‘The Bachelorette’ 2020 Update: When Will Clare’s Season Start Filming And Other FAQs Answered

Bachelor Nation was supposed to be viewing the premiere of Clare Crawley’s season of “The Bachelorette” on Monday, but the coronavirus pandemic prevented the ABC series from filming. In honor of the installment’s original May 18, 2020 release date, here is everything we know about Season 16 so far, including answers to some frequently asked questions about what’s to come for the series.

Will Clare Still Be The Bachelorette?

Despite her season being stalled, ABC has confirmed that Clare is still set to be the next “The Bachelorette” lead. “Clare’s season is happening one hundred percent,” ABC’s reality chief Rob Mills told Variety.

When Will Clare’s Season Start Filming?

Originally due to begin filming in mid-March, production on “The Bachelorette” Season 16 has now been “tentatively” pushed back to “sometime this summer,” Variety reported late last month. Speaking to reporter Elizabeth Wagmeister, Mills said that “mid-summer” was a more “realistic” start date.

How Will The Pandemic Affect The Show?

On past “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” installments, the cast spends a few weeks in the U.S. going on dates before heading international for more lavish outings. Eventually, the program returns stateside for hometowns ahead of the finale. Due to current restrictions and health risks associated with traveling, Clare’s season of “The Bachelorette” will likely change this up.

Variety reported in early April that the show’s production team was looking at “multiple possibilities” once given the go-ahead to begin filming, including possibly renting out a private resort. “...Crawley and her potential suitors would play out their dating fun and games in similar fashion to normal, just without the usual traveling to exotic locations and probably with less hugging,” the outlet noted.

Wagmeister reported similar findings, stating on Twitter that the season would likely film at one location, keeping contestants and crew members “quarantined on-site for the duration of the season’s shoot.” Should the program take this route, Mills said details regarding hometown dates were “still being figured out.”

“As of right now, the plan is to get a great location that has a ton of space where everybody could safely be together and we can still have great dates that still feel big and romantic, and we would shoot the entire season there,” Mills told Variety in its latest update on the show.

While speaking to Deadline, Mills also teased the idea of possibly retooling the show to be “Bachelor In Quarantine” edition. “The best thing about ‘The Bachelor’ is its willingness to evolve as a format so if we need to shoot a cycle that reflects these times, that’s what we’re going to look at doing,” he said.

Is Clare’s Cast Changing?

ABC released the names, photos, and ages of Clare’s cast online in March, but it appears her suitors could be changing. Since the first episode was never shot, Variety reports that the network is “taking advantage” of this by considering “additional casting.” This, warned the outlet, could mean some original suitors could no longer appear in Season 16.

This comes after at least one former member of Bachelor Nation has been outspoken in their support to see Clare’s cast include older participants. It also hasn’t been a secret that Clare already feuded with one of her potential contestants.

When Will Clare’s Season Air?

While ABC has yet to confirm its official filming plans, Variety has reported that should the new season film this summer, the series could see a release this fall.

In the meantime, the network is satiating fans by reairing old seasons of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.” Starting June 8, “Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons – Ever!” will showcase 10 condensed, three-hour versions of prior installments. In the below preview, scenes from former seasons featuring leads Ben Higgins, JoJo Fletcher, Sean Lowe, and Juan Pablo Galavis, who introduced the world to Clare, are featured.

“Each Monday, Chris Harrison will reach into the vault and bring back one of his favorite seasons, highlighting some of the most devastating rose ceremonies, passionate proposals, unexpected new arrivals, dramatic meltdowns, biggest breakups, and, of course, the most romantic moments,” reads the official press release. “The weekly retrospectives will also include virtual catch-ups with fan-favorite Bachelor alumni, checking on the latest in their lives after their final rose.”

Fans can catch the premiere of “Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons – Ever!”​ on Monday, June 8, at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.