'Bachelorette' Fans Not Happy With Clare Crawley As The New Leading Lady, Vow To Boycott The Show

Fans of “Bachelorette” aren’t exactly happy with the casting of Clare Crawley as the new season’s leading lady. On Monday, ABC made a progressive move with the announcement of 38-year-old Crawley as the new Bachelorette on “Good Morning America,” making her the oldest lady to ever top-bill the hit reality show.

It remains unknown what the show’s producers were thinking when they took on this major shift, but many took Clare Crawley’s casting as a big surprise, especially for a show where ladies over 30 are seen as over the hill. There are speculations that the producers of “Bachelorette” want to position the new leading lady as a reflection of older daters in America.

Since the announcement, fuming fans have taken to Twitter to express their disappointment over the selection of the Californian hairstylist, with some even promising to boycott the show. “Crazy Claire?? No thanks. I’ll be sitting out for the first time since season 1,” wrote a “Bachelorette” fan.

“It’s almost like you guys don’t want us to watch,” commented another fan. The tweet drew comments from other fans, who noted Crawley’s extensive history with the ABC show and questioned why Crawley had to be given so many chances. “How many Bachelor franchises can Clare mooch off of before she grows up lol,” wrote another fan.

As it turned out, Crawley was just as shocked to know that she had been chosen to star the next season. In a statement following the announcement, she revealed that she literally had just found out about her casting, although she said she sees her older-than-usual status as a plus. “It just is more years under my belt, more learning and knowing what I want, what I don’t want and what I won’t settle for,” she said, adding that she’s also been known for dating younger guys.

Crawley has been part of the “Bachelor” nation since 2014. That year, she competed with several other women for Juan Pablo Galavas’ love and finished off as one of the two finalists. She returned to the franchise when she joined “Bachelor in Paradise” and “The Bachelor: Winter Games,” which aired in 2018 and saw her engagement to Benoit Beausejour-Savard. They decided to split just months after the season had wrapped.

“The Bachelorette” returns to ABC on May 18.