From ABC's controversial pick of The Bachelor to the drama with Shanae Ankney, there are many reasons why Clayton Echard's season 26 is the worst.
In the two decades since The Bachelor first graced our TV screens, there have been many disappointing seasons, but Clayton Echard's might go down in franchise history as the worst. From producers' questionable pick for the leading man to the downplay of mental health battles to the never-ending "shrimpgate" situation, season 26 was largely a train wreck. Though tonight's finale is being hyped up as the most shocking that viewers have ever seen, this comes after three-plus months of lackluster and oftentimes repetitive content.
Regarding past seasons of The Bachelor, a few will forever be considered fans' least favorite. A prime example was The Bachelor season 25, starring Matt James. Bachelor Nation was thrilled that producers granted their request for more diversity. Still, Matt's personality failed to shine through, especially as the controversy surrounding host Chris Harrison and finalist Rachael Kirkconnell unfolded in real-time. Then there was season 24 lead Peter Weber, who broke the heart of fiancé Hannah Ann Sluss to be with Madison Prewett, only to split from her shortly after. And who could forget about The Bachelor season 18's Juan Pablo, whose constant assurance to Andi Dorfman that everything was "OK" was cringeworthy to watch?
However, there seems to be a consensus that Clayton's season is at the rock bottom of the franchise for a few reasons. For starters, Clayton wasn't anyone's first pick to star as The Bachelor...or second, or third. He received extremely limited screen time on Michelle Young's season of The Bachelorette and didn't come close to being a finalist. It was likely Clayton's sweet interaction with the kids on his and Michelle's one-on-one date that caught producers' attention, but for the fans, this wasn't enough. They wanted somebody from Katie Thurston's season, such as single dad Michael Allio or Andrew Spencer, who would've been the first all-black Bachelor lead. Viewers have been adamantly calling for more diversity, but ABC backtracked with Clayton, who the network labeled as an "underdog," much to the anger of fans.
For viewers willing to give Clayton a chance, it was nearly impossible to feel connected to him. Many are complaining that they still know nothing about him, including what he does for work. Clayton's Bachelor journey was highly overshadowed by drama surrounding Shanae Ankney and her target of the week, whether it was Elizabeth Corrigan, whose ADHD diagnosis she joked about, or Genevieve Parisi, who she said was an actress. While a resident villain is expected in any season, Shanae's time on the show was dragged out for too long. It was nearly impossible for fans to get to know the other women because every conversation was about Shanae. This continued into one of the most annoying and ear-splitting "Women Tell All" episodes, which featured the cast screaming at Shanae as host Jesse Palmer helplessly tried to restore order.
Some were also critical of Jesse as host, with many preferring Chris Harrison or the dynamic duo of Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe, who took over for the past two Bachelorette seasons. Despite all of this, no finale in franchise history has gotten such a massive build-up. Everyone from Jesse to podcaster and former The Bachelor Nick Viall, to Clayton himself, said his journey to find love concludes in unprecedented fashion. This season may have been painful to watch, but there's the potential for redemption depending on how things turn out. If something truly unanticipated happens and all of the hype proves true, fans will feel some relief that they didn't completely waste their time watching the show. But if Clayton simply ends up single, as many have predicted, ABC will have an angry Bachelor Nation on its hands.
