Clare Crawley: What To Know About The Surprising 38-Year-Old Rumored To Be ‘The Bachelorette’ For Season 16

The Bachelorette producers are expected to announce that Clare Crawley will headline the 16th season of the ABC dating show, but not everyone knows who she is.

After spoiler king Reality Steve leaked the top-secret news, fans took to social media to express surprise over the alleged pick, who was originally the runner-up on Juan Pablo Galavis’ season of The Bachelor more than six years ago. On comments to Clare’s Instagram page, some franchise fans rejoiced while others remained confused by this blast from the past pick.

“This is who apparently is the new Bachelorette,” one commenter wrote.

“So you’re the new Bachelorette!!!” another wrote.

For those not in the know, here’s what you need to know about Bachelor Nation alum Clare Crawley.

She’s The Oldest ‘Bachelorette’ Contender In History

Clare will turn 39 years old on March 20, per Reality Steve, making her, by far, the oldest Bachelorette star ever to headline the series. The next closest was Rachel Lindsay at age 32. Clare’s rumored Bachelorette casting comes a whopping six years after she originally thought she deserved to be named ABC’s leading lady.

After she lost out on love on the spinoff series, Bachelor In Paradise, Clare said she was done with the ABC dating franchise.

“If they would have just chosen me for The Bachelorette, I wouldn’t have to be here,” Clare said in 2015, per Wetpaint. “I would have found my husband. I guess there’s part of me that’s sort of hard not to be jaded and skeptical, but it just hurts because you hit a certain point where it’s just a slap in the face. This is my retirement from Bachelor in Paradise.”

She Works as a Hairstylist

After leaving reality TV (at least for a little while), Clare tried to go back to a somewhat normal life as she returned to her regular career. She is currently working as a hairstylist and colorist at the De Facto Salon in Sacramento, California, according to her Instagram.

In a 2019 post, Clare revealed that her love for her job stems from her desire to connect with people. She said she’s “obsessed” with her job and her amazing group of clients.

She Has An Impressive Reality TV Resume

In addition to her stint on Juan Pablo’s season of The Bachelor, Clare appeared on two seasons of Bachelor in Paradise, in 2014 and 2015. She later returned to the franchise for The Bachelor: Winter Games in 2018.

Clare also reunited with longtime Bachelor host Chris Harrison when she was a contestant on the game show, Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?, where she played for her favorite charitable cause, the Getty Owl Foundation.

She Was Part Of One Of The Most Famous Moments In ‘Bachelor’ History

In 2014, Clare was part of an ocean hookup controversy with Juan Pablo. She was later sent home at the final rose ceremony, but her parting words were anything but amicable. In one of the most shocking Bachelor moments ever, Clare revealed that Juan Pablo said something “offensive and insulting” to her when the cameras weren’t rolling.

When The Bachelor star dumped her, Clare told him off and said she would “never want my children having a father like you.” Juan Pablo famously said he was “glad” he didn’t pick her.

The official announcement of The Bachelorette will reportedly be revealed on Good Morning America on Monday.