The Bachelor alum Clayton Echard has admitted that he struggled with Joey Graziadei’s fame. Clayton, who appeared on Season 26 of the series, opened up about his feelings regarding the beloved reality star. So, what exactly did he have to say? Keep reading for further details.
Clayton Echard Struggled With Joey’s Fame
During Clayton Echard’s time on The Bachelor, he was looking for love after not being the one on Michelle Young’s season of The Bachelorette. Ultimately, he proposed to Susie Evans, and she said no, but they reconnected. Unfortunately, they parted ways after nearly a year together. Shortly after the split, a woman claimed that Clayton was the father of her unborn twins, but that proved to be false. He knew that he was not the father but had to undergo a lot of public scrutiny for all of this. Clayton and Susie reconnected, but they are now just friends.
They appeared at Grant Ellis’ season finale, with Clayton on the stage and Susie in the audience. Despite still being a public figure, Clayton has admitted that he has issues with Joey Graziadei. Joey appeared on Season 28 of The Bachelor and became a fan favorite. He went on to win DWTS, and fans loved him even more. Plus, he and his fiancee, Kelsey Anderson, are over the moon happy. It would make sense that Clayton would envy Joey, but what in particular has him struggling? During the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Clayton shared this intel:
“It’s hard because you try to avoid it, but I get compared to every Bachelor. Every season’s like, ‘This guy’s better than him.’ My sense of self for a while kept getting rocked, especially Joey [Graziadei].”
Clayton saw how well-received Joey was, and that was the hardest thing of all. The fans adored him in a way that Clayton never got:
“I see online, ‘We love Joey. He’s so much better than Clayton,’ and I started to even find myself being envious of him. I had to basically check myself and say it’s not his fault that he’s in the position that he’s in.”
The Jealousy Lingers
So, has Clayton Echard actually ever spent time with his Bachelor “enemy,” or is this based on what he has seen in the media? It seems that their interactions have been brief, to say the least:
“I’ve briefly interacted with him and he seems like a nice guy. It’s hard because you’re in this environment where there’s been [around] 28 other Bachelors, and you want to just be able to be yourself and not focus on anything else. But once we’re in it, you’re never let go from it.”
Due to the franchise, the men are forever linked. Yet, it does not mean that they are best friends or hanging out on a regular basis. After fans saw and heard Clayton’s interview on the podcast, were they turned off, or did they appreciate his words? It was very mixed:
- Loved Clayton!
- Seriously. Why are we still talking about Clayton? No one has any idea how it ever came about that he was picked as the bachelor!
- We love Clayton! Speak for yourself
What do you think of Clayton’s thoughts regarding Joey, and are they completely valid? Let us know in the comments below.
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