Clare Crawley Opens Up About Being ‘The Bachelorette’: ‘I Know What I Will & Won’t Put Up With’

Clare Crawley has officially been announced as the next lead for The Bachelorette and spoilers detail that she’ll begin filming in a couple of weeks. Now that the cat is out of the bag, she’s opening up about the adventure ahead.

The Bachelorette star will turn 39 years old in a matter of days, making her the oldest female lead. Clare told People, however, that she sees her age as an asset in this upcoming journey, rather than a hindrance.

“I’ve gone through twists and turns and I know what I will and won’t put up with. Twenty-three-year-old Clare had no clue what I wanted. And I’m glad that wasn’t the end of my love story because I’m such a different woman now,” The Bachelorette star detailed.

Clare said that she has spent plenty of weekend nights alone, wondering if she’ll ever find the right guy. Now she’s ready to start the next chapter of her life and she insisted that she is confident that she knows what she wants.

The last time Clare was on one of the franchise’s shows was two years ago, in The Bachelor Winter Games. She ended up engaged to fellow contestant Benoit Beausejour-Savard, but the relationship ended a few months later.

Despite the split, Clare said they have remained in touch. As for the engagement not working out, she explained they found they wanted different things and were too dissimilar from one another.

“I’ve gone through a lot of personal growth in the last couple of years. And my goal has always been to find happiness — and love,” Clare explained of her current mindset.

Clare went on to say that she believes every relationship she goes through — whether good or bad — helped her learn something. Each one, the Bachelorette detailed, has moved her to a different level.

“I get that there are a lot of perks that come along with The Bachelorette. But in the end, I want a man who I can bring home and watch TV with on a Friday night who doesn’t want to be in the spotlight,” Clare insisted.

Season 16 of The Bachelorette begins filming soon and will premiere on ABC Monday, May 18. Clare said she is excited and ready to find love and fans will be anxious to see if it happens for her.

Not everyone is excited about this pick by ABC, however. Despite that, it seems quite certain that this upcoming season will give viewers a very different experience than they’ve had with The Bachelorette in some time.