. ❤️ Join Clayton's journey as #TheBachelor Monday, Jan 3 on ABC. 🌹 pic.twitter.com/yCFZUvhGUs
— The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) December 1, 2021
“Bring on the puppy love. Join Clayton’s journey as #TheBachelor Monday, January 3 on ABC,” shared the Tweet that raked in over 3.8K likes. To go along with the grand announcement, they dropped a jaw-dropping trailer that features the women going for Echard’s heart and the emotional roller coaster ride he goes through during the season.
“I’m just a Midwest guy from Missouri that just wants to find love,” shared the Bachelor in the teaser. “And I believe more than anything that my future wife is here.” As always, the franchise gave reality TV fans a sneak peek into the drama. “You’re fake. You’re two-faced. I’m done,” says one contestant. “Keep my name out of your mother’s f***ing mouth,” yelled another.
It's official! 🍾 Clayton is ready to find the one when #TheBachelor premieres Monday, Jan 3! 🥰 pic.twitter.com/2BzOn00991
— The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) December 1, 2021
Towards the end of the action-packed trailer, we see Clayton storming away, confessing that he’s “done.” While he sits at the edge of his bed with his head down crying – we hear him whisper to himself, “I’m just so broken.”
Following the release of the captivating clip, Clayton took to his personal Instagram to share the exciting news. “Hi, it’s me, Clayton…#thebachelor.” Although the caption was short and sweet, Michelle Young recently spoke out about his character and mentioned what fans could expect.
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In a previous exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Young described Echard as “a very reflective person.” She also did not fail to mention that “he is a person who is constantly wanting to grow, constantly wanting to learn, and I felt like he really brought me along with that journey of learning about yourself and talking about that process.”
The down-to-earth lead will be meeting his 33 suitors come January 3 at 8 P.M. ET on ABC. Fans can expect to see former Bachelor and NFL player Jesse Palmer take the place of Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe, as he will serve as the new host of season 26.
Meet the new Bachelor, Clayton Echard! We have the first interview with the @BachelorABC star about his journey to find love. #TheBachelor#TheBachelorette#BachelorNation pic.twitter.com/bl5V6hWpyx
— Good Morning America (@GMA) December 1, 2021
However, before shooting the season – Echard confessed that he embarked on the journey with a check list. “I was looking for somebody that was funny, intelligent, driven, put forth effort, and so I figured, ‘Okay, that’s a good list and hopefully I’ll find that,'” he shared with GMA on Monday, Dec. 1. “Well, what I found was very quickly the women blew my expectations out of the water.”
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