The Sacramento-based hairstylist was announced as the Bachelorette on Monday.
Clare Crawley is our new Bachelorette!
The Sacramento-based hairstylist was announced as the next Bachelor franchise lead on Good Morning America on Monday, in a shocking move that many Bachelor fans didn't see coming. Unlike more recent contenders like Tayshia Adams or Tia Booth (or even Kelsey Weier from Peter Weber's season of The Bachelor), it's been a while since viewers have seen Crawley on their TV screens.
Crawley last appeared on Bachelor Winter Games in 2018, where she got engaged to Canadian Bachelorette contestant Benoit Beausejour-Savard. The pair split about two months later, and Crawley has yet to have another high-profile relationship.
The 38-year-old Bachelorette first entered Bachelor Nation on Juan Pablo Galavis' season of The Bachelor in 2014, and later appeared on Bachelor in Paradise seasons one and two (in 2014 and 2015, respectively). While she hasn't found her happily ever after, Crawley is ready to find love.
Here are five things to know about Crawley:
She's Not Here for Backlash About Her Age
In a 2018 interview with ET, Crawley, who was 36 at the time, opened up about the great age debate as Bachelor Nation was skewing younger and younger.
"In my eyes, to lean towards more of the older crowd is more appropriate because you see these girls that are 21, 22 and at that age … I didn't even know myself at that age, so how do you expect to be ready for a relationship?" she asked. "But the funny thing is I find the backlash is more for the older crowd, for the people like me that people are going, 'Why are you still doing this? You're 36!'"
"There's so much backlash on being my age and being single. It blows my mind, and it's like, what's the alternative? Being my age and having settled for someone that's not right for me? Because I think at this age, I know exactly what I'm looking for. I know exactly what I want. And that, to me, is a better opportunity, versus somebody who doesn't really fully know themselves coming in," she explained. "I'll wait forever. You know, I don't care if I'm 45 or 55. I'd rather be single and living my life and having a happy life than settling for somebody that's not right for me."
She's Delivered Some Iconic Bachelor Moments
Even if you didn't watch Galavis' season of The Bachelor, chances are you heard about it -- and Crawley epically telling him off at the final rose. Please enjoy this iconic moment below:
Then, on Bachelor in Paradise, it was Crawley who had that famous "conversation" with a raccoon. Again, enjoy:
And Crawley had no problem standing up for herself on Winter Games when a Jacuzzi date went awry:
She's All About Family
Crawley made it clear in her very first Bachelor appearance that family values lie at her core. The hairstylist, who is part Mexican, opened up about being the youngest of six girls in her family. She was incredibly close to her father, who died of brain cancer.
"When my dad passed away, I feel like it just shattered my world, because I was his baby girl," she said. "One of the things my dad did before he passed away [was] he made a DVD for my future husband to watch. I have not seen it. Nobody has seen it, but I'm saving it for the right man to watch it."
"I am looking for a man that is just like my dad: strong, loving, gentle, compassionate and just a real genuine, kind man," Crawley shared.
Standing Up For Herself on The Bachelor Was a "Self-Esteem Booster"
Crawley told ET in 2018 that her time on The Bachelor was "one of the greatest learning experiences for me in my life."
"It helped me stand up and have my voice as a woman. And not only did it let me do that, but it let me do that publicly, which is an even harder thing to do, and I did it," she said. "That was, like, one of the greatest self-esteem boosters for myself, like, 'I can do this.' If I can do it, anybody can stand up for themselves."
"It was very pivotal in my life as a woman," Crawley continued. "If [I had] any regrets, I would probably say, when I had a talk with [Juan Pablo] in the hotel room after the helicopter situation, I knew it in my gut right then that things weren't right. I should have left then, but I wanted to stick around. And, I don't think I would have had the feeling I have now, the sense of empowerment as I do now, if I hadn't stayed to the end. So, I don't really regret it."
She's Ready for Her Next Adventure After a "Tough" 2019
Crawley got candid in one of her most recent Instagram posts about mustering up the energy to push forward in 2020 after a difficult 2019.
"This 'energy' was hard earned for me this past year. And this photo is to remind MYSELF how hard I’ve worked and fought for my peace and happiness. And the truth is that I probably wouldn’t have posted it in the past," she wrote. "But guess what... 2019 was awful tough. I don’t show it often, but there were so many days where I wanted to just crumble. But my CHOSEN family, and 2 sisters fought right along side me when I was struggling. (Ya I said it) And I am forever forever grateful!! They held me up when the weight of my moms diagnosis crushed my soul. We fight together."
"So ya, here’s my 2020 energy⚡️, and who cares if I gained weight, earned a few more wrinkles and have a goofy looking chipped front tooth! I worked hard for this happiness," Crawley added. "Thank you for coming to my TED talk ?."
Crawley's season of The Bachelorette starts filming soon, while Weber's season finale of The Bachelor will air next week. Monday's episode, Women Tell All, airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
ET's Lauren Zima will be recapping next week's season finale, directly after the episodes on Monday and Tuesday. Watch ET Live on your Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV or you can stream on Pluto TV and Samsung TV Plus.
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