Bachelor Happy Hour - Clayton Sets the Record Straight

Episode Date: January 18, 2022

This week on “Bachelor Happy Hour,” Clayton Echard makes his first appearance on the pod and is holding nothing back! Clayton discusses it all, including his single life before joining the Bachelor franchise, what he learned about himself during his time on “The Bachelorette,” and the ups and downs of watching his journey as the Bachelor unfold over these past few weeks. Plus, Clayton addresses the rumors being spread over social media and reminds viewers that just like everyone else, he is human.   Then, in a round of rapid-fire questions, Becca and Serena give Bachelor Nation what they have been relentlessly asking for — the chance to get to know Clayton!  “Bachelor Happy Hour” has exclusive interviews every week. Watch “The Bachelor” on ABC and listen to “Bachelor Happy Hour” the next morning.  Don’t forget to rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode. See omny.fm/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Welcome back, Bachelor Happy Hour listeners. It's good to be back with you. I know this week is a little off because obviously we did not have an episode of The Bachelor last night. So we have no recap, which is totally fine because we still have a great episode coming up for you today. Yes, I definitely missed The Bachelor this week. but I am so excited for today's episode because Bachelor Nation, we have heard you when you have said, who is Clayton? We know nothing about him. So guess what? The Bachelor himself is here today and we cannot wait for you to all get to know him a little bit better. Yes, the time has finally

come for us to give all of you people what you want. Not only do we have his season to talk with him about, but we also, if you don't remember, never had him on during Michelle's season. So we have a full recap with Clayton himself. We'll get into Michelle's season, his time on her season. We'll get into his season. But also, there's just so much for him, so much more for us to know about him as listeners. So today we have a full episode. We'll get into all of the tea.

We'll get to know Clayton for who he really is, what he thinks about this crazy world. And I just have to say, let's just get into it, Serena, huh? I am so ready. Let's bring on The Bachelor. I just want all of our listeners to know the real Clayton. This is why we're having you here on Bachelor Happy Hour today is to get to know you because we've had so many people out there be like, who's Clayton? We know nothing about him.

Well, ladies and gents, today is the day. We now know that Clayton eats about a thousand pounds in Chipotle a week. He's got his Chipotle card well on the way. I can't wait to hang out with you when that finally comes. If I'm the Chipotle order, like the person that works there and I'm taking your order, like, hi, Clayton, like what can I get you today? Okay, what is your answer? I got this down, like, to a science.

I would like two bowls to go with two tortillas on the side, one two salad dressings. Both bowls would be the same. I get white rice, extra right rice, white rice, extra fajita veggies, no beans, half chicken, half steak, pico de gallo, corn guac lettuce. And that's it, yeah. The extra fajita veggies, that is a move.

That's a promo. move. Clayton, how long have you been ordering this same thing from Chipotle? Leave this in the podcast. Leave this in here. Ever since I stopped or ever since I graduated college. So it's been, I'm on six years now over the same exact order. Okay. I want to know. No. Okay. So if you, you obviously are no longer in the NFL, you order two of these bowls. How many times a week would you say? Well, it probably, probably once a week. Maybe sometimes twice if I'm feeling like treat myself a little bit. Okay. If you eat. this much right now. How much were you eating when you played football? I would easily put down two

bowls when I was playing football. In one meal? Like in one sitting? Yes. It was like people like I people would watch me if I would ever, I wouldn't like to eat a whole lot in the restaurant because people would just turn and look at me and they'd be like, are you going to actually eat both of those? And then I would just proceed to like not breathe and just shovel food in the entire time. I wish I could eat that much food because I get through like just over three quarters of the bowl and I'm just a shame that I can't finish that last bit, but I get so full. Everybody, I mean, everyone thinks that it sounds so great, but it's like the hassle to have to put

down that many calories and just keep, just keep in mind what you put in. Also, it has to come out. Oh, wow. Yeah, just understand that. I'm getting a whole new, a whole new side to you, Clayton. I have to say. I don't hold back. Clayton, I like you.

You seem like a great guy. You're the reason why I never want to have boys because they eat. so freaking much. Like I used to date a football player in college and he would daily eat a loaf of bread with all of the sandwiches and the toast. I'm like, I never want boys. You guys are going to run me dry.

It's expensive. It's expensive to be that hungry. Damn. The gross, yeah, my poor mom, we have, I have two younger brothers and they also eat like a bunch of horses. So it was whoever could eat the fastest because my parents would cook the food. And then it was like, here's all the food we have.

and once it's gone, it's gone. So that's, I think, where I had to, like, learn how to re-eat in a way that was, like, if I was going out on dates, I had to, like, catch myself because I would be, like, face, I'd be, like, faced in the plate, like, you got to, like, pre-eat before the date. Like, you have a pre-date meal, and then you go and you have your second dinner. And then it's probably a post-date meal. Yeah, I go animalistic. Yeah, I go animalistic.

Yeah, people will see me, like, when I was at my work, when I worked medical sales, I'd bring this big old trough of food in, and I would put my arm around it and, like, literally like be right here and it's like almost like a protective mechanism that I'm like you're not coming near my food exactly I'm picturing like Gandalf in Lord of the Rings with a stick like thou shall not pass you in front of your Chipotle bowls oh yeah I've had I even had a couple times people like can I try that and they said like the way my eyes darted up with them like excuse me absolutely not never that's one less that's one less light yeah please exactly oh my gosh I feel like we could talk about food and Chipotle all day.

All day. I hope we were recording all of this. First and foremost, we want to welcome you officially to Bachelor Happy Hour because this is your first time here. So welcome. Thank you guys for having me. I'm excited. Yes, we can talk all the day about food, but there are other dimensions of me. So we can try to touch on those other dimensions outside of the whole foodie aspect.

I love it. Well, so I'm glad that you mentioned the other dimensions because we'll get into all of the fun stuff of your time on Michelle's season, of your own season. But before that, you've kind of, I mean, you've really had such a unique experience just personally because you've never watched yourself until now on TV. Because when Michelle's season was airing, you were actually in the midst of your own season filming. So there's so much that you've missed. This is really your first time watching yourself back on TV, hearing yourself back on TV, hearing what everyone back on your season has to say. It's just like a weird world. And I know from experience.

and I know Serena knows from experience what that feels like. So first and foremost, how are you doing now that everything's done filming? It's finally airing. Like, how are you dealing with the social media and the DMs and all of that craziness? Yeah, I think at first it was kind of quiet. So I was able to respond as much as I could and again, very just appreciative for the whole opportunity. So I wanted to be able to let people know, like, hey, like, thank you for reaching out. It means a lot.

then the first episode aired and all of a sudden it's like it's just like open the floodgates and at that point I started to get overwhelmed and yeah I would I'd be lying if I said it was all you know sunshine and roses I have definitely fallen victim to reading everything which again everybody's told me stop reading all the comments but I my thought was if I know what's out there there's no surprises. What I found those again is now I'm watching the show and I see the comments and I understand a lot of these thoughts that people are throwing out there on the internet and they're saying, well, we're not seeing this and we're not seeing that. And I'm seeing a lot of this for the first time myself. I mean, I'm sure we'll jump in some of the episodes, but like the last

episode with what all had happened with the drama, I didn't even know that was going on. And so like, I'm watching it now for the first time. And I'm like, wow, okay, this was all happening while I was off talking with other women. And I had I seen that and realized what was occurring, I think I would have responded to it. I mean, I know I would have responded to it. But people have to understand I didn't see that. I'm actually now watching it for the first time with everybody else.

