Will Clare Crawley’s ‘Bachelorette’ Be Canceled Due to Coronavirus?
The Final Rose
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With the coronavirus pandemic, it seems The Bachelorette might just have to wait even longer for its latest love journey.
The announcement of Clare Crawley as the newest Bachelorette made headlines at first due to Crawley’s age (38), but now the future of Season 16 is in question.
The 2020 season was scheduled to begin filming on March 13, and the men vying for Clare’s heart were already revealed. But then with the COVID-19 crisis, the ABC reality series hit a major setback. Between the usual travel to romantic destinations to the cast of over 30 men living together in the same house, there was too much of a risk for the show to continue at this time.
“Everyone’s health is the most important at this time, and as I’m sure you’ve heard, we are pressing pause for now on filming The Bachelorette,” Crawley said in an Instagram post on March 14. “We are taking it day by day and even hour by hour as this is so unpredictable….I’ve waited 38 years for these moments, what’s a little bit longer, right!”
ABC
Host Chris Harrison confirmed that production will be postponed for at least two weeks while they continue to wait to see how the virus affects the United States. “In two weeks, we will reassess where we are in the world, and figure out depending if we can move forward,” Harrison said in a video posted to his Instagram page. “It is not only the right thing to do, it was the only thing to do. But that doesn’t mean this decision wasn’t hard to make.”
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Harrison cited the hundreds of people involved in production, ranging from crew members to producers, along with the contestants themselves who will all be affected by the halt in filming. “To the men who had given up time in their lives to go on this adventure, I say thank you. Thank you for understanding and hopefully everything will work out and we’ll be back together again,” Harrison continued.
Harrison also assured fans that Crawley will still be the Bachelorette, regardless of filming schedules. “To my friend Clare, you’re still my Bachelorette and hopefully we’re still going to get the opportunity to find love and make this work,” Harrison added.
In the meantime, ABC is working on making Juan Pablo Galavis’ Bachelor season available via streaming, so fans can become familiar with Crawley ahead of The Bachelorette.
While filming on The Bachelorette is on hiatus, Harrison urged fans to wash their hands and practice safe measures, calling the show itself “trivial” during this global crisis. “Bachelor Nation, I’m with you,” Harrison concluded. “This too shall pass, but in the meantime, let’s all be smart, let’ all be vigilant and caring and loving.”
The Bachelorette, Season 16 Premiere, TBD, ABC
