Clare Crawley’s journey to find love on The Bachelorette came to a dramatic halt due to the coronavirus pandemic. Production for season 16 shut down in early March 2020 in order to ensure the safety of the cast and crew. It’s currently unknown when season 16 will begin filming again. The 38-year-old’s suitors were revealed before production was shut down, but given the current state of the world, it’s unlikely that all of the suitors will be able to return. HollywoodLife spoke with Chris Harrison about the ongoing search for Clare’s men.
“We are still casting for the next season of The Bachelorette for Clare’s season because it would be naive of us to think that people can just come back and put their life on hold after just being quarantined for so long,” Chris, who recently partnered with Seagram’s Escapes to create a brand-new signature cocktail, Seagram’s Escapes Tropical Rosè, told HollywoodLife. “These people are going to have to get back to work or find jobs or, heaven forbid, if someone is not healthy enough to do the show. Who knows what the world is going to look like, so we have to be responsible and ready to have maybe more cast members or new cast members. Who knows what we will need. So we are still casting, but in a perfect world I would love to come back with a great mature group of guys who are all serious and want to find love for Clare.”
Chris revealed that he has been talking with Clare since production shut down. “I keep in touch and we have FaceTimed and talked because she is quarantining by herself,” Chris continued. “Like a lot of people, she is feeling the effects. It stinks! It is lonely! So, I have kept in touch with her, not as just a host and a producer, but as a friend and checking in on her to make sure she is OK and not bouncing off the walls like the rest of us all are!”
Clare’s initial list of suitors featured men ranging from 23 to 42 years old. Once production was postponed, Clare went on Instagram Live and said she didn’t think it was “too late to submit people.” While we wait for The Bachelorette to begin filming again, ABC is bringing us The Bachelor: Listen To Your Heart, which premieres April 13.