And so it's news to me. A lot of what I'm seeing now. And that's, it is challenging because, again, I see people that are coming after me and my character. and saying, this guy has terrible judgment, why wouldn't you respond to this? And the answer is, you know, it's simple. It's like, do you see me in that picture? Like, when they're showing the drama, am I there present? And the answer is no. So I didn't know about it. I was left in the dark. I only knew what the women brought to me. And again, like what I'm seeing is like a lot of what was

happening, I just kind of got bits and pieces through the conversations I had. Right. Yeah. And I think what people need to remember is there's one of you and about 30 women. So the ratio is off. You're not going to be part of every single conversation in every single room. And I think how you said it is perfect. Like if you don't see Clayton in the room, that means he probably wasn't privy to what was happening in it. And I know that even as a contestant, you know, I remember getting DMs being like, well, why didn't you stick up for this person or why didn't you speak up in this situation? And I had a similar experience where a lot of drama happened the week of my one-on-one date, and I wasn't in the room. So it was like, you can't be held accountable

for your actions when you weren't present to even act. Yeah. Well, and to both of your points, I mean, if anyone watches the show, they obviously know there's a lead, there's all the contestants, and there's a team of producers who work on the show to really navigate every situation, all of the dates, all of the conversations to a certain extent. But unless, as you were saying, unless a girl is sitting with you bringing up a certain situation or a certain drama, no one, producers included, aren't going to go to you and be like, hey, Clayton, so-and-so said this. So how are you going to address it? It's really up to you to figure out and navigate every conversation with the women face-to-face. No one's telling you

the dirt or the Jews, really, until somebody comes to you directly and sits you down and really brings that to light. And so that's what I want, you know, to anyone who watches the show, to anyone who listens to the podcast, like, Clayton, you are a human. You are, as one person is trying to navigate this crazy world, and it's a world that you had never watched before. You really had no idea or expectations. You're just doing the best you can. So I would really ask everyone to just have patience and have a little bit of grace and wherewithal to know that you're doing your best. You're just like everyone else. You're trying to find love. You're trying to find a partner. It just makes it very difficult when there's so many people on social media popping up and coming out of the woodwork and saying shit.

And I know I was kind of like you, I would say, in a way where at first I was like, I have been given this incredible platform and there's so much support. And I want to reply to everybody and thank them and really, you know, be as humble and as gracious. as possible. And very slowly I realized, like, there's a lot of haters out there and there's a lot of trolls. And there's a lot of people who will say whatever the hell they want to say to get their two seconds of fame or their 15 minutes of fame, if you will. And so I know even like this week, crazy things on social media have been popping up of things that happened when you were single, when you were in your 20s and just a man dating. So is there anything that you want to address here first and foremost to really get out there so all of our listeners can hear it from you. Yeah. I mean, there's so much I want to address. And that's where I'm like, can I fit it all into one podcast? Probably not. But again, I'm a big talker as people will see, especially on these podcasts, which was a

little bit different from the out on the show where, again, I think something I've seen is people say, oh, like he seems that he doesn't have much to say to these women who are, you know, giving him, they're telling them their life stories. And I remember I went into the whole experience with my family saying, Clayton, you're a great talker, but try to be a really great listener, like make sure you emphasize, focusing on keeping your mouth shut and listening. And I think that's what I did a lot early on. And I had a lot of women say,

hey, you're great, you're such a great listener. But as far as like the criticism being like, hey, the guy doesn't really say a whole lot. I think, again, it's kind of twofold. On one aspect,

I was trying to be really good, just the listening aspect. The other side of it, I also, it's, you know, 30 women come in the house and you're talking so far, this is day four or five or whatever it is that people are seeing this episode air. And these women are starting to open up.

up and tell me some very personal stories. I'm still trying to figure out, hey, who this person is, how they are, like, what are their inner workings? And how can I best respond to something so personal. And so I think just how the environment is, you really jump into those intimate discussions very early on. But if you don't, if you're still getting to understand that person, I think at least I find myself being cautious because I don't want to, you know,

I'm still trying to figure out who that person is and I don't want to say something that might be misinterpreted. That's something I saw on the side. As far as addressing what I've seen online, yeah, I've seen a lot of these TikToks that have come up as of lately regarding my past, you know, or my relationships that I had in the past. And like, listen, here's the thing. I never claimed to be some saint per se or some or celibate for the last six years of my single life. Like I was single. And, you know, I enjoyed that singleness. There's a period of my life where like, yeah, I wasn't looking for

anything serious and I was just having fun and enjoying that aspect of it. And, you know, I think that's just something maybe everybody goes through in some capacity. And I went through that. And so I am now starting to see a lot of these things that are coming up. I mean, listen, I don't understand a whole lot of why people bring it up per se because I'm like, I think we all went through this, but, and maybe some people more than others. But the thing was, is like, yeah, I went out and dated and had my fun and really what it came to is like it came to a head on this year like on my 28th birthday I realized that I was doing the same things I hadn't changed my dating life per se I haven't changed you know my work everything was just kind of stagnant and I felt like I was

going through the motions and I realized like you need to start making changes to see change and that also cut into my dating life I realized that I can't keep going down this path of just kind of loosely dating because that's not going to bring me the happiness that I'm looking for, which is ultimately another person in my life that I can wake up to every day. And they'll be there with me along that journey of life. So I see the things online. I think it is what it is. Yeah, I guess for me it's like, yes.

And some of the what I've seen is absolutely ridiculous. It's not factual. I've seen some things that it's like I saw one today. the guy said hey oh he was uh this i walked down on him with my girlfriend i'm like i don't even know who this guy is or someone else said like i've been dating i dated him for five years i was like how can you make that like how can you say you've dated me for five years like where is the evidence but again like there's other it's just there's just so much and um i don't know i for what it is i just want people to know like hey i didn't claim to be this guy who just didn't date around or

was just like in my in a hole for the last five six years like i went had my fun. I did. But that obviously transitions once I hit my 20th birthday this year, I realized I started needing to make some changes. Yeah. Yeah. And I don't think you dating and living your single life equates to you being a bad guy. You were single. You were an adult and you had every right to date and have experiences and you were a free man. And now you're not. And I think that's where the line gets blurry of people. They're seeing you on The Bachelor dating. And they forget that this period of your life happened before you went on the show when you were single. So, you know, I don't think you have any need to apologize for any of that.

People are going to come out and they're going to say dumb shit. And you know the truth. And I think that it's great having you on the podcast because people are going to get to see and learn more about who you are and that you are a genuine guy. And that's going to help hopefully with this. There's always going to be haters. There's always going to be trolls. But, yeah, I mean, I do want to ask you because you have been reading everything. And I know when Beck and I went for drinks with you, I think it was like last month you were saying, you know, I like reading everything.

