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ABC's popular reality TV dating series titled The Bachelor season 27 recently premiered with its pilot episode. Zach Shallcross, who left an indelible impression on viewers of The Bachelorette, plays the lead role in the show.
Clayton Echard was the main man for the Bachelor Mansion prior to Zach for season 26 of The Bachelor.
By the end of the season, Clayton had his eyes set on three women: Susie Evans, Gabby Windey, and Rachel Recchia. Although he got intimate with Rachel, he realized that his heart ultimately belonged to Susie. Hence, he broke up with Gabby and Rachel and went back to Susie.
Although Susie and Clayton rekindled their relationship, it didn't last long as they broke it off. Now with the new season on air, let's take a walk down memory lane and look at Clayton's journey before and after season 26 of the popular reality TV dating show.
The Bachelor season 26 star Clayton and Susie broke up six months after the finale
Despite expectations that Clayton would end the season single, he and Susie surprised viewers and fans back home by announcing their relationship after the show ended.
Clayton revealed how they were dealing with a long-distance relationship in August 2022. In an interview with People, he said:
"We’re like, ‘We don’t know if it’s going to be a monthlong [relationship] from here or if it’s gonna be lifetime but, like, there’s no pressure. Let’s just love each other and be thankful."
He added:
"I mean, I’m working on my computer 10, 12 hours a day. So she was like, ‘Clayton, I’ll move to L.A. and then we can travel on the weekends to see each other.’ And we’ll see. We don’t know if we’re going to like that long-distance. A little distance never hurts."
Sadly, their relationship didn't last that long and they broke up merely six months after being together. In September 2022 they decided to end their relationship and go their own way. They took to social media and shared the news with their fans and followers in an emotional post. On the Off The Vine podcast, Clayton shared:
"It's really hard because when we first broke up…my first initial feeling was, like, I felt abandoned, that was my first feeling. I was upset. I didn't even want to look in her direction because I was like, 'If I look at you, the hurt is gonna tear me apart.'"
Echard recently uploaded a post on Instagram opening up about the withdrawal effects he had after the show came to an end. The post read:
"I've spoken with various individuals that have been in the spotlight and then all of the sudden are out of it. And when they are removed from it, depression can often follow suit. We just aren't as enthusiastic about life as we were in the moments where we were experiencing a more exciting lifestyle."
The Bachelor season 27 airs every Monday night at 8 pm ET only on ABC. Readers can check their local listings for more information.
