With school starting and the threat of Covid-19 still looming over us all, it’s safe to say many Oakton High School students may be more than a little stressed at the moment. What better way to temporarily take your mind off the state of the world than to indulge in a little trashy reality TV? Reality dating shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have always been widely considered a pop-culture phenomenon whenever it aired, its surprisingly riveting drama and steamy romantic scenes making it many people’s favorite guilty pleasure show. Airing October 13, The Bachelorette, famed spinoff of The Bachelor, will return to grace our screens with apparently more drama and twists than ever seen before on the show. What can viewers expect to see in this upcoming season?

This season of The Bachelorette is unique in the fact that there will be two bachelorettes appearing on the season for the first time in the show’s history. This year’s first Bachelorette, Clare Crawley, is a familiar face to most longtime fans of the show. She’s shown up previously as a runner-up on the 18th season of The Bachelor, and she has also appeared on seasons 1 and 2 of Bachelor in Paradise. Crawley was originally supposed to be the one and only bachelorette of the season, but things certainly didn’t go to plan. Season 16 began filming before Covid-19 struck, but after the pandemic hit, filming was delayed. Production resumed in July, and this was soon followed by the shocking announcement that Tayshia Adams would be replacing Clare as the lead. Sources state that Clare ended up quitting the show after only 14 days of filming after falling in love with one of the contestants, Dale Moss. Apparently, Dale reached out to Clare during the show’s pause in filming, and they fell for each other hard and fast. By the time filming had resumed, it was obvious that she had already essentially made her choice, and she wanted out of the show. Her sudden departure led producers to immediately scramble for alternative bachelorettes on short notice, and Tayshia ended up being the lucky choice. 

It’s still impossible to tell how exactly this season will play out. Will they start over when Tayshia comes and give her a full selection of men to interact with and choose from? Will they carry on from where things left off when Clare decided to leave, leaving Tayshia to decide from the remaining men? According to Reality Steve, a reporter that is infamous for getting accurate and in-depth details and leaks on reality shows, 16 of Clare’s suitors remain for Tayshia and 4 more new suitors are brought in, to make things fair for the new bachelorette. Reality Steve has also alluded to the fact that this season is notably more “messy” compared to any other season in the show’s history, so even more shocking twists are likely in store for viewers. It’s clear this season of The Bachelorette will be full of endless entertainment, romance, and emotions, so make sure you tune on October 13 to come along for the wild ride.