It hasn't been too bad. But I know that that does change once the show begins. What do you think moving forward? Like, do you think you will continue reading everything? How are you going to kind of tackle all of that? I was so naive when I met up with you guys a month ago. I have now seen that I'm starting to see the light and it's shining bright and blinding me almost at this point. I had to take a step back and I don't think going forward I will be reading all the comments because it can be detrimental.

Yeah, you start to go down this rabbit hole of you read one comment and then the next one piles on. The next one piles on and you just realize very quickly you can't keep everybody happy. There's nothing you can do. Like I saw recently a post that said, they talked about how Clayton is too reassuring to the women. Like he's giving them too much reassurance. And because of that, it's like coach speak. For one, I'm like, yeah, I was a form athlete. So I probably will use as far as my vernacular, like it's going to be pretty similar to how like athletes talk because that's my entire life.

But people critique me on that. And then now that I'm being critiqued on, well, he's giving these women too much positive affirmation. where they're going to end up being hurt. And it's like, so I'm giving them too much or not enough. It's just you realize it's all over the board across the spectrum. I'm either saying too much or I'm not saying enough. Listen, I get there's certain things that I'm like, yes, are certainly annoying. Like the licking my lips thing, I didn't know I did that until I watched the show.

I have not noticed that. I have. I have seen that I've never noticed it when I'm watching the show. I am so sorry because you will now, that's all you'll see. Because once you realize it, like I realize that because I'm very hyper aware of, like, myself and how I'm portrayed. So once I saw it, I was like, oh, my gosh. And then all of a sudden the tweets start coming in. And yeah, it's everything gets critiqued.

And I don't know why I do it. I think maybe it's a nervous kind of tick per se or whatever it could be. But all of it, yeah, it's just so heavily scrutinized. And you realize that you're like, I can't keep everyone happy. So instead of me trying to, maybe I should just go ahead and push it all away and just take a step back and focus on other things that actually do make me happy and stop trying to to please everyone. Well, Clayton, I don't know if you knew this, but sign up for The Bachelor, you're supposed to be perfect. Like, you can't have a past. You can't have dated in the past.

You can't have slept around. Basically, you can have no fun, no personality. Oh, I have no personality, apparently. We got that one down. Or too much personality. Listen, you, I mean, you said it best. You're not going to please everyone. And there's always going to people that say you do too much, too little. And if they don't say it about you, they're saying it about somebody else on the show. It's just there's no way to make everyone happy. So you just really have to focus on what's going to make you happy in this world now that you're in it. One thing, and kind of going into that comment about how you're too reassuring to the women.

And then going back to what you just previously said in one of your answers is you're listening so much. you're really taking in all of the things that these women are saying, it leads me to kind of take a step back and remember those first couple weeks when I was the lead because I remember meeting 25, 30 men who already knew enough about me and the position that I was in. I really felt like I was kind of in your shoes where I was listening so much because I was really trying to pick apart all of these men and to see who could actually. actually fit into my life and be a good partner for me. And so I remember those first couple weeks listening so much. And really, they weren't asking a lot of questions about me. It was more

at the other end where I was asking so much about these guys. Is that kind of where you felt yourself in this role is because you were really trying to pick apart each woman, each relationship to see who would be the best fit for you? Oh, yeah, absolutely. I think for me, And what I caught early on is actually pretty interesting because I saw there was a contrast between Michelle's season and mine. We went in on Michelle's side of things knowing kind of who she was, right, or having the basics. I mean, we didn't know her truly down to her core, but we had an idea. She's a teacher. She's a former athlete.

Like we had a background. And on this side of things, as I found out, the women didn't really know who I was at all. I mean, they showed up night one and they're like, what's he going to look like? We don't know. Like I think they found out a few days before they showed up on, you know, for the limos. And I found like early on our conversations, the women would be asking me, you know, like, well, tell me about you, but I would switch it back on them because I knew like night one, I had five, maybe at most five minutes with some of these women.

So I would switch it right back. Well, I'd be like, okay, like, you know, I'll answer the question. Then I would go right back to, but like, hey, like, so tell me about, you know, kind of like what you've done, what you did prior. How did you get here? Like I wanted to get to know them as much as possible because, again, that night, the first night, you sent home like seven women. And so you know, for me, it's like I need to know as much as I can know about someone in five minutes so that I'm not sending somebody home potentially.

That could be like the perfect match for me. I just missed out on maybe like getting the like the little tidbits that I needed to make a conscious decision. And the fact of the matter is is like night one, I don't think I spoke to five or six of the women. You just can't get around to all of it regardless. So yeah, I found early on I was like just ask as many questions as you can. but that's what people are seeing now on TV is the women are doing a ton of talking and I'm just over there like, yeah,

it's because I'm asking the questions and then I'm just letting them speak because that's how I was going to get to know them so I could make those decisions at the end of it all. Two months is two months and I found out two months is plenty of time when that's all you have to focus on as relationships. But the last thing I wanted

was to feel like I ran out of time with somebody. I didn't want that to be the deciding factor. And I'm sure like coming from, because I was on Matt season, which was the last season, And I came in as a contestant. And I feel like as a contestant, you come in and you know, okay, I might only have three to five minutes with this guy tonight. And at the end of the night, he has to make a decision.

So as much as I want to see if there's a connection there, I really want to show him who I am. So I can leave feeling like, you know, if it didn't work out, I showed him who I am. I shared my story. He got a vibe for my personality. So, and I mean, they've, I don't know what the quarantine. was like on your season, but we were in a room for like five days. I mean, I was ready to talk for hours when I got out of there. So, I mean, I'm sure you're finding, you're asking questions,

and these women are excited to share with you who they are. Yeah, the big thing was, again, it's like, in the real world, if you went out on a date, you would have a nice back and forth. You would have, you know, you'd ask some questions. They'd ask them some questions. Hopefully you would get that 50-50 kind of effort on both sides. but in this environment it's like you really hope I for me at the end of day I was like listen like hopefully over time like I you guys will be able to get to know me the longer you're

here but like a lot of these conversations are going to be 90 10 right like you not 90% of time you're talking I'm listening the you know for that 90% and then I'm talking for the other 10 and it can be a lot it's kind of it takes a little bit of an adjustment period and I could tell like at first kind of women they wanted to ask the questions but I would just turn it right back because again When I was back on Michelle season, I felt like I had three minutes and I'm like, clocks ticking. Second, I sat down.

I was like, all right, Michelle, I'm a medical sales. I played football. Like, I was just like firing off bullet points. And it felt kind of forced. And I remember walking out of that first conversation with her being like, yeah, I feel like I just read my resume to her. Like that was it. I don't know if there's any personality involved.

I just straight up read it off. But that's kind of, again, three minutes, boom. Next guy coming in and smiling and you're like, all right, well, there goes that. Speed dating. Speed dating, yes, yes, very much so. Well, and what people need to keep in mind is we're only two weeks in. Like, we've only seen two episodes. So, of course, it's going to be more getting to know all of these women as time goes on.

