How to apply for 'Bachelorette': Clare Crawley says it's not too late for 'mature' suitors

The production for Season 16 of ‘The Bachelorette’ had to be shut down similar to many other shows due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The love-based reality show had already finalized the suitors for Clare Crawley’s season before the pandemic. However, it has now been revealed that the show is open to new casting as the makers aren’t sure if all of the old suitors would return. 

Although the production has temporarily come to a halt, the pursuit for Clare’s lover continues, as the 38-year-old shared on her Instagram handle that it’s not 'too late to submit', referring to the call for the new casting. 

Confirming the news, in an interview with Hollywood Life, host Chris Harrison stated, “We are still casting for the next season of 'The Bachelorette' for Clare’s season because it would be naive of us to think that people can just come back and put their life on hold after just being quarantined for so long.”

“Who knows what the world is going to look like, so we have to be responsible and ready to have maybe more cast members or new cast members. Who knows what we will need. So we are still casting, but in a perfect world I would love to come back with a great mature group of guys who are all serious and want to find love for Clare,” he added. 

However, no official announcement regarding the new casting had been made. And it remains to be seen if Clare can find “a man that will take off his armor” as she previously stated. 

Meanwhile, the final list of suitors for Season 16, which was announced before the production shut down, consisted of men falling in the age group of 23-42. Although Clare doesn’t pay heed to criticism she’s been subjected to for dating men way younger than her, she wonders if the young suitors are ready for her age.
 
“I feel like that would be more of an issue, than me with them, because I feel so much younger at heart than my actual age. I'm proud of my age, but I just feel younger and I feel like that to me is what's important,” the 38-year-old reality star told during her appearance on ‘Good Morning America’.