"I'm not saying it in a negative way," she added. "I'm just saying, I think it was no secret that he always wanted to be the Bachelor."
The former NFL player spoke about his ambitions in the entertainment industry over the summer.
Bachelorette frontrunner Dale Moss hit it off immediately with Clare Crawley on Tuesday's premiere, but does he have other ambitions in mind when it comes to his time on the show?
Following the premiere, where Dale and Clare shared what she told ET was an "electric" connection, Bachelor Nation fans discovered an interview the former NFL player conducted with Midco Sports Network when he returned to his hometown of Brandon, South Dakota, over the summer -- after the coronavirus pandemic shut down initial production on Clare's Bachelorette season -- where he spoke about his dreams in the entertainment industry.
"Currently, I am a model with Wilhelmina International, and a sports and entertainment host," Dale said. "That's always been one of my focuses. I think how Ryan Seacrest has built a brand and really an empire is really amazing, and I would love to model my career after him."
"Behind the lens, I'm doing a lot of producing," he added. "Live events -- that's obviously not happening now -- and a documentary, that's happening under my company, Moss Media. I've been so blessed to work with some of the greatest talent, we've worked with some of the greatest brands, and just be in a situation where I'm surrounded by people I can learn from each and every day. That's really helped me grow."
At the time, Dale did keep quiet on whether or not he'd be appearing on the show when production started back up again. "I'm just excited about what's coming up in the new few months -- there's some good things," he teased.
In another interview, with Bond Official in March, Dale said his ultimate goals were to "be a leading host or media personality in the entertainment industry. With that, I want to be well respected and a thought-leader. On top of that, I will be the producer of a documentary and docu-series, and have a diverse business portfolio."
Whether contestants are on the show "for the right reasons" is something frequently called into question in Bachelor Nation -- and a recent promo for the upcoming season seems to show some of Dale's fellow suitors accusing him of being "phony" and "fraudulent." "Dale's maybe not who Clare thinks he is," one warns.
Additionally, fans thought Clare appeared to be shading Matt James -- who was part of her cast before being announced as the next Bachelor -- for angling for fame instead of love as one of her suitors. "If you are doing interviews and creating Cameo accounts before you are even on my season... you are in it for the wrong reasons... #dontwasteyourtime," she tweeted in April. "Respect the opportunity you’ve been given. Respect the rules. Respect me. @BacheloretteABC."
"I don't know Matt personally," Clare told ET earlier this week. "I think that he- As the Bachelor, he's got something that he's always wanted."
As for Dale, Clare had nothing but good things to say to ET, sharing that her connection with the former football star made her feel "that feeling that I've never felt before."
"Just standing in front of a man, connecting on that level, and it being electric between each other - I've never felt that instantly like that before," she admitted. "I had never felt it before, and I never even knew what to expect with those feelings. When you have not experienced it or felt it, you don't know if it exists, but when you feel it, you know exactly what that feeling is."
The Bachelorette airs Tuesdays at 8pm PT/ET on ABC.
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