And as the cast goes down and you have more intimate one-on-one time with most of these women, we're going to see you more. We're going to see more of your personality, more of the conversations, more of that banter, more of these connections form. We've only seen two episodes. And this week, unfortunately, we didn't get one. So that will come. I know it seems like a lot right now and a lot of those comments about, you know, you not doing enough or being too much of this or that, whatever it might be. But let it breathe.

Everyone, again, give him some time, give him some patience. It's not easy being the bachelor. I know as fun as it is dating 30 people, Clayton, how difficult was it truly? Extremely difficult. Again, the biggest thing that I wanted early on was like, okay, don't forget names and don't mix up stories. because the last thing you want to do is go into a conversation and be like, yeah, remember when you told me about that experience you had, so-and-so, and she's like, that was one of the other girls.

Like, you don't want to, you don't want that to happen. Like, I think you're talking about one of the other women. So early on, I'm like, just get the stories straight, make sure that, like, you're being the best listener possible. Because, again, like, that's important for relationship. I think I've seen studies where it's like people that are great listeners tend to be more well-liked because, again, it's like everyone likes to feel like they're being heard.

And that, to me, again, as I've seen in the medical profession and say, it's like everyone loves to talk about themselves so you know lend that ear to them and that's how you get to let me people will give up so much information about themselves if you just sit there and actively listen and so I try to do that but with 30 women it's like there's 30 different personalities and as I'm seeing from just the first two episodes I was like man I live this experience but what I'm seeing almost feels like an entirely new experience because I didn't know this was happening and I do actually want to address something head on right now because I've

seen it. It's kind of been bubbling up on social media. And it was frustrating for me to watch as well. This is kind of pertaining to, this is pertaining to Elizabeth and Chenet, that drama. I didn't realize that Chenet that, you know, went after her to the degree that she did about her ADHD. I don't condone that behavior at all. It was very upsetting for me to watch and realize that someone would make, you know, a joke out of someone having a deficit. And that was something where, again, for me seeing for the first time, I was frustrated. by it because I don't think that anybody should be doing that coming after someone for something that, again, like they were born with her have and they have to deal with on a daily basis. I also am very impressed by what I'm seeing from Elizabeth.

I know she's now using her platform for good. But, yeah, you know, you see these aspects of the show that, like, I didn't know we're happening, we're occurring. And it's, again, it's eye-opening. and but that's where again I go back to people say why didn't you react to this and it's like I didn't know the severity of the situation and unfortunately it did occur as we've all we all saw and now it's like okay people like are saying like how can you keep someone around like this it's like just again keep in mind that if I'm not there on screen I'm not there which means I'm not privy to it but I just I just actually just wanted to bring that up because again I think

it's important for people to understand that like I personally don't support that kind of behavior coming after somebody for for deficit that they may have that they're working their best to overcome and especially thrown on a national platform I can only imagine you know what Elizabeth was going through having to have that cast out not only to the women but to the entire world I think she's doing a great job of it and I'm glad to see that she's being able to find some positive avenues to drive this focus towards you know fostering some good discussion and putting like this all towards a fundraiser. Thank you for bringing that up.

That's a good point. And that's something that Serena and I had touched on last week on the podcast. And obviously it was a big conversation in the episode that we saw last week. So I appreciate you taking this time and some moments to speak on that. Absolutely. Yeah. Yes. And I do think, you know, it's only been two episodes.

You clearly haven't been afraid to take the steps to send people home. And we saw it in the first episode with Claire. So I think everyone can just be a little patient with. you give you some grace i think you can give yourself some grace you're doing a fantastic job and just let the season unfold you know we're going to see a lot more of you a lot more drama and i'm sure there's going to be tons of opportunities for you to confront situations both on the show and through the podcast yeah patience is key and that's where like even my me i'm like Clayton be patient you know how this story unfolds and yet you're the one who's like now like listening to all these comments

and being like oh i'm getting impatient i just want this to happen and it's like no like just give it there's plenty you got eight more episodes having more episodes ahead this story will unfold the truth let it breathe let it breathe baby um let's get let's just bring it back to the very very beginning because obviously again we didn't have you on michel's season on our podcast to talk through anything to get to know you so i want to know because i don't think you'd ever watched the show before so how did you get cast on michel's season i was reached out to on social media. Funny enough, I think I made like an Instagram, I think it was just a year ago that I made one, just because it seemed like all my friends had funneled away from Facebook. So I felt that I was out of

the loop. And so I was like, I have to download Instagram. I remember trying to creep on Instagram, like go on like, like Instagram.com. I didn't want to actually download the app. And then I realized you have to download the app to see the content. So I made the Instagram. And then, yeah, I was reached out to that way. And of course, I thought it was. bake. I was like, okay, this is probably some spam. But yeah, that was, I reached out to that way and just kept going step by step to the process. And now I'm all the way on this side of it. So wait for you now. Come full circle. I have to know. So you download an Instagram about a year ago, but you've, like, you've lived your single 20s. Did you have girls comment on the fact that you

didn't have Instagram? Because frankly, when I was dating, if someone was like, oh, I don't have Instagram, I'm like, okay, either you're a creep or you're lying. And I'm going to find your You're a serial killer. I had a lot of, yeah, I've had like a few women that they brought it to my attention. They're like, yeah, I definitely sent my location to my friends because I couldn't find many pictures of you because you just have a Facebook and that's about it. And obviously like some of the dating apps, like I had my few pictures, but they couldn't like go and see. Yeah, like his Instagram, like why is this guy not having Instagram? Is this really him?

Like all those questions I had. And it was never enough for me to be like, okay, I need me. make an Instagram because my character was being questioned, even my identity. But certainly, yeah, that was a conversation I've had a couple times. Well, the good thing is going on The Bachelorette, there's no phones. So you don't even

need Instagram, but I mean, we saw a little bit of you on Michelle's season. Do you want to just touch on how your experience was on the show? I mean, we saw your journey looked like you were growing feelings from Michelle, and obviously it didn't work out. Yeah. It was

that was really the that whole experience helped segue way me very well into the role as the bachelor and it was a lot with having to do with like not only Michelle but the other guys as well I was blown away by the quality of men that they brought on there was so many of them that had very successful backgrounds they had a lot of confidence they just were very comfortable in their own skin and that was something that I struggled with definitely coming into it I you know, being in Columbia, Missouri and dating, dating, it's like if you're kind of like, you can be a big fish in a small pond per se, but then all of a sudden you go and you get these guys that are all like, they picked from all across the country and they were really just

like incredible human beings that I started seeing my confidence start to waver coming on the show. First person I saw was Nate. I remember that was the first person that I saw. And I'm like, he's six foot eight, good looking guy. And I'm like, oh my gosh. Like, I'm going to be like, it's going to be a whole basketball team of guys, and I'm going to be the shorty at six foot five. And so, yeah, it was like a shock to me. And then I started talking to the guys getting to know them. And the whole experience really allowed me to step back. And I had a lot of help from the guys who talked to me one-on-one. More than a few guys reached out, obviously, or were actively helping me along the way. You know, I roomed with Brandon on the tail end of the show. And I,

I mean, we bonded so hard, like, in those, you know, that week or so that I was there as his roommate, because we just talked about life. We sat up, we called a pillow talk, and we would talk for, like, three or four hours. And then it ended up being wiped out the next day, like having, you have three to four hours to talk. I feel like we got no time alone, no time to sleep. How did you squeeze in those hours? Well, we would get, that's the thing. We would get, like, we would get maybe five hours of sleep. And we would talk for three.

