Susie Evans fell in love with Clayton Echard on The Bachelor season 26, and she now shares that it was “super weird” to watch the show when it aired. Susie and Clayton had a rollercoaster of a relationship. They initially broke up when she expressed that she could not accept that he had told her, Rachel Recchia, and Gabby Windey that he loved them, and that he had slept with Rachel and Gabby before her fantasy suite. However, after spending time with his family, Clayton gained the clarity he needed to realize that he was only truly in love with Susie. He told her how he felt, but she rejected him. Then, in a shocking twist, Clayton and Susie got back together after the show. They had a happy relationship at first, but the pressures of the aftermath of the show proved to be too much for them. Unfortunately, Susie and Clayton broke up in September.
In an interview with Elite Daily, Susie admitted that it was “super weird” to watch back The Bachelor knowing how it all ended, but she “also actually enjoyed it.” Susie explained that she attended watch parties at a restaurant where she used to work. She said that “doing those watch parties and being surrounded by friends made me realize how not serious the show actually is.” Susie said that she realized, “‘Oh, people are having fun with this. People are laughing.’ Yes, it’s my life, so it is still serious and heavy. But at the same time, it’s entertaining.” Susie said that navigating the time between her and Clayton’s breakup on the show and their relationship announcement on After the Final Rose was “very heavy,” but she “braced for it. At the time, Clayton was going through a lot. He walked into that role with a target on his back. So I was just so wrapped up in protecting our well-being that I wasn’t thinking about anything else.”
Susie Evans Is Interested In Dating Again, But Not On Television
Susie confessed that after she and Clayton broke up, she “went through a range of emotions.” Because she wants to find her person and have a family, she “wondered if I wasted time by going on the show. I started to contemplate: Do I regret making these choices?” However, Susie said that she has “been able to find so many things to pour into, like my videography business and my blog. And honestly, I’ve never done so much work on myself than after this breakup. As much as it’s been a roller coaster, it’s also been very healing, and I’ve been able to grow so much.” Susie is interested in dating again, although she has not gone out with anyone yet. But don’t expect her to look for love in Bachelor Nation. She said that she is not convinced that a producer-selected “dating pool” is the best way to find love because “nobody knows what I want more than I know what I want.”
Susie has always been one of the more level-headed Bachelor contestants. She knew exactly what she wanted from Clayton, and she made it clear to him. She was also a very supportive partner to him throughout his mental health struggles after the show. The odds seemed to be stacked against them from the beginning, but the Bachelor Nation couple were able to pull through and have their relationship, although it was short-lived. It was a good thing that they did not get engaged before they were ready.
Susie is wise to step away from the Bachelor franchise. As the show becomes more and more manipulated by the producers, as evidenced by Gabby and Rachel’s season of The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise season 8, it becomes less likely that the contestants will find healthy, lasting relationships. The show is more about creating drama than finding love now. Fans wish Susie all the best as she searches for her forever love after The Bachelor.
The Bachelor season 27 premieres January 23 on ABC.
Source: Elite Daily
Monica has a BA in Journalism and English from the University of Massachusetts and an MS in Journalism and Communications from Quinnipiac University. Monica has worked as a journalist for over 20 years covering all things entertainment. She has covered everything from San Diego Comic-Con, The SAG Awards, Academy Awards, and more. Monica has been published in Variety, Swagger Magazine, Emmy Magazine, CNN, AP, Hidden Remote, and more. For the past 10 years, she has added PR and marketing to her list of talents as the president of Prime Entertainment Publicity, LLC. Monica is ready for anything and is proudly obsessed with pop culture.
