The Bachelor: How Nick Viall Was Blunt About Clayton’s Hot Mess

The Bachelor season 26 ended on near-disastrous terms, and Nick Viall has joined in to comment on Clayton Echard’s less than effective decision-making. Since promo’s of Clayton’s season aired, many suggested he wasn’t the best choice to be The Bachelor. The discontent stemmed from Clayton telling Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia that he was in love with both of them, along with Susie Evans. He also revealed that he slept with both Gabby and Rachel to all three of them. While it’s not the first time a lead has fallen for more than one person, they are usually more tactful in navigating the complex social dynamics. Evan Clayton’s dad called out his drastic mishandling of the situation.

During part one of The Bachelor finale on Monday night, host Jesse Palmer sat down with former Bachelor and Bachelorettes Michelle Young, Nick Viall, and Clare Crawley to discuss how Clayton navigated the season. Clare called the rose ceremony from hell “cringey” and “tough towatch” but noted it is also “tough to be on our side of it.” Michelle probably showed the most compassion for Clayton, saying there’s no specific handbook for being a lead. However, she also said handling a partner with care and effort is the recipe for a healthy relationship. Nick was undoubtedly the most critical.

After Jesse said that Clayton’s strategy was to be brutally honest with the women, he asked if Nick felt that was the right play. Nick answered, “well, unfortunately, though he wasn’t, he left out the most important thing, which was that he told Susie that he loved her the most, and I feel like that’s something that these women would want to hear, especially Gabby when he was trying to convince her not to trust her gut.” Nick acknowledged that while Clayton could have the best intentions, he didn’t take the time to reflect on the control and power he had over every situation as The Bachelor. Nick also said that he didn’t believe Clayton made space to empathize with the women’s feelings. This seems especially accurate of the final three and relevant to the entire journey.

Everything appeared highly surface-level to Clayton. Many blame Bachelor Nation producers for picking a Bachelor without audience input, but Clayton is also responsible for his own bad decision-making. While he tried to be judicious, there was a lack of depth to him. Nick added, “Unfortunately, I think you see a guy focused on finding love for himself and not finding love with someone else.” Nick’s probably right that it would have gone a long way if Clayton was more empathetic. Clayton didn’t fall in love with Michelle, so he doesn’t have the experience of being deeply vulnerable on the other side of the equation. Nick also noted, “it feels like everyone knows that Clayton loved Susie the most except Gabby and Rachel, and I just want to know what they have to say watching this back.”

At the end of the day, Bachelor fans were seriously disappointed with Clayton’s lack of emotional intelligence. He’s a big lump of love, but he should knock interpersonal skills off his resume. Nick’s take on the season-ending seemed incredibly accurate, and the fan’s dismissal of Clayton as The Bachelorfrom the jump appears justified. He may not be a bad person, but he lacked both the depth and the ability to step outside himself to do right by the women and the franchise..

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Olivia Landon
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Olivia Landon is a digital creative working in entertainment media and television production. A graduate of Occidental College’s Critical Theory and Social Justice and Media Arts & Culture programs, Olivia believes in entertainment as a springboard for curating intersectional cultures of care. Visit her website https://www.livlandon.media/

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