So we'd end up getting two hours. And I would always be like, Brandon, I'm going to bat. He's like, nah, man, it's pillow talk time. And I was like, oh, my God. That's so cute. I love that. I grew very quickly. I was like, this guy is incredible.

He taught me a lot. He taught me the power of just like, if you really care about somebody, go above and beyond. Right. He was a big note writer. He truly was like any moment I can get with her. Like, I want to show her that I care. And that's where he showed me like, hey, write a note. Whatever you can do, go the extra step to show somebody that you truly care about

him. He got me into journaling. That was so critical on my side of things where I used that as much as I could because I didn't have friends of family around. So I'd be writing that and that would help just put my thoughts on paper and help me decompress. And then the big thing with Michelle was she opened me back up to fully tearing down my walls and realizing like you want this relationship more than anything. Like you want to be happy with one person. Like your single life that you went through wasn't giving you that. And it came down to that last date. I was very, I was still very guarded going into that last date with Michelle.

Like I was slow to open up. And as we saw in the season, I saw it, my conversations with her weren't as deep. They're more surface level versus other guys because I was just very cautious. But I got into that last date and the museum day, it was so much fun. It was just like, it really showed me like I was able to start opening up to her. And then by the end of it, I'm like, wow, like I actually feel something special here. like there's a like we're taking it to the next step as far as this relationship. I haven't done this in a while.

Every time I get to this point with somebody in the past, I would shut down because I, you know, I had my own battle scars from my previous relationship that I was in. And so I usually would shut off, but I just kept pushing forward with Michelle. And yeah, and then she opened me up. Obviously then she sent me home right after that point, but she told me, you know, hey, stay true to yourself and don't close back off, promise me that. And I didn't. And that's what allowed me then to go into The Bachelor and come in more.

open than I had been really since my previous relationship six years ago. Yeah. So I'm sure your answers are going to be vastly different from Michelle's season versus your own season. But during your time on Michelle's season, were there any moments in particular that really stand out to you that were especially great or challenging? You say on Michelle season? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. We're very challenging. I think not one thing stands out off the top of my head. I think because that's the whole experience was challenging. So night one, I thought about going home like six times.

I was like, what are you doing here? You don't belong. Some of these guys are huge characters. Like, what did you get yourself into? And so it was challenging in that respect for me. Then for the first like week or so, I think I was in my shell. And that's where it's like when it came to conversations with Michelle, I would, I was kind of guarded and I was just trying to get to.

know her, but she was asking me a lot of questions. I remember trying to like ask her more questions, but she would push it back to me the same way that I did when I was, I was the lead as well. It's like the lead tries to push the questions on to the women to get to know them or or the men. But I was just trying to figure everything out. And I look back at that now and I don't know. I'm like, should I have watched prior seasons? Like, would that have helped give me an idea? I don't know if I'll ever have the answer to that because I went in with just like basically with the blinders on kind of went in like, all right, I am, like we're going to just have fun with it all and make this as authentic as possible.

I still don't know to this day if that was beneficial or not, but it definitely made it challenging because everything was new to me. And so when I go into new environments, I get very quiet and I just take in as much as I can. Like that's because I'm like, don't open your mouth and be a fool. Like there's some famous quote or something I love to like someone referenced me. Like better for people to think you're a fool than to open your mouth. remove all doubts. And that was like what I thought going into. I'm like, do not just take it all in and then you'll start to open up as time goes on. But with that, yeah, everything was challenging

on Michelle's season. It was all just brand new. Well, to your point, and this is something that Serena and I had talked about, I believe in our first episode of your season with Jesse Palmer is because you went in not watching previous seasons, you didn't have a game plan. You didn't have this rulebook or notes on what to do or what not to do or when to say certain things, which for me personally, as a viewer, I find very endearing. I mean, I know it's, that's not necessarily the case because I think so many people that tend to go on the show now are fans. They kind of know how each season works, what happens when, what you should do in certain situations. And for you, you're kind of just like going with the wind and going,

you know, wherever it takes you. And which I will say, I love that you are able to ask more questions especially with Jesse of like has this happened before how what do you do in this case like any advice which I think it's more fresh and refreshing for me I would say yeah I and I think some people do see that is like why like what is this guy doing does he not know how it works it's like nope no he does not no I don't like it's all as people will see and I'll be able to talk on some of these things more as they pop up but some of the things that happened I remember just be like looking over at Jesse or whoever and be like is this for real like is this can we do this like and I think people have already seen that in teasers like with me like you know what are

your thoughts on this can I do this because every day I would just like wake up and then I'd be like okay like let's go about my day and all of a sudden this happen I'm like wait is this part for the course yeah apparently it is but I didn't want to be influenced by the outside world or any external factors that would cause me to change who I was and for that yeah I can say that through the entire experience, I was 100% myself and took those course of actions that I thought were best. But had I had watched prior seasons, might I had went about it differently and maybe made some better decisions? Potentially, yes. That's a huge one-off game that you'll never win trying to play. Yeah. And I think as much as it's kind of a cheesy thing to

say, the best thing you can do going on any of these shows is to just be yourself. And it's It's so corny, but it is true because that is how you're going to give yourself the best chance at finding a connection or realizing that that's not the connection for you. And I think whether you go in blind, going in as a fan, you know, that brings out the most genuine people and that's how people find love. And I think that's why, you know, people like you, Clayton, you were 100% yourself in Michelle's season. And that's why we see all of the men from that season really rooting for you. and Michelle as well has been so open about like her admiration for you and her excitement around you being the Bachelor. So you have a lot of support and I think that just speaks to the fact that you were so yourself and genuine on, you know, Michelle's season. We are seeing that from you on this season.

But I mean, I think there was a lot of excitement from your cast about you being the Bachelor. What was your reaction when you got the call? I mean, were you surprised? How did you feel? It was a good thing that I was sitting down because, because I just, I would have probably just like, you know, I was so in shock when I got the, when I got the call. And I think, again, it happened so quickly. I went from Michelle's season to mine a month later. And what was great about it was like talking to the women. I was like,

hey, I was just in your shoes. Like, I was literally in your shoes not even a month ago. And that really helped. I think Kwella, a lot of that. Early on, I think there was a lot of that nervousness with these women, but I like quickly, I think calm them down by being like, hey, I'm just as nervous. Like, I am not that far removed from it. I have no pro by any means. But yeah, to be had to have them bring that to me. It meant so much because it was not only humbling, but I was just very thankful to be even considered. Had I not even had got end up getting the role as the bachelor, like just for them to say, hey, like we like you. We think you're a good guy and we're considering you for this. It was, I think, reflective upon me as far as letting me know,

okay, you're doing some things right. You're a good guy. And people see that. And that's, again, I've always been a people pleaser. That's just my personality. I always try to make people happy before I make myself happy. You've got to find that balance for sure. But that's where it's, yeah, it's the challenge. It's like, I know that the producers saw this in me. And that's why they gave me the opportunity. And now I'm hoping that most people will see that long term once this is all done. Again, everyone needs to have some patience. And I think, it will come around that way but yeah i mean absolutely an absolute shock you obviously i thought my journey was over on michelle's side and i was like okay i'm going to go back and uh make some changes to my life

i just didn't realize the changes would be as magnanimous as they were well i have to say i thought it was very very cute the little clip at the beginning of your season where you went and you told your mom that you were making the next bachelor bachelor bachelor's family she's been she's been with the franchise since the beginning of time. And so she, yeah, she was completely caught off guard. I came in on like a Tuesday because normally it was summertime when I told her and or towards the end of it. And I would usually come back on the weekends to go on the boat with my parents. So you could just sit out on the boat and relax on the sun. It was great. And I came back on like a Tuesday and night and she's like, what are you doing there? And yeah, I commented her

she started getting breathing really heavily. I'm like, oh my gosh. Like I'm going to have to like hold her. She's going to pass out on camera. here. But yeah, just as everyone saw, like my mom is so very supportive, so excited. She's always texting me. But, you know, the sad part about it is she's taking a lot of this criticism worse than I am. And so that's been actually very, you know, for me, I haven't been too excited about that. It's like, I've taken it a certain way, but like my mom really, really is struggling with it. And I tell her to get off social media and she can't do it either. She's like so curious, but it's driving her absolutely wild. And I think that's just where I, if anyone

watches this and thinks about typing a negative comment, I'm like, realize that it's not just me that you're affecting. You know, it's like, it's my loved ones. You're affecting my, my mom. And again, like some of these comments and after the show can only show what they can show in two hours. So I get it. We all know. They filmed so much, but only like what makes it is 1% of what was filmed. but sometimes it's like okay like I recently my brother texted me after this last episode he was like hey you did a lot of kissing on the episode you didn't really do a lot of talking like I'm kind of like like what are you doing man like you need to be getting to know these

women and I remember like that hearing it from a loved one someone who knows me is questioning who I am as a person that hit me really hard and so it's like I think people have to understand like your words do affect me like and I'll put a smile on and every day I'll start brand new and then start the day over and I'll look forward to like what's to come but like those one comment you think it's just one comment understand that I'm not just reading that one comment I'm reading your comment I'm reading the 10,000 other comments and they all pile on and it's it can be a lot and it doesn't it can really affect someone's mental health not only mine but my moms and and so yeah again I go off from these tangents because I have so much to say as I think about like

what all has occurred since I've been the bachelor but while it has been such a phenomenal experience, while it was so exciting to get that call to be the next bachelor, I'm now seeing that the hardest part's actually not so much the show. It's the aftermath. It's this part of it. Now watching it with the public. Yeah. I mean, I'm sure we can all say this from being on several seasons. The filming part is fun. You know, of course, there's drama and there's a lot of stress and it can be very, very difficult. But the airing of everything back is when it gets very, very difficult. And I'm so glad you touched on the point of it, not only affecting you, but your family, because, I mean, I get it. There's a support system, I feel like, for everyone

in Batchar Nation with each other who have gone through the similar experience. But there's not really one for the parents and the siblings and other family members. So I want to say, like, if your mom ever needs anyone to talk to, my mom is widely available. She would love to just give any advice to be a shoulder to cry on. Same with Thomas's family. I know. I mean, he was villainized on Katie's season of The Bachelorette, and he went through a really hard time. And it really, really affected his mom. It really affected his sister, even his brother who had never watched the show before. And so everyone just take a second to realize that, like, again, words do matter. They hold weight. They can cut people down. And they can really affect other family members who just love and know you for who you are. And so I'm glad that you mentioned. that because I don't think people hear it enough. I don't think people remember that enough. It can be very, very difficult. So if your mom needs anyone, I'll give her Jill Coffrin's number. Okay. I do appreciate that. Thank you so much. Yeah, she, honestly,

I think she's also, as Louise go on, I think she'll become a little, get a little more acclimated to it. It's just that initial shock. Yeah. And I think over time, it may get better, it may get worse, but I will keep that in mind because I think it would be, it's always great to hear from people who have experience with it. And, I mean, listen, you are the lead. Like, you are America's most eligible bachelor right now. And if you're getting, you know,

hate or crap or, you know, all these negative things coming Norway, also remember women on your season and contestants from past seasons, if they're villainized or if they're painted in some sort of bad spotlight, like how difficult it is for them as well, who aren't the lead, who aren't, you know, beloved and sought after in this moment.

it's it's a weird world that we all get ourselves into um and i'm sure you did a lot after getting that initial call to prep for being the lead right like there's so much that goes into it physically mentally emotionally so how did you prepare yourself and get ready for being the bachelor well like so many things that you said it physically mentally emotionally uh i remember like physically first off i was like guys we need to get me a sense of style style because on Michelle's side of it, oh my gosh, I've had, I packed, I remember I had a conversation one night, they go, we need you guys all to dress for like kind of business casual or something on the side. So like a date night, a fancy date night. And I walk out of the hotel out of my room,

like, no, Clayton, like we need something for a date. And I was like, yeah, this is what I'd wear. What were you wearing? It was just like, I remember it was like a, like, a modern, like, it was like a plain, light green t-shirt. And I had on these like, They're kind of, they're shorts, but they were like, but they were. Wait, is this for the night person? Yes. For the cocktail party. Yes.

And they were like, do you have a dress shirt? And I don't think I brought a single dress shirt there. And they're like, what are you doing? I'm like, I don't, when I go on dates, I just wear t-shirts or like, you know, I don't, I don't know. T-shirts and jeans. You and Joe need to go shopping together because you both need new or jobs. Well, listen, the good thing about like what happened on, on my side of this journey. because on Michelle's side, I think I did wear a pair of jeans one episode.

They're like straight dad jeans, not form fitting at all. At least now I will only wear fit of jeans. So there's been some good that's come out of it. I saw you posted like a photo making fun of your style. I forget what you said. Something about like rich kid with a lawyer dad. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, I was, again, it was kind of fun because on my side, I told, they're like, you know, what's your style? I was like, let's just open it up. Like, let me just wear everything across the board and figure out what it is I liked. And so I think if that, yeah, for watching it now, I realize I'm like, there's like, oh, one day he's wearing this polo, the next day he's wearing a blazer

with a hoodie under it. I was just trying it all out because I was like, hey, this is fun. Like I get to kind of like try on these clothes and see what works best. But yeah, that was like physically, you know, I want to get my fashion, the fashion down. Another thing, too, that I, just joke, Joe casually walking in. Hey, Joe. And, no, I also remember as well as, like, I think I was stocking up a little bit as far as I was making sure to eat a little more calories before going into the show because I knew that I probably wasn't going to have the same access to, like, all the food that I wanted or like being able to work out because you have so much of your time is spent, you know, talking with women that you don't get to have that time to focus on nutrition and exercise. So I bulked up a little bit going into the show, like all these little things.

I got like. Oh, I know you met with Jason Creel. Shout out to Jason. Yeah, Jason. Oh, my gosh. It's my trainer, too. Yeah, he told me. Yeah, Jason's awesome.

He, like, day one, he's like, okay, what do you want to work on? I'm like, just, you know, some more body weight stuff. I'm not a big runner. He's like, well, that's too bad because we're running. So he got me. And now I love it. Now I love it. Like, he's got me doing sprints now.

Like, I've just carried on with like his workouts. And yeah, he's great. He's so motivated, like, motivational. He's going to be so happy. I would see him after he would train you every morning. And he'd be like, I just kicked Clayton's ass again. Just kicked his ass. My dad, a guy, Jason.

I'm so proud of you. He would be picking me up off the floor. Like his workouts were, what, 45 minutes, if that. But like, he's that guy where you start trying to make conversation. He's like, I know what you're trying to do. Get back to it. He puts you right back on that. But, I mean, he got me in this great shape.

Yeah, I obviously, like, I love working with him. He was awesome. Such a genuine guy knows what he's talking about. And then mentally for the show, I just had to tell myself, okay, you're going in alone. so you need to like you need to just understand like how are you going to make sense of everything around you and that's where I took to like the journaling and just taking time to like sit there at night and kind of just stare up at the ceiling and let my thoughts just run wild I just had to make

sure I put certain things in place so that I was ready for what was to come which I realized no matter how much I prepared I was never going to be able to be fully ready for what was about to come my way you can try and prep as much as you want you can talk to past bachelors for any advice as much as you want, but nothing is ever the same each season. You really have no idea what to expect. All right, Clayton, I have one last question for you before we get into our game. And that is Night 1 as The Bachelor. Did you have your top four in mind?

Like, did you know, okay, these are going to be my girls. There's somebody here for me. No, no. I remember night one, I thought I was very confident about probably 10 or 12. And I thought that's that. Okay. That being that like that was my number. That's how that's how impressed I was by the women. I remember being like, okay, there's 10 or 12 of these women that I could see any one of them potentially being the one. I knew there was going to be so much discussion that would have, we have and so many experiences and interactions that would occur. But night one like for I thought that was pretty good to like be just right straight off the bat, one conversation or like just initial introductions. I felt very, very good about probably 10 or 12. Damn. Okay. Wow. I was going to ask you for like your top three because usually that's. what Carrie the stylist would ask every, every season. But 10 or 12, all right. We got a way to go. I like it. I like it. At least you were set. That's good. Yeah, I was in a good place. I realized.

I knew I was in a good place, but I was like, okay, if it's this many, night one, you got your work cut out for you. And I did. I definitely did. I love it. All right. Okay. We love our games at Bachelor Happy Hour. So we are going to play a little game. It's basically, it's going to be a basic ass rapid fire, okay? Because again, so many people still really want to get to know you, but we just have to start with the basics. So basically, Serena and I are going to give you a question and you just answer it whatever comes to mind. Rapid fire is like the hardest thing for me because as you guys have seen, I talk so much, but I'll give you my best effort. It's like it confines me to a box. I feel your pain. I'm like, this is not going to be in his element. He's going to want to explain every answer. I can already feel it. Clayton, you were like,

me, we just like to talk. I get it. I get it. Okay. So to kick it off, it's going to be very basic, basic ass rapid player. Okay. What is your favorite color? Red. Oh. Dogs or cats? Dogs. Jeans or sweats? Okay. What is your drink of choice? I imagine alcoholic. Is that what we're talking about? Sure. Let's go alcohol. Manhattan. Oh, says the guy who ordered what Jack Daniels on the rocks when we went out? I did, I did, but then I got had the Manhattan after I liked it a lot and now I'm back on the Manhattan shit. Because Thomas gave you shit.

I know, he did. Sometimes I need people to give me some shit for me to get me back on the on course. He's just expanding your horizons, just like the bouncer did. Okay, what toppings do you like on your pizza? Top three. Meat lovers. Oh, okay. Sausage, pepperoni, bacon.

Okay. What was the first concert you went to? In sync. What? Clayton, you're an NSYN fan, huh? I'm going to have to, yeah, at some point, I'm going to have to, like, explain that one. But I'll say real quickly, I end up crying because I was, like, 12 years old, and my aunt brought me, I was the only guy there, and I cried.

I was like, why am I the only guy here? I didn't realize. I didn't realize I was in heaven at the time, but I was 12. Oh, my God. I'm so jealous. Okay. Well, speaking of music, what? is your go-to karaoke song?

Oh, gosh. It could be any country song. I think when she comes home tonight by Riley Green. Okay. I thought it was going to be tearing up my heart by NSIC, but we'll go with country. I've been on a country kick. I feel like I know the answer to this next one. Well, what is your favorite cheat day meal?

Chippla. There we go. There we go. It'll always in forever be Chippole. How many times can we plug Chipotle so we all get this card? Okay, Chipotle, Bachelor Happy Hour loves you. Endorse us. Hit us up.

That's right. I plug it too much. No, we got to plug it more, Serena. Okay, Clayton, are you a night owl or an early riser? Early riser. All right. Favorite way to work up a sweat? working out well that we're going to go kind of good fun there good clean fun i know i know

i was like i thought but that original thought popped in my head i said nope uh-uh not quite there today i'm already giving it pg what are your three qualities that you look for in a romantic partner uh honesty transparency and just being funny good ones any guilty pleasures other than Chipotle. I've messed in this before. I like candles, so I like kind of just lighting up some candles and, yeah, just and relax. Nice.

How old were you when you had your first kiss? Oh, that brings you back. It was seventh grade, and I remember I kissed with my hands behind my back. I was so nervous. I didn't even put my hands on her. It was the most awkward kiss. Then she told everybody the next day at school that I was a terrible kisser. It was, it hurt.

Oh, you've come a long way. From kissing with the hands behind the back to being the bachelor and kissing 30 women. Yeah, you've got some good makeup. Thank you. I'm glad they're, yeah. So I've heard people don't like the kissing noises. That's the whole other conversation. Sorry, I can't control that one.

Well, they can turn their volume down. Do you want kids someday? Yes. Who is your best friend from Bachelor Nation? Brandon. And last one of least, do you believe in alien? Oh, what a closing question. And I can't explain in detail.

Oh, my gosh. Yeah, I believe in extraterrestrial life. Do I think it's intelligent? I don't know. I'll leave it at that. Okay, okay. Actually, I have one more question that's not here written down, but I need to ask it because somebody asked me this, and it was so good.

What is something about you that people know about you that you wish they didn't? Oh man. Well, I'm like an open book. So everything I say, it's like, it's like I throw it out there regardless. Something that people know about, but I wish they didn't know. I don't know. Maybe I'll say the freestyle rapping because now everybody wants me to wrap on their like in podcast or interviews. And I'm like, it was mainly a joke. Although my teammates, my teammates in college and when I briefly was in NFL, people back me up. Like I brought it. Like I definitely brought the energy. But now it's like, As people are like, they expect me to be really good. I'm like, I didn't say I was good at freestyling.

I just said I like to do it. Do you want to do it right now? See? No, no. New York's coming. Clayton, get on cameo and people can order birthday raps. They can order Christmas raps, Valentine's Day wraps. Oh, I can bring it.

Yeah, if I get to pick my own beats, yeah, it's over. Those are big words for somebody who keeps saying they can bring it and then they won't do it on our podcast. I'm a little bit offended. It has to be calculated. story. And I was, I was viving with it. It was pretty good. Okay, thank you. Yeah, I thought that was decent. I had brought that out the Woodworks after shelving it for a year or two. I used to bust it out a lot more, but I'm pre-uping you now. We're going to have you on Bachelor Happy Hour, again, I'm sure for the finale. So be prepared. You are going to have to freestyle rap with categories

of our choosing, okay? All your season relates. Oh, my gosh. That's like for good rappers. Good rappers can do that. Here, we'll prep you. I am not a good rap. We'll send them to you in advance. Yeah, we will ask our followers for like, for different category suggestions. And then we'll each pick two that you have to wrap to. Okay. You got a couple of weeks. So you got time.

Are you guys going to beatbox for me? Oh, yeah. We will break the beatbox. Okay. If you guys beatboxed or get me just any type of beat, I cannot do an acapella. Please do not put me through that. We can do it. It's like, I'm not part of this.

Don't include me. I will throw it up on YouTube or subscribe. It's a team effort. If we're going to put me on the spot, we're putting you guys on the spot. Okay, okay. We're all in this to get there. I'm already sweating. I'm already sweating with it.

She's called. Serena and I are going to be prepping on the side. We're going to be having additional weekly meetings. Oh, my gosh. Her schedule will be blocked off. Clayton, this has been such a pleasure having you on. I'm glad that we just got to know you so much more, how you're handling this new world that you found yourself in. social media, all of that. Before we let you go, we ask all of our guests this. It's our number one

burning question. So far, what has been your rose and what has been your thorn as your time as The Bachelor? Oh, gosh, it's like pretty reflective, isn't it? It could be fun. It can be light or it could be I would say, yeah, the rose would be everyone that I've met along the way. It's truly impacted me in a way where I'm forever thankful and I've grown so much as an individual. And so that's definitely the rose. The thorn would be my curiosity, which will kill me at some point if I don't, step away from everything and just take a breather.

Yes, good ones, good ones. Yeah. All right, Clayton. Thank you for joining us. I can't wait to have you back. And I can't wait to just watch you as your story unfolds. Yes, we are thoroughly enjoying your season. And I know that there are so many trolls out there.

just know that you have two huge fans right here well thank you so much it's so fun talking you all i obviously ran out of time we're all long-winded for the most part so i'm sure i'll talk to you guys but thank you guys it was really fun thanks clayton all right see you guys until we get me next time oh he is such a pleasure see this is i i hope people listening in enjoy these sorts of podcasts because now you can't say you don't know who clayton is we just handed him to you on a platter people. 100%. I mean, I've met him before I've watched this season, but I feel like just in this last hour, we have learned so much more about him who he is, his thoughts on the drama this season, and I like him even more now. I do too. And he, what I like after chatting with him is, you know,

yeah, he's been getting backlash and he's been having to deal with people saying some terrible things, but he seems so self-aware. Like, he seems he recognizes issues or areas maybe in which he didn't perform at his best or he would have done something different, but he realizes that. And he's like, I would have done that differently. Or I take myself or I hold myself accountable for that, whatever it might be, which is, I think, very refreshing because enough people don't do that, I would say. So it seems like he's taking this all in stride. I know it's not easy to be going through what he's going through, especially when the season is so early on. I mean, we still have weeks to see this entire journey with him and all of these women. So there's a lot more that we still

have yet to learn. Serena, I want to wrap this up by asking you, because we always ask our guest this, but I feel like we should just start answering it on our own, too, because it's so important. But so far of this season, what has been your rose and what has been your thorn? Oh, that's a toughie. Okay, let me think. I'll start with the thorn. I think the moment this season that really impacted me in a negative way the most was watching Chenet. I talk very openly and negatively about Elizabeth's ADHD. That was really disappointing to watch. And I hope that she has watched it back and reflected and learned from that.

And again, shout out to Elizabeth. I know I talked about her last time on the podcast, but she handled that so well. And then I think my rose, I'm going to have to go. And I know that this is kind of like not fully a moment on the show. I just love the memes this season. I love them every season, but, like, for episode two, the show has been so wild already, and the memes have been popping off. I mean, no live tweets on Twitter now, so, like, I'm scrolling through as well.

And, oh, my gosh, it's just, it's just chaos already. It is. It is chaos already. I would have to agree about the Thorne. I definitely would have to say, just seeing the conversation between Sheney and Elizabeth about the ADHD has been, it was very disheartening, but I hope, again, everyone can learn. I would also say overall a thorn. So I'm just going to leave it, uh, same as you. And I would say my rose right now is just, it seems like it's a lot of firsts again. And I'll say

because it seems like we're finally back at the mansion. There's like this new zest in the group of women when they finally move in. And it's Clayton's first time there. It's really his first time watching any of this back. It just, it seems, um, like there's like, there's like, these special magical moments that I feel like we were kind of missing. There's like a fresh energy. Yeah. You know, we have a new host who's bringing this whole new life to the show as well, which has been fun. So I would say that is just a lot of fun first. I feel like the show's kind of coming back to what it once was, which I appreciate. Yeah. So ladies and gents, thank you all for tuning in again this week. Thank you for being with me. Again, Serena, it's always such a blast with you.

I absolutely love it. And an even bigger thank you to all of our Bachelor. Our listeners. We couldn't do this each and every week without you. And I know I've said this before, but a reminder that we're still casting for the seasons of Bachelor and Bachelorette. So if you want to nominate for yourself or anybody that you know that you think would be great for the show, you can head to bachelornation.com slash apply. Also make sure to hit us up on social. You can find us at Bachelor Happy Hour on Instagram. And from there, you'll find everything you need to know to follow us on Twitter as well as TikTok. And Bachelor Happy Hour is available on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen.

And you can also listen ad free by subscribing to Wondery Plus in Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app. Thank you so much, again, for having me, Becca. Thank you to our wonderful guest, Clayton. He was such a great time to interview. And thank you to our listeners. We are excited to see you next week. Bye, guys. Bye.

My boyfriend's professor is way too friendly, and now I'm seriously suspicious. Wait a minute, Sam. Maybe her boyfriend's just looking for extra credit. Well, Dakota, luckily, it's back to school week on the OK Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my boyfriend's been hanging out with his young professor a lot. He doesn't think it's a problem, but I don't trust her. Now he's insisting we get to know each other, but I just want her gone. Hold up. Isn't that against school policy? That seems inappropriate. Maybe. Find out how it ends by listening to the over.

Okay Storytime podcast on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, host of the Psychology Podcast. Here's a clip from an upcoming conversation about how to be a better you. When you think about emotion regulation, you're not going to choose an adaptive strategy which is more effortful to use unless you think there's a good outcome. Avoidance is easier. Ignoring is easier. Denials easier. Complex problem solving. takes effort. Listen to the psychology podcast on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, my name is Enya Humanzor.

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